Tying up calves for first time suggestions

[Warrior10]

Long story short, we waited too long to start halter breaking/tying up calves. Fair is first week in August, so I am looking for any suggestions for halter breaking 900-1000lbs calves. Or is the usual tie them up and let them fight the best solution (other than starting earlier which we should have done)?

 

[obie105]

I have been in those shoes before. We have still just done the tie them up and let them fight. We have also used a donkey on a few that just wouldn't give in. I know if rate of gain is a factoryou pry want to leave them as stress free as possible. Try doing it maybe in the cooler hours of morning or late evening. Hope it turns out ok for you.

 

[DLD]

You'll get as many different ideas on breaking calves as there are people who've ever broke a calf, so I'll tell you what we do (and we're just now breaking some that'll start showing in early August, and a couple of 'em are sure 800+).  We'll tie them first in the working chute and the alley coming in to it - they usually don't fight the halter long at all when they can't move around much.  You can pet/brush on them, talk to them and make friends with them while they're confined enough that they have to put up with it and it's safe for even the smaller kids to mess with them.  We do it for just 30 minutes to an hour, and feed them soon as we turn 'em loose.  Do it at least once a day, but make sure you do it every day.  Usually after 3 or 4 days of this, we'll tie them to the fence - some will still fight it a little, but not nearly as bad as they would've if you went straight to the fence.  Again, just for an hour or so, right before feeding - we'll start getting them used to the show stick now, too.  After a couple of days we start leading them to feed, soon as they start leading halfway decent, lead them farther before you turn them loose to eat.  In a week to ten days, most of them are going pretty well.  I know a lot of folks like to try to break 'em in a couple of days, but this way is a lot less stress on cattle and people both, IMHO.

I used to like to tie them with innertubes, because there's some give when they fight the halter. It worked well, but old innertubes (that are still in one piece) are getting harder and harder to find.

 

[sackshowcattle]

You dont want to get someone hurt as big as they are so the way I break them is dependent on how mellow they are. I use a stock trailer put the calf in and open the divider and get in with the calf  i give it enough room to run past if it feels to much pressure and just walk around with it and let it smell me and get use to my hand and a brush run down it. once it settles down i let it smell the lead rope and get it use to the long end wrapping around the neck and nose. I use the long end with my hand being the only thing holding the loop so there is no chance of something getting snagged and causing fear in the calf. Thats the easiest way to cause calves to fight the rope.  once the calf will let you put the rope on the right way pull and as soon as he takes a step let the rope go slack and build up to walking with the rope in the trailer.once it moves good in there take out tie up and start brushing. There should be no fight at all in the calf as long as you move slow and keep calm. I had a friend who thought I was crazy and said it would never work. To prove him wrong I weaned a calf and hauled it strait to his house. Grabbed a lead rope went into the trailer and came out leading the calf 3 hours later and tied it in the stall with no fight once tied or the whole way there. She jerked a little and side stepped around stuff she hadn't seen before and it startled her but it was swinging in a circle or running a head and falling back with just a little pressure from the halter being what changed the direction. 

 

[linnettejane]

i always let them drag the halter for a couple days before i do anything...they teach themselves alot when they step on the rope  ;D

 

[kalend]

all of these suggestions, i've tried!!! tying them up & letting them fight (sometimes works), dragging the rope (sometimes works), the donkey (usually works), dragging behind the tractor (never works), the BEST way to brake calves quickly, take 1 or 2 well broke calves and get the un-broke calf to walk in the middle of the line while you lead them. if animals around them are calm, the un-broke calf will eventually come around and come and stay when you want  <cowboy>