Im new here and need advice

[Diamond G]

We are getting my son his first show steer. He has been showing heifers with his high school show team for the last 2 years (the school has their own herd of angus) however their calves are handled since birth and this steer hasnt been handled other than shots and castration. He is part of a 2000 head commmercial beef herd and currently weighs around 500-550lbs

Need some advice on how to break him. He will be seperated and moved to his own pen in 10 days when the other calves ship out. My son knows how to teach halter train and get him ready to show but hes never worked with a "wild one"

Any advice would be helpful

 

[trevorgreycattleco]

Take your time, be calm and quiet and don't get discouraged. Use food as a way to get trust built up. The calmer you are with your presence and tone of your voice the better off you will be. Good luck.

 

[lightnin4]

Like TGCC said take your time and be calm.  Take a little time to "make friends" before jumping into halter breaking.  I like to start halter breaking in the alleyway to our squeeze chute.  I halter and tie calves in the alley so they can't throw a big fit but they can pull on the halter a little while I brush them.  I do this for a few days (may take longer depending on the calf's attitude) before working them in a small pen.  I gradually move into larger areas to tie and lead the calf.  I like to work 2 calves at a time if possible too.  Good Luck!

 

[AAOK]

http://www.steerplanet.com/breaking-a-calf-the-red-method/

At the Steer Planet HOME Front Page you can find many good articles. There are many ways to break a calf, and Red's is one of the best

 

[chambero]

Biggest thing is work them in a small enough area he cant get away.

 

[shortdawg]

Biggest thing is work them in a small enough area he cant get away.

Good advice because if he ever gets away once he will know he can. When we start tying them up we first tie low so they can lay down,  then we brush them with a broom to get them used to touch,  a few days later we  start tying them higher and keep up the broom deal,  each time we untie them we feed. All this associates something good with being tied up. Of course we move from broom to comb after they get used to it. The broom has really worked well for us in the fact that not many trained that way will be kickers. We usually have them ready in a couple of weeks unless they are just crazy.

 

[leanbeef]

If the steer has a relatively docile disposition, you shouldn't have any trouble. Keep him in a small enough space that he'll get used to you being around. I put a rope halter on em & let em drag the lead for a few days...that takes some fight out of em & gets em used to giving to pressure. Then I start tying em up for short periods at a time. Scratch him & talk to him, comb & brush him. When he gets used to being handled, start leaving him tied for a little longer and lead him to water or food. It normally takes less than a week or so to have one leading. I also think it helps during that time to put the calf in a squeeze chute & blow him & clip him...that gets him used to being handled & touched & new noises & other scary things.

 

[knabe]

the agtv/rfd video is not available anymore.

here's an interesting video.

extreme halter training part I

notice the lead does not have a chance of choking the filly

notice he's really good about keeping one lead below her head and one above

there is a part 2

notice you can't hide how they feel about you if their head is free.  people jump too fast to getting the halter on and tying them up instead of building the relationship first.

here's another one.

How to Halter Train Your Weanling #5

yeah, their horses, but the same techniques apply, it's just that cattle's feet are heavier.

 

[heatherleblanc]

It sounds kind of harsh, but I find the best thing to do is rope them, cinch them up to something secure (fence, post, rail, etc), put a halter on, tie them up, and LET THEM FIGHT IT.  I find it teaches them respect for the rope.  I leave them for about 6 hours as long as it's not too hot out, and I do that for a couple days (depending on the calf), but I leave them alone.  Once they will stand/lie down with the rope at slack, I start talking to them calmly, and scratching them, getting them used to me and being touched.  I rub them on the face, in an assertive, but quiet manner.

 

[vc]

I suggest you try the slow and calm method over the rope and tie method, might be good for the young, but I'm getting older and prefer to take my time and get them gentle before I go to working them.

We have found that once their gentle and feeding well, we can slip the halter on them while their eating (rope halter and a showstick). You can also get them in a small pen and get the halter on them the same way, it takes one to get the halter on and one to keep their attention. Take your time, most calves will gentle down in a week 2 at the most. If you get it home and jump right into working them it seems to take longer to get them gentle.