I need help!!!

[alwayssecond]

I need help. I have a shorthorn heifer that is psychotic. She freaks out if you even walk by the pen. We have been trying to get her broke for almost two months now and we can't seem to get her broke. We try to tie her up everyday and we left her tied up for all day one day, but when we went to let her out she freaked out. She charged at the fence and wrapped her mouth around the bar of the fence. How can I get her broke? Does anyone have any ideas? We have tried isolating her into a pen by herself, but she just seems to be getting worse. If anyone has any ideas could I would appreciate it.

 

[GoWyo]

Have you tried putting her in a small pen (say 10'x10') with no halter, with a gentle calf and then just working her with a show stick until you can scratch or comb her?  It seems we have had great luck gentling calves by getting them gentle and liking being combed and brushed before ever putting a halter on.  Once they are accustomed to us, then we put the halter on and never pull hard on them and do not tie them until they give easily to the halter and do not fight it.  I am thinking maybe her head is sore and she associates people with pain.  Time to go back to square one in a small pen with no halter so that she can be retrained to associate people with good things like brushing and food.

 

[micpanda]

When We are first halter breaking our calves we will put the halter on them and let them drag it around for a couple of days and then try to tie them. <cowboy>
                 

 

[WFCC]

my best suggestion is put her in with a group of calves that have great disposition.  Tie those calves up and then tie her up in the middle of them, guaranteed she will settle down.  I think she could be acting that way because she doesn't want to be alone.

 

[Ms Ray]

We are having a simular problem.  We got my sons steer about a week ago.  We were told he is a spooky and have been working with him and gentaling him, he is doing better but all of a sudden decided to start head butting, he did this on and off the halter.  Any suggestions?

 

[BLCC]

I agree with taking the halter off and getting her calmed back down to you walking in the pen scratching her. Are you on a time schedule?

 

[vc]

2 months seems like a long time for her to still be afraid. I would try WFCC's idea if you half other calves available, if not I would put her in a small pen where she is near
all the daily activity, where she is constent contact with people, play a radio so she is hearing sounds all day. when you feed her stand just outside the fence so if she wants to eat she has to do it near a person, if she wont eat with you there, take the feed away and then try it again in a little while. Once she starts eating with someone there then start trying to scratch her through the fence with a show stick. If she doesn't start calming down in a week or 2, I would start thinking about another calf for this year.

 

[alwayssecond]

We've tried putting her in a pen with other calves that are calm, but she still acts the same when she is with them. We aren't able to comb her or scratch her with the showstick because she freaks out when we try to get near her to work with her. I am away at college so I am not able to work with her everyday, but my dad and a family friend try to tie her up everyday. We have tried feeding her from a feed pan but she attacks the pan. She was calm as a baby and would let us get near her and work with her, but we put her out to pasture for the summer with the cows and other calves and ever since then she doesn't like people.

 

[GLZ]

Another option that you might not want to hear is

Back a trailer up to the small pen, let her run onto the trailer, and haul her away.

Some just aren't made to be broke, can't be broke, etc.  There is no use you or someone in your family getting hurt over her.  There are plenty of good heifers out there that you don't have to try to make due.

 

[GoWyo]

Maybe she is just claustrophobic, in which case she won't make a show heifer.

 

[forbes family farms]

Seems like one my my chi heifers but just not as bad. What we have done is tie her up with some tame calves and leave her in the pen with tame calves.

 

[LazyGLowlines]

I've tried several different ways to halter break calves and found the best way for me is to put them in a 12X12 stall by themselves and put the show stick on them.  I continue that until they let me put my hand on their butt and stand still.  Once they stop moving (and my hand is still on them) then I remove my hand and go to the farthest corner and wait for them to look at me.  I've been able to halter break several calves fairly easily.  It does take some patience and persistence.

 

[WFCC]

i feel for you, if you have tried putting the heifer with tame calves and she is attacking things then i think the heifer should probably be somewhere else.  Its not the easiest thing to do but probably the safest and most time saving.  Not sure the quality of the heifer but there are still a lot out there.  If i can assist you in any way, PM me.

 

[thebulllady]

Two months seems like an awfully long time to not have more results.  Generally after a few weeks of gentle handling you should see a difference.  It seems strange that she was quiet at one time, but turned ornery after being out for the summer.  My show calves love coming back into the barn to be brushed and fed after being out.

I don't think I'd spend any more time with her.  You sure don't want someone to get hurt.  You may want to just retire her to a breeding cow.

 

[shortdawg]

We had one like that and we just turned her out to pasture with a lot of very docile cows. She is just as gentle as they are now. Some just may not want to be a show heifer.

 

[RSC]

I need help. I have a shorthorn heifer that is psychotic. She freaks out if you even walk by the pen. We have been trying to get her broke for almost two months now and we can't seem to get her broke. We try to tie her up everyday and we left her tied up for all day one day, but when we went to let her out she freaked out. She charged at the fence and wrapped her mouth around the bar of the fence. How can I get her broke? Does anyone have any ideas? We have tried isolating her into a pen by herself, but she just seems to be getting worse. If anyone has any ideas could I would appreciate it.

Letting her drag a halter for 2-5 days is a good idea!  If I get one in that I think might have an attitude,  for the first couple weeks all I do is let her drag a halter with other  tame calves and leave her alone!  Sometimes we get into to much of a hurry!  Let her get comfortable with the surroundings before you introduce her to something she is not comfortable with in a place she doesn't know!  I then let her and the tame calves go into the barn on there own into 2 10X10 pens and get comfortable!  Then when I take them into the pens inside, from the outside of the pen use the show stick to grab the halter and get her tied!

It sounds like you have her broke to tie, try and get set up so that you can get her in and tie her head high so she has less control!  With her head tied up high she has less chance to charge or kick!  I have two panels and headgate set up to get them caught, then tie her head right there and slide the panels out of the way!  I then start washing followed by blowing!  Washing and blowing with the head high will tame most of them down if you do it enough!  If it don't, you may have to give up!  The way I do it, doesn't leave much chance of anyone getting hurt!  Just some more thoughts!

Tony

 

[alwayssecond]

Thanks everyone for all of the advice. I will definitely try some of your ideas. It is greatly appreciated.