Cattling in Australia: No roping? How do they doctor cattle on the range?

[Aces_N_Eights]

I can’t comment much on how the Aussies do it although one of my good friends worked on cattle stations down there. I’m sure we talked about the differences between here and there when she was here in the states starting colts on a work visa but that was several years and many beers ago.

I find it a little disheartening to read many don’t understand and know how cattle are worked here in the states. It goes to show the large disconnect between farm/ranch to table.
In my neck of the woods the country is large, like Bluey’s, 20+ acres to an animal unit(AU). A set of pens and chute may be miles often 30+ depending on the time of year. Roping is the only way to doctor cattle no matter what the size. I rope anything from newborn calves to full grown bulls on a 900 lb. horse. Being smart and handling your rope and stock is the secret and the stress is less than trying to trail an animal miles when it is sick or injured. When we brand, vaccinate it is easier on them to throw them all in a corner of a large allotment. We can keep the calves on their moms rope and drag them out, brand, vaccinate cut nuts and and they run back to their moms, back on the tit sucking, no trailing for miles to a set of pens and hardly a few minutes separated from mom. Less stress equals less chance of weakened immune systems/sickness, makes for healthier happier calves.

I have never used a 4 wheeler to move cattle and most around here do not. We all do things that are fitting to our environment and a 4 wheeler doesn’t really work here. Dogs and horses. Different story for those who can run 20 head per an acre rather than 1.5 head per 20 acres. Roping horseback is still going strong here.

[SuzieQNutter]

@Aces N Eights

I can’t comment much on how the Aussies do it although one of my good friends worked on cattle stations down there. I’m sure we talked about the differences between here and there when she was here in the states starting colts on a work visa but that was several years and many beers ago.

I find it a little disheartening to read many don’t understand and know how cattle are worked here in the states. It goes to show the large disconnect between farm/ranch to table.
In my neck of the woods the country is large, like Bluey’s, 20+ acres to an animal unit(AU). A set of pens and chute may be miles often 30+ depending on the time of year. Roping is the only way to doctor cattle no matter what the size. I rope anything from newborn calves to full grown bulls on a 900 lb. horse. Being smart and handling your rope and stock is the secret and the stress is less than trying to trail an animal miles when it is sick or injured. When we brand, vaccinate it is easier on them to throw them all in a corner of a large allotment. We can keep the calves on their moms rope and drag them out, brand, vaccinate cut nuts and and they run back to their moms, back on the tit sucking, no trailing for miles to a set of pens and hardly a few minutes separated from mom. Less stress equals less chance of weakened immune systems/sickness, makes for healthier happier calves.

I have never used a 4 wheeler to move cattle and most around here do not. We all do things that are fitting to our environment and a 4 wheeler doesn’t really work here. Dogs and horses. Different story for those who can run 20 head per an acre rather than 1.5 head per 20 acres. Roping horseback is still going strong here.

I have been told that Queensland Cattle are famous for going after dogs.

You do not go near a calf with a brahman. They will go for you.

So if you rope them out in the paddock and get off to brand the calf, who is keeping the Mum from attacking you? Here we have to get the calves away from their Mum’s and the Mum’s not able to get to us while we do whatever to their calves.

[roseymare]

Well you could do it like the do in Brazil and let your horse keep mama away while you doctor the calf.

[SuzieQNutter]

@roseymare

Well you could do it like the do in Brazil and let your horse keep mama away while you doctor the calf.

You would need another horse. Mama would get you while the horse is keeping the rope tight so as you can jump on the calf and tie it up.

[Bluey]

If you put your calving cows where you can get to them with 4 wheelers, some here are using this kind of calf catcher to work the calves safe from the protective cows:

http://www.safetyzonecalfcatchers.com

I have not seen anyone using that, but they tell me it works well.

[roseymare]

https://youtu.be/jw_uQvSq_4w

Think it Brazil but I guess I don’t really know. Cow has lot of ear.

[roseymare]

Always heard that you herd bos taurus from behind but you can’t herd bos indicus- they follow you…My experience has been yep they follow but at a high rate of speed

[wireweiners]

@roseymare

Always heard that you herd bos taurus from behind but you can’t herd bos indicus- they follow you…My experience has been yep they follow but at a high rate of speed

Brahma cross cattle are popular down here as they can take heat and insects better than pure English or European breeds. Personally, I prefer handling Brahma crosses. If you know what you’re doing, they aren’t hard to handle. They are very smart and curious. If you use this to your advantage, they’re easy. One thing about Brahmas, you can’t push and yehaw them around. You move smoothly and quietly and let them work out what gate to go through.

My dad taught me how to work cattle. His mantra was they are creatures of habit. He insisted they were handled through the same routine every time
We were a small outfit, though. Our cattle would come when they were called except in summer when grass was plentiful.

[SuzieQNutter]

Same here and I don’t go near them when they have calved unless I am on a quad or a horse so as I can escape.

I do find that the ones that were born here are different to those who weren’t but I don’t take silly chances.

That said I have just walked past the whole herd with one foot to spare between them and a barbed wire fence. Some were feeding their calves. Some eating the round bales we have given them. They don’t care about my husband or I but would be off in a second if a stranger appeared.

[Aces_N_Eights]

@SuzieQNutter

I have been told that Queensland Cattle are famous for going after dogs.

You do not go near a calf with a brahman. They will go for you.

So if you rope them out in the paddock and get off to brand the calf, who is keeping the Mum from attacking you? Here we have to get the calves away from their Mum’s and the Mum’s not able to get to us while we do whatever to their calves.

Mind you I live on the opposite side of the world. I do deal with cattle that have ear but cross bred on English cattle which for the most part gives them a little more relaxed attitude than what you may see down there. However there is someone who distracts, wards of or will rope the cow when work needs to be done on the calf.
Dogs come in handy here as well as they distract the cow. We require very tough cross bred dogs with a lot of grit. Not many" crawl on the belly" sheep dog trial types. Short haired and rough.
Some of it is teaching the cow to respect a dog or horse.

[SuzieQNutter]

There was a wooden head catch here with a ratchet when we arrived. I HATED it.

The first thing we did was replace it with the cattle crush and now I can put the herd through by myself, introduce new calves to cows, etc, etc.

I saw a guy on TV. Someone tried to sell him pvc pipes for water and he didn’t like the thought of plastic as too fragile . Then he saw on TV that it takes millions of years to break down.

He bought the pvc, now if he wants to move the cattle from one paddock to the next, he just turns that tap off and the next one on.

[SouthernYankee]

@wireweiners

Brahma cross cattle are popular down here as they can take heat and insects better than pure English or European breeds. Personally, I prefer handling Brahma crosses. If you know what you’re doing, they aren’t hard to handle. They are very smart and curious. If you use this to your advantage, they’re easy. One thing about Brahmas, you can’t push and yehaw them around. You move smoothly and quietly and let them work out what gate to go through.

Our Longhorns have similar personalities. I can shake a bucket of feed and lead them on foot anywhere I want to go. Granted we don’t get out there and harass them and we do make it a habit of walking the pastures with them often. They know us and all of them will eat out of our hands. Now if a stranger comes to visit it’s a different story…