Calf is scared of Daughter

This thing is gonna drive me nuts,  don't quite know what is going on.  I can do anything with this calf but when my 9 yr old (who will be showing him) comes within eye sight he bolts. I had to tie him up to my homemade walker last night and i held one lead and she another and got him to walk with her, but he always seemed on red alert, kept looking at me like "is this o.k.".  I don't know why he does it, she has been helping me with the feeding in the evening, cleaning the stall and has been bringing her homework to the barn to do while I work around the barn in the evenings, she and her brothers have even been playing in the barn climbing up and down in his stall and running around him.  He just doesn't seem comfortable with her.  She has been brushing him in the chute and has been working with him in the chute but he still seems nervous around her.  Do they make a calmative I could give him to help calm him down around her?  Or does she just need to keep working with him? 

This is just my opinion and I maybe off here, but in a sense it is great to have the kids around the calf, but the way that you describe the way they are around him, maybe some of the troubles. I think that the climbing and playing, running around him could be making him nervous and scared. As someone pointed out in the craziest things that you have ever seen @ a calf show, calves are sometimes scared of smaller kids. I think that if your daughter would spend X amount of time each day for combing & brushing him, that he will build a trust with her. Is your daughter totally comfortable around the calf? Cattle can sense if a person is nervous around them. If your daughter is a little nervous to be close to him, he will sense that in her movements towards him. JMO. Others may not agree.

My son sits in the feed bunk.  Usually there is a calmer calf that comes up & eats so the nervous one eventually gets used to it.    As far as kids playing around the calves..  it happens here but 'try' to keep the smallest one out of the pen but nearby.  We had a complete Barbie set up near the chute with the youngest actively playing there  and my older daughter was clipping a calf for the first time in the chute.    They do get used to it.  I think a lot also has to do with how the kids learn to approach the calf.     

How old/big is the calf?  Don't be in such a hurry unless your show is imminent.  I get our calves broke completely out before letting my young sons mess with them.  It's not uncommon for the process to take a month or two before little kids are ready for one.

Been following your post and from another MOM, is the calf worth if?  You are having your share of difficulties as an adult.  That calf is going to continue to grow and get stronger.  Ask yourself if you want your girl on that lead when he is 1000+ pounds?  Will she be able to control it not only for herself but for all the other kids that are in her class?  I have seen kids hurt by not their steer but by ones that other kids are showing that get away.  Don't scare her with the first one she shows.  Get her one she can love on and be excited to go to the barn to feed, clean and work with.  Doesn't have to be a great one.  We show herfs and crossbreds and horses.  I always ask a parent if they would buy a car without brakes for their child.  An unrulely or hard to handle animal is no different.  Scare her now and it takes a long time to get the confidence back and the fun.  We always put safety before anything else.  JMO

Try haveing her give him a marshmellow when brushing or walking him. Worked for us last year.

chambero said:

How old/big is the calf?  Don't be in such a hurry unless your show is imminent.  I get our calves broke completely out before letting my young sons mess with them.  It's not uncommon for the process to take a month or two before little kids are ready for one.

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Super good points Chambero.

We bought a heat wave hf last year for our 8 yr old son.  I could doing any thing with her but as some as she could see my son 50ft away she would go nuts.  To the point i copuld not hold a 525 pound hf.  We work with her everyday for two months and she got alittle better but not to were he could touch by himself. We finally turned her out and bred not worth the work or get anyone hurt.  We broke 3 other calves to were he could show them in the same amount of time. good luck

Slowly figuring this guy out.  Last night my daughter was finally able to lead him by herself and he didn't spook or try and get away. <party> <party>  We kinda tricked him and it worked, I took my sweatshirt and put it on her. He was obviously confused cause he kept sniffing me and then would sniff her.  He let her lead him around and into the fitting chute and tie him up.  We brushed him and worked with him about 1 hour.  He did great.  My daughter and I talked about what we needed to do with him yet and she decided we need to make sure and work him every night "even when it gets real cold and we have to wear snow suits", she said.  We are going to start working with her leading him more and more.  I think with work he will calm down and let her do more with him.  I am going to get rid of the old dairy cow we have though cause she will put him in a corner and beat the snot out of him if she thinks he is getting to much attention.  She is going to hurt him so she is going.  I have to put her out while we are working with him and she then gets mad and as soon as I open the gate to let her back in, she attacks him.  I really think she is jealous, if a cow can get jealous, and its time she goes.