• If you are having problems logging in please use the Contact Us in the lower right hand corner of the forum page for assistance.

Cows won't go in woods...

Help Support Ranchers.net:

DustDevil

Well-known member
Joined
Mar 30, 2007
Messages
709
Reaction score
22
Location
Upper Tx Gulf Coast
A friend here at work says the 120 or so head of cows on about a 1,000 acre pasture stay in about 350 ac's that are open and they won't go in the woods. There's foot-high good native river-bottom and bahia grass in the woods and it's been DRY. There's hardly any bugs or skeeters, now, it's fairly open, not brushy and it's been relatively cool so it ain't the heat. Wonder what's up ?
(Trinity River bottom in Liberty/ Moss Hill area.)
 
bobcats, bears, mountain lions, cougars, wild hogs? Something hanging out in the woods that isn't to friendly I'd suspect
 
BlackCattleRancher said:
bobcats, bears, mountain lions, cougars, wild hogs? Something hanging out in the woods that isn't to friendly I'd suspect
All of the aforementioned including Sasquatch, I've thought about. "Cornbread" says they all grew up in there, though, and hogs and coyotes are part of the deal nearly all the time.
 
i tried bringing some horses and ponies across a small creek once.they ALWAYS came to a bucket of grain.at the time they made it a point to stay clear up on top of the hill and watched me in the bottom at the water.
only about 6 inches deep and 4 feet across.

there was a fresh powdery snow the nite before and as i looked down,there was a cougar track as big as a dinner plate.he was close.

I and a neighbor each lost a pony that year.u can tell if it is a big cat.
the cats went after the throat first,the yotes went after the tail first.
 
Boogley Wuzzles :shock: :wink:


Tell a couple of coon hunters to take a run through there. The boogley wuzzles will either head for quieter surroundings or become shot.
 
If they were mine just bring a Trailer and some panels they'd be in the woods quicker than it would take to get the gate open. But normally cows here don't prefer grass thas in the wood but if their hungry they'll eat maybe yours are'nt hungry yet.
 
BentSappling.jpg
[/img]
"Cornbread" sent me this pic from his cel phone of a (looks like a tallow tree) that's broke off about 7' off the ground and looks like a buck rub. He said there's no tree limbs from other trees that have fallen on it and it's appearantly not wind damage. Sasquatch ? Giraffe ?
 
The grasses in the woods is a little tougher than the grass in the open pastures. Because it wasn't graze very much and cattle seem to like grass that has fresh growth than grass that has old growth. The Mexican steers I have been grazing have been grazing in the woods pretty good, but they maybe use to it compare to where they came from in Mexico.
 
This is on part of a ranch that "Cornbread" worked on 30+ years ago and continues to help on on his time off from our day/night job. He suggested to them to put some cubes out to get them to ranging out into the woods and maybe they'll start utilizing that grass. I'll pass on the suggestions or he'll probably read this himself first chance he gets to look at a 'puter. Thanks.
 
I know in these parts (same as Denny finds I guess) if left to their own devices a lot of cows will lay on the tame grass waiting for the next blade of grass to pop up while the native grasses grow old and rank in the bush. Seems like if a fence doesn't become involved the bush grass can go to waste.
 
Had the same problem once. After tearing the old grass up and replanting better grass, it still didn't improve the utilization. Finally got out my chainsaw and proceeded to get some daylight to the grass. Mistake I made was not cutting high enough or thinning enough. Much better but not ideal.
 
DustDevil said:
I guess they finally got hungry enough, cause Mc, aka "Cornbread" said they were grazing in the woods today.

I was going to say when grasses get short on supply they will go but they want stay long. Grass in those woods is just toughter, its like eating a fresh T-Bone off a 1200 lb steer and eating a T-Bone off a 2000 lb Bull. :wink:
 
Cows certainly eat the 'desirable grass' first before they move
to the lesser quality grass. All cows do the same.
Have you ever noticed that when you put out a bale of lesser quality hay
and then some better hay, which one the cows eat first?
You can't fool 'em.
 
Faster horses said:
Cows certainly eat the 'desirable grass' first before they move
to the lesser quality grass. All cows do the same.
Have you ever noticed that when you put out a bale of lesser quality hay
and then some better hay, which one the cows eat first?
You can't fool 'em.

Just cuz I'm feeling argumentative I will point out that cows normally fed good hay will often go for the stinker you put out and gobble it up. I would assume it's just because it's something different, because the novelty doesn't seem to last long.

:p
 

Latest posts

Top