Valley News – A viral video shows Hartland heifers thwart the electric fence in shocking cattle outbreak

Published: 02/11/2021 9:35:55 ​​PM

Modified: 02/12/2021 9:53:15 PM

HARTLAND – The Angus heifer reaches for the bright orange handle that holds the electric fence in place with its mouth, unhooks it and lets go of it. Then she moves on to the next.

In less than 20 seconds, the clever, almost one-year-old heifer managed to open the enclosure in which she and her 42 colleagues were housed on Hartland’s Sunnymede Farm. This is a video that has gone viral since it was shared on social media last week.

Wylie Wood from Cornwall was working in Sunnymede that day. He and other workers turned around for a moment when the escape occurred. After they drove the cattle back, he put the fence back on.

“As soon as we were a few steps away, she would uncouple it,” said Wood, who has been working on the farm for about five years. “The rest of the gate will shock you. She sort of figured out that she wouldn’t be shocked if she held onto this part. “

The cattle managed to get out 10 or 15 feet after the escape artist peeled off the fence, Wood said – the herd seemed confused more than anything. He and other workers were able to bring them back to their enclosure with little difficulty.

“They were all on their way; She was the ringleader, ”said Wood. “It was definitely the same cow 100%.”

She did it several times before Wood decided to film her antics for the Post, which spanned the world.

The heifer’s name is the uninspiring “H308,” Wood said in an interview with the UK Daily Mail. But he said the farm would name her “Houdini”.

Later that week Wood was in another pasture where he found another gate with no hooks. He assumes it was her.

“She obviously had done it before,” said Wood, based on the way he watched her as she slightly uncoupled the gate.

The heifer’s attempts to escape were quickly halted after Wood secured the fence again.

“I upgraded it so she couldn’t undo it,” said Wood.

Now the handle is wrapped around the post before it is hitched. Time will tell if it can create another powerful breakout.

“I think as famous as she is now, I should set it up to see if she can do it again,” he said.

Liz Sauchelli can be reached at [email protected] or 603-727-3221.