Steer attitude

[auctioneerajb]

I have Mercedes Benz steer calf for my niece. He's pretty decent attitude wise at home but last week when we weighed him in he came unglued. Jumping all over trying to climb the wall etc. Had him tied in the trailer on the way there (2 head in trailer), but left him loose on the way home. When we got home I had to lead him off the trailer and he seemed some calmer. Working with him some this week and he stands so much then starts acting up. I've seen some threads about melatonin and was wondering will it help this guy out if we still have issues. How much do you dose? How often? How long till I see results? Basically looking for any info I can get on this.
I do want to keep working him for a while yet & try to work him thru this without using melatonin but if we can't we need to start trying it to see if it would help.
Thanks,
Tony

 

[frostback]

Is this the first time off the farm for the steer? Not that uncommon to act up some the first time out. I would take him a few more places, like a neigbours where you could work him like you would at home before you give up on him. Get him in a good routine of feeding then washing and blowing and leading around then take to a neighbours and do it all there. The more poeple around him at home the better too. Get strangers to go and look at him. Any commotion you can give him at home the better so he gets used to it all. Have the showman close but may have to go through some of it with a older person the first time out. Make sure he is used to the showstick too. Use it all the time and then he should know what is expected of him when that comes out, that he sould stand when its there.

 

[willow]

It sounds like he is behaving at home a majority of the time which I think is half the battle.  Just keep working at home doing all the things Frostback mentioned; wash, blow, tie, stick and repeat....  Before we take our cattle out for the first time every year we give them a hefty dose of calf calm.  It just helps take the edge off and I honestly believe that they take it all in as opposed to becoming real defensive.  Another thing that I think helps us is we always have commotion around our house whether it is a kid playing 30 feet away from a grooming chute, an assortment of other animals, the radio going, the lawnmower, a tarp blowing in the wind.  As much as you can without being unsafe just let things happen around them.  Get them used to the noise and commotion of life outside the barn.  Just last year I thought we had one that was going to be the death of one of us and he was the tamest of the bunch when it came to show time.  Give it time they will be dogs before you know it.