Steer question

[Mainevent]

Got a steer who unless I can figure out how to chill him out he will be going to the sale barn. He's not mean just bipolar sometimes he's just fine sometimes he's a complete but job. Nothing really works for the most part. Used a number of sedatives, calming methods etc. nothing has worked. When he was a calf he wasn't mean me was a little puppy dog but all the sudden he flipped a switch and decided to be nuts. Any ideas?

 

[Gargan]

I had one last year that was the same way. I could rub him in the field while on his dam, and after I broke him, the littlest things would set him off ( and I mean completely lose it). I sent him down the road afraid he would hurt someone. He was a stud phenotypically too.

 

[Mainevent]

That's this one. Looks great and when he acts good he's great but when he is bad he's terrible. I've gotten him to finished weight but I'm afraid I'm not going to be able get him ready and dealt with at the show.

 

[skeeter20]

We had one like that the kids wouldn't work with because they were afraid of him. So , from my experience, send him down the road. I put up with it thru the end, which was a mistake. What is your steer sired by?

 

[Mainevent]

He's out a of an Irish whiskey x heat wave bull and a heatwave x heat seeker cow.

 

[BTDT]

The cause of his behavior might be in his pedigree.  Triple bred heatseeker and irish whiskey.  Too many bad "gew gew" genes together.  As others have suggested, this type of behavior is often worse than one that is always wild because without knowing what to expect and when to expect it, the steer is setting up someone getting seriously injured. 
You might also consider that different types of sedatives affect different animals in a different way.  Just like some people are bad drunks and others are happy drunks, different animals will react differently to different tranq's. 
Since you have obviously worked with the steer enough to know he is unpredictable and have found no common denominators, I would go with the others and suggest you sell him to avoid anyone getting hurt.  Sorry for your bad luck.

 

[utshowgirl]

I helped a girl that had one like that. As a last resort I pit a ring in him. It completely changed his mind on life. I made sure and used lydican to numb him up good so he wouldn't be head shy. I hope this helps.

 

[GoWyo]

Reposting from a recent post of similar subject.


This guy has some videos showing the way I prefer to break calves.  Really doesn't take long if they are already fairly gentle.  I can usually get them to leading in a couple of 20-minute sessions.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=TRB7MNYAuIs

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fa6jSwbMh1w

 

[chambero]

If he's good enough to have a chance at sale spot, then he's worth spending a little more money on.  I'm a firm believer in melatonin implants:  both for hair and attitude.  I had to put a Revalor implant in a steer to get him eating better this summer.  His attitude was iffy any way, that pushed him further over the edge.  He's headed to San Antonio, and I just put melatonin implants in two weeks ago.  It already seems to be moving him back toward his normal.  Won't work miracles, but can help.

If a little kid is showing him, ship him.

 

[hardenblu2]

Just remember your not the only person in the ring, the clip on nose rings can help when you are working with him and may get him where you want him but your still on your own in the ring. We bought a really nice heifer off of a well respected show cattleman in Iowa three years ago with the understanding that she was to crazy for anyone to show. ( that was the only reason we could afford her) When we first got her she wanted to hurt you. It took me three months and she was never off the halter during that time and she had the clip on nose ring in every time I lead her. We even barrowed two feeder pigs from a friend and turned them loose in her pen, they drove her nuts for a week. Then she calmed down and my son started leading her with the ring and by show season he showed her without a hitch. I don't think I would do it again because it was way more work than I have ever put into one before but if you have the time its worth a try. oh the pigs help because they keep the calf on edge until they just give up. those darn things were under, in front, behind she would get tiered and lay down and they would root up against her make her get up. by the end of about a week you could do just about anything and not excite her. I may be wrong but it seemed to help with her. just make sure they are tied good when you first in traduse them. 217 251 3710

 

[Mainevent]

I appreciate the comments and suggestions. If it was me showing I would try and it's one of those things I got him this far it will bug me to send him on his way cause he looks a rock star and with Fort Worth not far I want to risk it and see if him just going to the show chills him out. But at the same time it's my inexperienced brother and I don't wanna ruin him if he decides to show cattle in the future. We even put him in a small pen tied with a flock of guinea fowl under him and he still is on edge. So I think it is best to send him on his way we have put the nose ring in and it didn't phase him as far as attitude just drove him further across the edge. I think we just got too tightly wound one to settle down.

 

[Tallcool1]

After seeing the picture of the steer, I came up with another idea.

Get ahold of whoever you bought him from. See if you can take him to them and maybe they can get him settled in.

If I had sold that one I would be willing to do anything I could to get him showed.

He looks good...real good. 

 

[sj0515]

We have the same issue with my daughters county steer. He is up to 1000 Pd's and when he gets wound up he can get away from her. We took him to a jackpot show and he did fine until about 5 minutes before they walked into show and he tried getting away. She got him through the show but he would never set up for her. I have never put a ring in one but we are going to this weekend. I hope it works. Has anyone had a steer get a lot worse after getting a ring? The few people I know who have tried them have all said it helped alot.

 

[Mainevent]

Sj like I said mine drove my steer further over the edge but yours may react differently. Had bulls we'd shown that were how you were saying and they went to being puppy dogs.