redwingfarm said:
inthebarnagain said:
All of the above and NEVER LET THEM DRAG A HALTER!!!!!!!
That is the absolute worst thing you can do for one that drops its head, that just encourages it.
Whoa here fella, we have had exceptionally good luck by letting calves drag halters, we generally do this for 7-10 days before we even think about tying the calves up, You really shouldn't make a blanket statement like that because what works for you may not work for me, not to be rude but who died and made you all knowing??
A better way of approaching this problem with the head down steer is to give your ways that work and not condemn other methods, whew with that off my chest
As to the calf with the old head down tricks you might rewards when the calf behaves and when he misbehaves immediately tie him high and leave him until he gets tired, he will either learn or ultimately go to the feedlot, either way don't let you daughter get hurt
good luck
I have broke dozens of calves. The ONLY time I have had trouble with calves throwing heads down and running away is when:
1) Someone had already tried to break the calf by tying it up to let it "fight it out". This just makes the ears and nose sore so when you put pressure on the halter to get them to lead, you are hurting them, they will most likely fight and do anything to get away.
2) They were allowed to drag halters. Yes, they do learn to stop when they step on it. They also learn that if they pull a little harder they can keep going because the halter will eventually slide, and it doesn't take a whole lot of pressure, just drop the head and keep going. And since the pressure makes them stop what do you have when you pick up the end of the rope and apply pressure to get them to follow you??? Aren't you just doing the opposite of what dragging the halter was supposed to teach them? Those are usually the ones that bull up and won't move without someone getting behind them because they have been dragging a halter that had pressure applied for stopping. Don't get me wrong, I have had some smart cattle, but most of them can't reason that one out.
And by the way, this "fella" is a woman who breaks calves with her 10 year old daughter. We use methods that work for us, every time. My daughter weighs less than 60 pounds and has helped me break calves since she started in 4-H 3 years ago. We have sold calves to other kids for 4-H that were broke by our methods. Our calves have yet to be the ones that are lapping the ring or giving the kids any trouble because they have complete respect for the halter because it isn't left on them for their heads to get numb too.
Think about it, when you first started wearing a watch or ring or for the women a bra. The first week, that was the most annoying thing you had put on your body and you noticed it. But after a while you don't even realize it is on. Same with leaving a halter on a calf, that skin thickens up and they won't even notice you pulling on it. Which isn't a big deal if you are big enough to hold an 800 pound calf on strength alone, my daughter isn't. She has to rely on the animal respecting the halter.
Another thing, when breaking a calf I always use a ring halter that will completely release when I let off pressure. Cattle figure out rewards really quick. I also don't tie them up until they respect the halter enough to follow me in the stall and they have tried to get away and I could easily turn their heads and stop them. There is no fight when you tie those calves up, especially if you feed them when you tie them up.
They also figure out that if they don't get fed until they have a halter on, they will do their best to get the halter on, I have seen that first hand with my daughter's show heifers last week. I had thrown their halters over their stall gate and was getting their food together. They were trying to push their heads in the halters and actually had them pulled over their heads.
Sorry if I offended you by my "blanket statement" about dragging halters, it offends me that people think they have to break calves by just letting them "fight it out" or out muscling them. Sorry I tried to help someone by making the calf breaking any easier on them so they will have a more respectful calf. That is why we try to raise everything that my daughter shows, I can't afford to have one that someone else has dominated to break, her 60 pounds wouldn't have a snowballs chance in hell of fighting it if it came down to that. That is also why we sell quite a few calves and I have quite a few calves that people bring to me to break, me, not my husband.
