new Here and need some help with a stumbling baby

[Roy and Vicky]

He's stinkin cute tonight. Bouncing around. I would go towards the coop and say his name and he would moo. Roy was on the phone with his brother and they were both laughing at me because I was playing with him,. I said I would rather have him familiar with me then try to run over my hiney later on if I have to get in the pasture with him lol.

 

[redtailgal]

lol, its cute when they talk to you.

Are you gonna halter train him? I'd start now, if you havent already.

 

[Roy and Vicky]

Explain halter training please? Do you mean getting him to walk around with you like you would leash train a dog?

 

[redtailgal]

Yes, It would betting him to walk calmly beside you as you led him. It's normally very easy, and if done early can result in a very calm adult cow. For example, I have an angus/jersey who had her first calf this year. Because of her early training (and her disposition) I was able to lead her and her calf along with her, by simply holding her ear.

Granted, it's not likely that he will be as calm as she is, but the training now will help greatly. It's an easy process, and I'd be glad to walk you thru it.

You'll need a halter for him. I like pre-tied rope halters. We make our own, but you can get very nice ones at your local farm store for a minimal amount of money. You may want to have someone at the store show you which end is up, but once you see it, it's very simple.

The first day, just put the halter on him. I dont mess around with this, I dont do the food tricks, I dont comfort or beg. I put their rear end in a corner, and just slap the halter on them. I've found that the more you drag it out, the more stressed they are and the more they fight. Be gentle, but firm. Once you start, dont stop. At his age, it will be fairly quick and simple.

THen just let him wear it for a little while. He may walk backwards and he may buck....enjoy the show, it can be cute. Once he stops fighting it, take it off of him.

After that, put that halter on him each time you feed him. Prepare his bottle/feed, put his halter on him and LEAD HIM TO IT. You may want a person behind him to push him a long for the first couple times, but once he learns that walking on the lead ends up with a reward, he will eagerly look forward to it and will ASK for his halter.

 

[Roy and Vicky]

Awesome. We're going to the feed store later to get a bowl for water and one for calf starter so I'll look for a halter there. It is going to be getting warm this coming week so I've been entertaining the idea of something for him to wear that I can have him out in the yard with me while I work on the yard to get it ready for spring, if it ever gets here!!!!

My brother-in-law keeps saying come time for him to be turned into burger I'll be screaming you can't kill him he's my pet. I don't want him as a pet, castrated or not he's still going to be a huge animal that could hurt me pretty badly, but I want him tame enough I can deal with him and not be scared of him.

I went out to feed him this mornin and he was right full of piss and vinegar bucking and playing around, bouncing like a young calf should. I played with him a while and he slimed my pants pretty good, but it was good to see him feeling better. When he would try to head butt me then I slapped him on the hind quarter and told him no, cause I can't have him trying to feed off me and knocking me down, I'm too old, I don't bounce anymore!

 

[redtailgal]

I'm glad that your not letting him push you around. So many of the things he does now are cute, but will they be cute 900 pounds from now?

He'll be better beef from your handling. Proper handling makes calmer cattle that make better beef.

Sounds like you are doing a wonderful job.

 

[Roy and Vicky]

We got a halter for him. Roy thinks I'm a little strange but that's okay too cause I know I am We all have to be since it took me, him, and his brother to name the poor thing. The halter is too big and I can't adjust it down further so I just put it on him and pulled it snug with my hand and let him be annoyed and talked to him and when he calmed down I took it off him and gave him his bottle. I was out earlier just to check on him and he decided his head belonged between my knees so I let him go for it then trapped him there for a few seconds, he didn't appreciate it anymore than I did but after he stopped trying to fight me I let him go and he bounced around and followed me so all was good.

I gave him some calf starter after he had his noon bottle. He wasn't too interested in it. He's spending most of his time laying outside in the small yard we have for him. Should we offer him a dish of water too or wait a few days for him to get over the scours first?

 

[redtailgal]

Go ahead and give him water, it wont hurt anything.

He would take to the grain and gain weight better if you'd take him off the bottle and give him milk in a bucket.

Good job on the halter, do what you did today one or two more times, then ask him to walk to his bottle.

 

[Roy and Vicky]

He took the grain from my hand but wasn't all that interested in the dish of it itself, I figure in a few days if I keep offering it to him then he'll start eating it more from the dish.

He was so mad at me with the halter lol, but I was persistent and he stopped fighting me and I kept telling him he was a good boy and praising him then I took it off him, going to be hard to walk him until he grows into the halter since I hurt my back and bending over to cinch it up right now is pretty painful. Roy is not much of an animal type so it's pretty much me for doing any kind of training with him.

I know he's bound for the freezer and that is okay with me, cause that is less money out of pocket for meals when we are just starting out and buying a house OH MI!!!!I just need to be able to control him to some extent and not be afraid of him. I hate the thoughts of having to carry a 2x4 into the pasture if I need to go in there for something.

Thank you so much Red for all of your insight you've really put me at ease on handling Duh, he's awesome now, but I know he's going to be a handful in a few months

 

[Cricket]

My jersey heifer, Peanut, had 2 floppy legs for weeks and she's fine now. I'd have to hold her up to feed her and the minute I let go, she'd collapse. Seemed to irritate her more than hurt. Where I work we also have a holstein cow who was born that way and you'd never know it now. Peanut has a really small mom, so was probably cramped. The vet said form follows function and to let them use it as much as they will. Good luck--he is adorable!