bonding with new calves...?

[katie_k]

this is my second year showing beef but i never started with calves before.  i have tied my steer twice on his halter and was kicked once.  im bringing a new heifer in to break also. what r ur tricks to bonding and calming your calfs when they r tied? i want to keep them calm and stress free. help me!

 

[jamesgang892]

Find their sweet spot (usually their tail head works) and scratch them, or use a show stick and scratch their stomach but they may kick at that. The more you have your hands on em the better. Take your time doing this if you are not comfortable they can tell.

 

[Jenny]

we break alot of calves; we get them in out of the pasture and just let them get used to their new surroundings for 4-5 days before we do anything.  then we will run all of them an alleyway....I have myself and all the kids out to help and we just pet and talk to the calves, do this for a couple of days until they get used to being put up the alley and are fine with hands on them; then we brush with a rice root a time or two.
next we will put halters on and tie them in the alley for a short time.  next time let them back from the alley and in a small catch pen, they should be pretty tame by now.
get the end of the halter and tie them up for a short time and use the rice root brush and talk to them.  next time do it all longer and before you know it, they will be tame and used to being tied and ready to begin to lead.

it is important, we think, to have them tame before you try lead them.  they need to follow you and it just makes sense that they will not want to follow you if they are afraid of you.

be out there every day, taking care of them and petting them.  they will soon look forward to seeing you!

 

[kobo_ranch]

Every calf is different.  Depending on your time and how soon you need them to be gentle can also vary.  Its better to take your time.  Its pretty simple, cattle like people have to warm up to you.  Some take longer than others.  (Had 2 this year like that).  But usually you can get the most stubborn cattle tame if they learn to trust you. 
That means patience and time.  I start in a small pen about 15 x 15 big enough so you don't get kicked and small enough so they don't get away to far.  Just talk to them and scratch them with the show stick.  As soon as halter broke then again brushing tail head and finding that 'spot' they like.  If you have a more difficult one we let them drag the rope halter around for a a while (cut long enough where just front legs step on.  Tie regularly till they get used to being tied.  Time can be increased as you go.
Just keep on keeping on and usually they'll respond.  You'll learn everything you need to from all the great cattle people on here!  They sure helped me.  Good Luck!!

 

[sjcattleco]

We have found the quicker you can get them washed, combed, blowned out and clipped the better off you are!  it seems like when that is done they are well on their way to being broke!

 

[PaytoPlay]

Try give them handfuls of grain when you are first getting them used to being tied. Normally the ones that like to eat will stop pulling on the halter and come up to get the grain.
Also, try brush them loose (if they will let you) before you start to tie them up.
When we first wean them we give the 3 days outside in a pen alongside there cows (it really helps the weaning if they are where they can see their cows), then we bring the calves into the barn and get them use to eating grain and wearing their halters (we halter them while they are eating and leave the halters on for a hour or two).
We normally tie our calves up the first time and let them fight around for a few mins and then feed them their grain while being tied before letting them loose. The next time depending on how they are doing we might tie them with there heads up, it depends on the calf.

 

[LostFarmer]

When we picked up my son's first calf it tried to climb into the front of the goose neck on the stock trailer.  He was a rank little dude.  My son is real quiet and started sitting on the bale of straw next to him after he was fed.  With quiet patiance my son was able to feed him handfuls of grain and other treats.  Pretty soon he was brushing the calf out.  It took a month but the calf was broke without a fight.  I was never able to lead and do much with the calf.  My 65 lb 9 year old could do anything with him.  Be patient and quiet and things will all work out in the end.  LF

 

[sue]

You can hire my 9 yr old nephew-

 

[taylor tay]

this is my second year showing beef but i never started with calves before.  i have tied my steer twice on his halter and was kicked once.  im bringing a new heifer in to break also. what r ur tricks to bonding and calming your calfs when they r tied? i want to keep them calm and stress free. help me!

katie u are doing fine...we can do this great. O0

 

[sam1988]

we put 3-4 calves in a small pen and get in next to them so they get used to us.  If I wash them and blow them out to early they get scared instead of trusting me.