Need Help! 1 week til fair and steer has lost his mind.

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fbrmom

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Oct 31, 2010
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Knox, Pa
My 10 yr old daughter has a steer that has been doing great up until now.  We are 1 week from fair and were leading him the last night and he just acted like he had lost his mind.  He was skittish and was pulling the rope out of her hand and running away from her.  He wasn't pushing or acting mean, just like something spooked him and he is afraid of everything.  I did remove his pen mate yesterday because she isn't going to the fair and we thought he was acting like he had attachment issues.  I am just at wits end and my daughter got spooked herself last night, screaming and bawling and it made him worse and even more afraid of her.  I have been tying him up for about 3 hours at a time then letting him loose to eat and drink. Trying to walking him at different times a day.  He has always had an issue with pulling the rope out of your hand, but this week it has really gotten bad, he is acting all amped up.  Haven't changed anything except we got in fresh hay and like I said removed his pen mate yesterday.  Does the show cattle calm from Sullivans work, and is it okay to use in Terminal cattle, cause ours go to slaughter on Sat the 30th and she show on the 26th and 27th.  Help if you can.
 

OH Breeder

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Feb 14, 2007
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Ada, Ohio
You can call Sullivan Supply they will tell you the active ingrediants. We used an herbal supplement that we fed in the feed. It took the edge off. We fed it for a month prior. You can certainly try some natural supplements like melatonin that will help calm.
 

knabe

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Hollister, CA
why not just take the pen mate?

or just wait a while. 

you steer spends most of it's time with it's pen mate, not you or your daughter.

 

fbrmom

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Oct 31, 2010
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Knox, Pa
we can't take her.  We didn't sign her up and they won't let us bring her. 
 

Mueller Show Cattle

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Oct 26, 2010
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Glenrock, Wyoming
Using calf calm with a terminal sale is fine will not effect the meat at all. Us it the day of the show and then stop, we would give it to the steer a couple hours before she is set to show and should be working good by show time. As a last resort, you can use what we call nose tongs, is like vice grips but with balls on the end that you clip in the nose of the steer kinda like a nose ring. You then hold on to a little chain with the rope or lead of the halter and the steer will not want to pull back because it will pull on there nose which is very tender. I say last resort because if you use it, she will probably not do well in showmanship because some judges think that you did not do a good job breaking the steer. Some steers you just can't break down no matter how much you work them. I have not needed nose tongs yet but a boy in the show this past Tuesday used them on a kinda wild steer that would not calm down and that steer followed him like a little dog but like I said, he did bad in showmanship part of the show but they work and he was able to show that steer. Good Luck.
 

fbrmom

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Oct 31, 2010
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56
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Knox, Pa
Thanks, I was considering that as an option as well.  Maybe in conjunction with the calf calm.  Gonna go get some and try it out this week and see if it helps before we make a final decision on showing him.
 

vc

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So-Cal
Use melatonin, start now 30 3mg tablets a day until you go to the fair then double it at the fair at the fair 30 morning 30 at night. If you have bolus capsules of filling boluses, fill the boluses with the melatonin and give it to him that way. We had a Friction that if he did not have the melatonin he was a nervous wreck.

He may calm down after a couple of days away from his buddy. We had a steer that was penned next to a heifer, when we sent her out with the other heifers, they balled for three days like we were weening a cow and calf, after 3 days they got over it.
 

fbrmom

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Oct 31, 2010
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Knox, Pa
Thanks I will try that. I have to order the Calf calm. so that might work.
 

OLD WORLD SHORTIE

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Jan 15, 2008
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TX
I would do the melatonin this whole week, and give the him the calf calm at the show. Doesnt TSC carry the calf calm, i konw they do around here?
 

Ms Ray

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Jan 21, 2009
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california
If you use the nose tongs I would get them now and try it a few times prior to show, they work great on most steers, my son used them once because his steer had acted up, the steer didn't need them after a few time but he felt more confident with them.
 

DLD

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sw Oklahoma
Generally Calf Calm works best if you start it about 12 hours before showtime and give them a tube every 3 - 4 hours.  Yeah, it's a pain and it costs something, but if you need it you need it to work right.  Melatonin can work too.

Use a nose lead if you need it, but I prefer the clip in leads as opposed to the big tongs with the handles (meant for vet work).  Yeah some judges might criticize it, but many won't because they realize it's necessary, especially for smaller exhibitors.
 

linnettejane

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Mar 6, 2008
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eastern ky
you mentioned he has always had an issue with pulling the rope out of your hand, but its worse this week...

what kind of halter are you using?  if just a rope halter, you might try one with a chain under it, if you havent already...

probably a little late for this, but it sounds like you need a big ole boy on the end of the rope who can hang on and not let go...the calf has learned he can get away whenever he wants, thats why he continues to do it whenever he feels uncomfortable...

my uncle always used to tell me 1.  never let them get their head down (their head is down, all their weight is behind them, and you probably will not be able to hold on) and 2.  never let them get away from you (they know they can do it once, they will do it, over and over anytime they feel uncomfortable)  so that's why, when i was smaller, he would not let me on the end of a halter until he knew that calf was completely broke and kid safe and if startled, would not run for the hills...as i got older, i had to take on more of the responsibility of breaking the calves myself, and sure enough, i found those 2 key pieces of advice to always ring true....it only took me a couple times of letting the calf have its head to realize i was about to enter a rodeo that i wasnt going to win...

keep us posted! 
 
 

Okotoks

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Aug 17, 2010
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If the steer is only running away and not jumping on anyone you might try this. It worked for a couple of our steers that would try and run away. The steer is already broke to lead so tie him to the back of a truck or wagon with his rope halter. Put his show halter over top of the rope halter. Go slow, all you are doing is leading him in a situation where he cannot run away. If your daughter is not afraid she can walk beside him using the show lead if not an adult should walk beside him. I would also make sure your daughter works around him in the fitting chute a lot so they get comfortable with each other again. If your daughter is too afraid of him I would plan on next year and my first selection criteria would be disposition. Kids can learn a lot from a quiet animal and she has years left to enjoy showing as long as she has good experiences. You never know what will happen when you get to town, some steers stick to the person leading them because that is familar and I have seen steers that were well behaved at home take off. It's really imporatant your daughter is not put in a situation she can't handle.
Good luck.
 

Sassy2899

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Aug 11, 2010
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397
I have a heifer this year and a steer from last year that were like what you described.  I used Relx Fit from Essential show feeds and it only takes a couple of days for it to kick in.  It helped them calm down tons while at shows and at home in the barn. 
 

fbrmom

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Oct 31, 2010
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56
Location
Knox, Pa
Just wanted to thank everyone for the help.  He has settled down considerably and my daughter is able to handle him again without him ripping the rope from her hand.  It is like a totally new animal.  (clapping) <rock> <party>
 

vc

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Jul 24, 2007
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So-Cal
Sounds like he was upset by the change in his environment,(pen mate leaving) I would use the melatonin for the fair he may get upset by that change as well.
 
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