4H heifer is spooky

[LLBRRT]

I am 14 and finally have a heifer of my own to show.  I have helped my friend for 5 years and my mom finally was able to purchase one for me.  I work with her everyday but she is spooky and can get very mean at times.  Buying another one is not adoption.  Any  and all ideas are appreciated.  I am so excited to finally have one of my own to show. (clapping) (clapping) 

 

[J2F]

define "mean"

 

[OH Breeder]

how long have you had your heifer?
HOw long have you worked with her?
Has she been out to any shows?
what causes her to spook?
Mean- as in butting, head throwing charging?

We have found the ones that are spooky sometimes just taking them to a show and tying them helps tremendously. We may not show them just bring them for the ride and the experience. Usually they have had some time under hand before we do that. The other thing is building trust.

 

[frostback]

Does she have another calf with her?

 

[Cow Chaser]

I am assuming she is the only calf on your place?  I would get a small radio put in the barn where you keep her and let it play all the time,  and just go out and sit with her.  Talk to her but don't pressure her,  at first you might not want to look at her directly while you are talking to her, just watch her out of the corner of your eye due to you saying she can get mean.  She needs to understand that you are her friend and that she can trust you.  Sometimes it takes time and a lot of patience.

 

[vc]

While I was typing this OHB asked some of the questions that I had, here are a few more:
What is your daily routine with her?
Working with her daily can mean so many different things.
Is she totally alone or is there other animals, (goats, pigs, sheep) or even people where she can see them through out the day?

 

[LLBRRT]

She is not alone as my sister has a heifer as well.  Of course the other heifer is very calm and follows us around.  She is always on alert and spooks at any sound.  I halter her, lead her around the pen most days and tie her up and groom her and play with her.  She is calming down some.  We put a radio in the pen and that seems to have helped.  When she gets upset she puts her head down and takes after me and tries to get me with her front hooves.  There are dogs, cats and another 1000 cattle in a barn beside her. Thanks

 

[vc]

Not quite sure what play with her means?
This is a difficult situation, if i thought she was just trying to get you to leave her alone, by coming at you, I would say everytime she does it I would tie her and make her stand for an hour, right after a swift smack to the nose. But if her intent is to do you harm, I can not with a clear conscience recommend you keep working with her.
How long have you been working with her?
Has she been worked with prior to you purchasing her or is she off the pasture?
Not that it should matter but what is her breeding?
Our daily afternoon routine is to catch and tie (with their head up) for an hour, while their tied up the boys clean their pens, prep the feed and basically do things in close proximity to the calves so they get used to activity. After they have been tied, they get blown out, rinsed, blown dry and hair worked. Prior to getting turned out and fed the boys worked on seeting them up, calves do not get turned out until they cooperate, does not take long for them to find out the faster they cooperate the faster they get turned out.
The boy I'm helping out this year has a steer and a heifer, they steer is a beast to get caught but once he is caught is easy as pie to work with, the heifer is just the opposite, she walks up to you, lets you put the halter on and then fights you the rest of the way (she is getting better everyday but it is a slow process) She loves being groomed, scratched even rinsed just does not want to lead, In her case she is pigheaded, I am not sure if your heifer is mean or just figured out how to get you to leave her alone.
If she is truly mean and wants to hurt you, you may want to ship her for your own safety.

 

[everybreedcounts]

I had a heifer that would yank her head down and try to but me, and every time she did it i would either kick her nose (while her head is down close to the ground) or smack her nose with my hand when she brought it back up. She stopped butting and putting her head down after about 5 times of me slapping her after she did it. Some heifers are just super alert, which is not necessarily a bad thing, (such as in the show ring, they really hold their head and ears up which makes them really pretty, and when they have calves in the future they will be super alert good mothers.) the bad part is when they are so alert they spook at everything. It might look funny, but try tying feed bags up on tree limbs, or beams in a barn in or close to her pen, so when the breeze catches them they will move and she will get used to strange movements. If possible, run a generator around her while shes tied up. At all shows there are generators going and those things can really freak an animal out. The radio thing is really good too. The best way to gain her trust is just to get a halter on her everyday,  tie her, scratch her, brush her, wash and blow her out. Also taking her to jackpots really can mellow an animal out. You dont even need to show her just take her along for the experience. I raise cattle and I have seen significant differences in the cows that I showed when they were calves and the ones I didnt. The ones I showed are alot friendlier and more trusting out in the pasture when I go out to visit them. The biggest problem sounds like the butting she does, but once you get that under control, you will find she is alot easier to work with. Hope this helps!

 

[frostback]

I agree with most on here. Time and work. I too have seen a show get one to totally break. They seem to bond to you more as you are the only thing they do know at the new place. If you cant or dont want to try a show maybe line up a friends place. Take her and another, dont let the ride alone to start a bad spook for her. Then just work her like you do at home, wash blow and lead around a place that if she spooks and tried to get away from you she can go far or anywhere.

 

[J2F]

I am wondering about the "playing".  Young animals "play" as natural practice for surviving in the wild and establishing a peaking order. You should not be participating in any of this with your calves it will promote her butting at you and if she ever feels she wins she will start thinking she is the boss and won't respect you. Make sure you are not grabbing her poll, rubbing her head or pushing back and fourth with her. You will grow 2" and gain 20lbs this year, she will grow an inch in every direction and 20 pounds in 10 days!!! Time is not on your side. If I was you I would go ahead and take the next step and ask an experienced cattle person around you to come take a look at the heifer and give you advise. Nobody wants to see you or anyone else get hurt. "spooky" and "mean trying to run you over when she doesn't like something" is two completely different things. She must "respect" and trust you. Good luck.