lost yearling

[plowboy]

I bought a yearling red Angus heifer Tuesday and a solid white yearling bull. Wednesday sometime before lunch she got out. There is woods all around there pasture how would i go about finding her i cant find any hoof tracks because the pine straw is so thick. plz help i gave way to much money for her to just disappear.

 

[redtailgal]

z

 

[goodhors]

You may want to notify the sheriff in case someone reports a loose cow in their yard.

Locally, the Sheriff's Posse will help with escaped large animals, riding to help herd them
towards an enclosed place to recapture. More eyes might spot her faster.

Is she a good jumper, just cleared the wire? Did she leave damaged fence? You may
want to check that fencer is working at that spot, and keep her enclosed for a week or
two in the barn, in a HIGH fenced area, place she can't escape from. Then maybeo she gets
used to being fed at YOUR house and likes the food to stay around. I would think that
the heifer would stay near the bull, but heifers can be odd thinkers.

I keep my heifer and steer with belled collars. That sound can help to find them if they
would get out. Get a good brass bell, 3-4 inches high, they make a better sound that travels well.
Those sheet metal ones have an ugly ring and sound doesn't travel at all, so you can't
hear them for any distance. Collars have a reflective stripe, lights up when a flashlight or
headlights hit the collar. Safety for me, for quick locating in the field at night to bring them in.
Hope reflective collar helps prevent cow getting hit if they should get loose on the road.

 

[plowboy]

i haven't had but to days. you cant touch them or even get close to them yet i bought them from a local sale barn. i got four strands of barb wire and she cleared the fence you cant even tell where she got out. i haven't fed them yet i got just them to in a to acre field of knee high grass so my dad said don't feed them for a couple of days. i fed him tonight though but i thanks hes to big to jump over the fence. i live beside a prison i called them and asked to keep an eye open and i have state park that meets the back of my property and they ridin around looking.

 

[Stubbornhillfarm]

plowboy, I feel for ya! We had our first two bovines escape on us several times within the first couple of days. By the grace of God,t here was snow on the ground (very deep) and we were able to track them that way. Same situation as you. Couldn't get near them. We did bring a bucket of grain as that was the only thing that got their attention long enough to get a rope around their necks. It wasn't a good situation. The heifer was put in the freezer within a week. We still have the steer, but boy have we all learned some lessons together! Neither one of ours were weaned apparently, even though they were older. They were out looking for momma. I could go on and on with the stories from these two.

In your case, I would just go through the woods, with a bucket and a harness and lead or rope or what ever you have. Be on the lookout for the obvious, cow patties, look for tracks in soft dirt, mud etc. At least she is a color that if the sun hits her, you have a chance of spotting her. She is probably going to be tired from all the walking. Hopefully if you find her, you can coax her in with some grain. If you get her attention, put some grain on the ground and back up ten feet. If she comes for the grain and eats, show her that you have more in the bucket. See if you can get her to come to you. My husband made kind of a laso thing and had it around the bucket on the ground. It is very dangerous, so be careful what ever you do. Take a cell phone with you. If you just have to keep walking near her and call someone with a tranquilizer, you can tell them where you are.

The bell idea is a great one. Also, keeping them tied for a week or so until they know where home is and where their food comes from.

I hope you find her! Keep us posted!