Some ranchers use summer pastures many miles from home. In years past, cattle were usually trailed to pasture but today with more traffic, and sometimes long distances, it’s often easier and safer to haul them. Hauling cows with young calves is challenging but there are ways to do it safely and efficiently.
Keith Elkington, his brother Brent, and his son Layne sell range-raised registered polled Herefords and South Devon cattle on their ranch near Idaho Falls, ID. Their summer pasture is many miles from the calving pastures in rugged range country that requires hauling.
“Unless it’s a light load with just a few pair, we never mix cows and calves together,” Elkington said. “We sort calves off and put them in one trailer and the cows in another. Then the calves don’t get stepped on or hurt.”
It’s important to not load cattle too tight or too loose. Too tight increases risk of having some get down, unable to get up, and they get trampled. If they are too loose they are also likely to get down and trampled because they are moving around too much.
“In that situation, we use a partition to tighten them up. You want them fairly tight, not much extra room, but if they are so tight they are trying to jump over each other, some will fall down,” he explained.
Sometimes cows are hauled in a semi and calves in trailers. “Some guys have a compartment in the top of a semi where they put calves, or in the belly of the truck. When we take one or two pair later—maybe a late calver or a pair that had to stay home awhile for some reason—we just put them in a gooseneck trailer. The bigger calves can stay out from under the cow.”
Bill and Jennifer Davis of Rollin’ Rock Angus in Belgrade, MT have hauled many pairs over the years—to summer pastures, and to new locations. They too haul cows and calves separately so that the calves won’t get stepped on. Bill Davis added that, “the main thing is to not overcrowd cattle.”
“People often put as many on the truck or trailer as will fit—to maybe save taking an extra truck or trailer, but this can be harder on them. It’s a lot cheaper to hire another truck than to lose a calf or get one injured.”
The condition of the cattle going into the truck is important too.
“We also don’t overfeed just before hauling,” Davis explained. “It’s better to have them a little empty. They haul better, and don’t pass as much manure. If they get dirty, it’s harder for pairs to mother up. They go by smell, and it’s harder for a cow to recognize her calf (and vice versa) if they are covered with manure.”
Driver experience is important
It’s also important to have an experienced driver; hauling cattle is not like hauling corn.
“You take the corners real easy, and you can’t slam on the brakes,” Elkington said. It’s like hauling horses; you always think about the effect of what you are doing.”
Elkington told the story of a young man who hauled a group in a 2-ton truck a couple years ago that ended badly.
“He’d driven that truck to haul hay and grain and knew how to drive it. We had to go 15 miles, then off on a side road for another six miles, and then over a hill and around some sharp corners. When we got there, two cows were down,” said Elkington.
“He didn’t know how to drive with cattle. Most of the big rig drivers who haul cattle know how to drive with a load and most of them are really good at it, but if you are having someone help haul cattle, you should check into what kind of experience they’ve had. Otherwise you could lose some cattle on a long trip, if they get down.”
Sometimes cattle simply lose their footing rather than as a result of driving problems, making traction in the trailer very important.
“We had a trailer with a wood floor and no mats, and if there were cattle in the back compartment for more than a short haul, it got so slick they had trouble standing up,” described Elkington.
In such a situation, he suggested sand be put in the trailer “so the cattle are less apt to slip.” — Heather Smith Thomas, WLJ correspondent
