CRAZY CRAZY CRAZY!!!!!!!!! >:*

Okeeey sooo...
I just want to tell every one how splendid my 4-h year is going so far!! >
Ok so first of all, the place i get my calves (in which I won grand champion last year)
There nieces moved down so now they get first pick of all the calves which is fine with me I guess, but since I won grand champion with one of there calves (for the first time in YEARS) everybody wanted a calf from them.
So they decided to do a phone auction and I bid on the steer i wanted, which went for 1,700!!  which is alot for this county.
ANYWAYS...
I go to pick the calf up and he turns out to be crazy!! we tried loading him for 2 1/2 HOURS and finally had to give up because we were scared for his health. :?
And in trying to load him he almost charged me multiple times and he took down a fence ect, ect.
So after long discusions with the sellers we decided he would let me get another calf (not as good)  for alot cheaper.
So we agreed on that.

So I get this new calf all seems well And I've had him for about two weeks now.
He was coming along splendedly I was able to lead him, tie him, brush him, blow him and walk around his hind end he never seemed to care at all he didn't kick nothing I even was able to take his halter off and catch him easily.
He was a model citizen,
But today...
EVERYTHING CHANGED!!
I went out to feed him with my little cousins,  and I went to tie him up.  Then my little cuz jumped the fence the calf took one look at him and tore the rope right out of my hands!! He tried running through one fence and couldn't then he came for ME!!! I had to jump on the fence and so did my little cuz.
The calf rammed through another fence (A green horse pannel that weighs 50 lbs or so)
And completly totalled it!!  So after he got through that fence he went all the way across our property and jumped our other fence into the neighbors yard, headed for there house!!!!
Finally he made it to the ditch bank, behind my neighbors where I couldn't see him anymore.

And meanwhile I was still standing right there where the calf broke out of my hands wondering
"What just happened?"
As I watched him galloping away  :?
Soooo After I collected myself I ran like crazy to get my dad because I knew I wuz never going to be able to catch him alone!
So we took our 4-weeler to the ditch bank to see if we could find him, and we did.
But then scared him into another nieghbors corral of horses!!
then they ALL started running like 10 horses and a cow
so we decided to just be still for a minute to let him calm down.
he was about 200 yards away from us, I moved like 3 steps he saw me and started running right for me!!!
I was seriously scared!!!!
but then my dad scared him from trampling us, soo my fearless father grabs a rather large tree branch and tries to walk up to the calf.
It didn't work at first but after a while he wuz able to get pretty close until finally he grabbed the end of the lead rope!!  I was like THANK GOD!!!!  But our struggle wasn't over yet we managed to get him tied to a post witch he wuz still freaking out!! but we got him tied to our 4-weeler and we had to DRAG him home to his pen.
I had to have every body leave so I could untie him and he wouldn't do it all over again.
FINALLY he calmed down I let go of his lead rope and gave him a big pile of hay.
He seemed better but idk I guess I'll find out in the morning.
guess I got the crazy calf after all  :-\
BTW  I skipped alot of hairy details in between the gettin glose and catching it took us like 3 hours


So hows your year been?
???

For some reason little kids seem to sometimes scare the bejeepers out of otherwise gentle cattle.  I have tried to see it through the bovine's eyes, but it doesn't make a lick of sense.

Sounds like you found a breeder that treated you fairly by replacing the calf!  Give it time and hopefully the calf will come around!  I have 2 little boys and if not carefull they can spook the calf but having the little ones around helps a bunch IMO!  If you use the search on this site there are pleanty of threads that can help you with your calf!

Here's a few links!

http://www.steerplanet.com/bb/index.php?topic=14310.0

http://www.steerplanet.com/bb/index.php?topic=14799.0

Knabe is a great person on this site to PM to get ideas on breaking calves!


Good Luck!

Tony

I would bet a million bucks it was the little kids. Some cattle just FREAK when they see little people. We weaned and was halter breaking my sons steer who is only 500 pounds at this point. The calf is coming along nicely and so I tell my son he needs to start bonding with the calf, etc, etc. He is only 8 so we do all the dangerous stuff and help him until the calf is good and broke. Well, when this calf saw my boy, he just started going crazy. He was tied up, tried to rear, started snorting, all that. And when he left, he got better. We have had my son come around several times and each time he still just freaks out. I don't know what it is but he is terrified of him and after 2-3 weeks of trying, he still reacts the same. We haven't had this problem before but did decide to get out another calf and start him as well in case he doesn't improve. This other calf is just fine and most have no problem with kids or strangers but some just don't handle new things well at all.

I really hope that your steer comes out of it, when you get him good and broke, try having someone new come out (when he is tied) and see how he responds. I bet he will be fine.  Good luck!

MotoMojo09, sorry to hear your year isn't going so well. All I can say for my year, it is going well. My sister has the best set of show calves that either one of us has had. Hope your year gets better!

Thanks for everybodies comments!!!
I checked him this morning and he's doing better.
Needless to say I'm not going to bring little kids out there for while yet.

Wish you luck motomojo. Sounds like it was just your cousin. But imo when someone jumps over the fence you can expect your younger calves to freak. You could shoot a gun off by our older cows and they could care less, just as long as there is hay in the feeder.  ;D Just keep brushing him and working with him and im sure he'll be fine.

it happens.

I hope your luck changes.