Help breaking show steer

[ffabandchick123]

all of the other cattle are also very new at being halterbroken and there is basically only enough room in the gated in walkway to hold only one steer. we did consider this method but we just dont feel comfortable walking the steer yet in the larger pasture.

we have tried both method of feeding or walking first,, either way he behaves exactly the same way.

my dad was able to walk him up and down the walkway tonight with only a little bit of stubbornness on the steer's part. although he is doing better at walking we are still having trouble trying to get him to actually walk out of his pen as if he is hesitant on leaving. will this get better as i continue to work with him or is there something that I can doo?

 

[OLD WORLD SHORTIE]

Since this thread started i have halter and lead trained two heifers, one was a bit stubborn but we got around it. They have been washed every day for the last 4 days and have take well to the blower and the clippers. Tied them up together today for about 4 hours, pretty much they are ready to go. 5 days two heifers,  <rock>. Next!

 

[farmboy]

This is my advice and I like to think I know what I'm talking about.

Your calf is 700 lbs. Your not going to stop him from bolting if he wants to. There's one way to stop this and it involves potentially injuring him severely. Sounds like you need to keep pulling and releasing. It takes more than 10 minutes of this to do anything to the calfs psyche. You need to work this calf until you're to tired to go on or the calf is. That's the best way to do it regardless of what anyone else on here says IMO.

You don't lead the calf to feed. If you do this he's expecting to eat after one stroll around the barn. Feed your calf when you feed him his normal feed. The best way to gain his trust is to feed him straight out of your palm. Feed, hay, whatever doesn't matter what it is. Just get the kinesthetic and olfactory connection. You have to make sensory connections with anything you want to trust you ( dogs, cows, humans)
Another thing you can try is rubbing feed all over the halter and your arms. Just try it before you or anyone else says it's a dumb idea.

Simple answers : don't scratch his head, it makes cattle butt. Don't grab his nose, it does more worse than good. Where to scratch as a reward? The back or belly. Steer doesn't like his butt being touched? Keep at it. He will and has to get over it if you want to do any good. Should you tie your calf to a tractor? No. Your risking injury and it's pointless. You can't lead him around the ring with a tractor

 

[ffabandchick123]

zach- what do you mean by "potentially injuring him severely". there is no way that im going to injure my steer!! i dont baby my animals and i expect them to behave in an appropriate manner. that doesnt mean im going to hurt the thing. ive never led my steer to eating or drinking i have however tried feeding him either before or after whichever one was better (no difference)

 

[farmboy]

One way and probably the most effective way to stop bolting is to tie a 30 foot rope onto the end of your halter. Then anchor it to a strong post or something. When he bolts, don't fight it, just drop and he will end up being whipped around once he reaches the end of the rope. Potential injuries include muscle damage in the neck, vert damage (broken neck), or nerve damage. I don't suggest it. It's not worth it to me to risk a dead calf for a leadable calf.

As far as feeding before and after working your calf, just feed him at his normal time.
Breaking a calf starts with one step. Don't forget that. The best reward is releasing tension on the halter. Release after after 1 step . Do this and he'll take 3 steps and release. Just keep building up

 

[dcbehle]

A number of very good posts on here. I remember as a kid trying to break some Holsteins using a tractor and a hay rack. Dad would drive the tractor and we would tie the calves to the back of the hay rack while us kids sat at the back of the hay rack and sometimes held the halters. It worked, but I look back at it now and laugh.

Today, our kids and I have learned to be patient and kind. We've only had one calf that this did not work with and that one took several days being tied up at a show to get broke.

One of the best methods for training how to lead after you have gotten them comfortable with you around is to walk them in circles. I learned this on a post previously posted on this site. I had always been trained to have them pivot around you when they get to running. However, I've learned that once they have been tied up a few days (no more than an hour at a time), that I will walk them in tight circles clockwise. Basically you are walking in front of them and turning them on their back feet. The cattle have much less leverage this way and they naturally want to back away from you. By turning them this way you have much more control.

I then reverse the circles some and will take a few steps forward once they've initially learned that I'm in control. Generally, it takes a week or two, but with consistantcy and having them tied up they will learn quickly to trust you.

I also like the trick of having a treat for them. We use distillers grain range cubes and they love them. We usually start out feeding the curious calves that are not scared of you. They will soon follow you around to get more. Soon other calves will get curious and you can often get them to sniff them a few times. After a couple of days they will get used to you and eventually will try them. Sometimes if you have a trained calf/buddy between you and the calf they will explore more. We've even used the range cubes during show time to keep their heads up. Rub a little of the range cubes on your left forearm and the calf will smell it and will follow the smell they've learned to love. Keep your arm high and they will naturally reach up to get to the smell.

Bottom line is that patience and kindness goes much further to developing a manageable calf. (There are always exceptions.)