Help breaking show steer

[ffabandchick123]

so this is my first post but I have learned a lot from the posts in other topics. i am although having a struggle breaking my new show steer. I have had him for the past four weeks and have basically spent anywhere from 4 hrs to 12 hrs out at the barn daily with this calf. He is approximately 700lbs and i was actually the first student with the opportunity to pen my steer at the local ffa cattle barn. Others have began purchasing calves in the past two weeks that were just as unruly as mine. At this time most of them have been able to walk their steers around the barn. Last year (my first year to show cattle) I had a very easygoing steer that would basically if I wanted to teach it to fetch or rollover he would do it without hesitation. This year my steer is a little pain in the you know what. At the present time he allows me to stand next to him touch him and groom him but he has a problem working with a halter. I basically have been grooming him and feeding him (while I am standing next to him,, touching him and watching) I also tie him up to a rack for over two hours minimum daily. He also has a problem being touched/ hit on the butt (he will run full speed away from me and sadly with difference in weight/size it is difficult to hold on to the halter. Although I havent had this steer for an extremely long time it still bothers me that the other steers are learning a lot faster although I spend a lot more time and patience on my steer. If any of you have a suggestion or two or twenty I would greatly appreciate it. THANK YOU!!

 

[simmyman67]

Make sure you are rewarding him after being walked. When he comes to associate leading with something good, he will like it. Make sure you play a radio or something all the time in the barn, that will make him less jumpy when you touch him. Let a lot of people look at him so he learns that people aren't so bad and he will get over his jumpiness.

 

[KMJCC]

We usually start with some light tugs to get them to take a step or two and when they do that we will loosen the halter up a little on their nose and rub their head and tell them good job.  then we give a few more tugs and keep repeating the process until they learn to not fight the halter.  How tight are you tying him?  We usually tie ours where there head will be while they are set up and they can't move much.  We usually do this a couple times a day at first for a half our or so.  When they stop fighting it so much then try and pet them and rub all over them and even start brushing on them.  When we untie them I like to hold on to them a minute and and scratch their head and tell them a good job.  I always loosen the halter up a little and I ALWAYS let go on my terms not theirs.  If they act a little fiesty I will scratch their head again and loosen the halter again let them go once they are calm.  Hope this helps and good luck.  Over the years I have learned that a gentler calmer approach is definitly the best way to go.

 

[ffabandchick123]

my ag teacher suggested grabbing the steer by the inside of the nose when he starts getting jumpy, is this a good idea or will it just dislike me more? i have gotten to the point of sitting on a stool next to him as he eats his feed and hay. he got a little jumpy this morning when i tied him to the fence this morning and started brushing him with a rougher rice root brush, should i continue to brush him or should i switch back to a softer brush? i have been playing a radio at all times and i have gotten the other cattleraisers to come in stand in the pen with him and try to walk up to him while he is tied up. i have also used that idea of getting them to take a few steps then loosening the halter. my ag teacher also suggested that if he wont let me walk him at all (which he wont) that i should tie him to the neck of a large second year heifer and release them both to the pasture together,, i can see how this idea could work (much like a donkey although i have no access to a donkey) but i have doubts because this heifer is extremely playful and gets very excited around other cattle, im scared that this large heifer might start playing too rough with my steer attached with nowhere else to go, am i being overprotective of my steer or is this a bad idea? thank you so much for your advice, i really appreciate it.

 

[firesweepranch]

I WOULD NOT grab his nose, nor does he need a nose ring! You are doing everything right, just keep doing it. He sounds like a steer that will need more time. I do like the idea of you tethering him to a bigger heifer, just make sure you are there to watch. A donkey would be more mean than a heifer! We were having problems with our bull calves a few weeks ago, and at the suggestion of someone on here, we tied them to their dams, and they lead great now! It just took an hour or so, a few days in a row, and they are totally different beasts! Just keep your persistence up! It will pay off in the end. Your Ag teacher means well, but if you get aggressive with him he might not ever trust you, and you have worked so hard to get to the place you are at now!

 

[wyatt]

what we do if we have one like that is tie him to the tractor walk by him for a while while the tractor keeps him used to noise and walking by you and then bring them home put them in the shute and wash them till they stop moving around then we blow them and we do that a couple times and we have a pretty calm steer good luck

 

[MCC]

The donkey would be my first choice, but if you don't have access to one I would  TUGG on him until he takes a step or two and turn him loose. Then the next night make him take an extra step and then turn him loose. Breaking calves is like breaking colts, quit on them when they are doing things right, NOT WHEN THEY ARE DOING THEM WRONG. They are creatures of habit . Once you get him broke to lead put him in a trimming chute and blow him and get him use to being worked on. (thumbsup)

 

[Gators Rule]

We usually start with some light tugs to get them to take a step or two and when they do that we will loosen the halter up a little on their nose and rub their head and tell them good job.  then we give a few more tugs and keep repeating the process until they learn to not fight the halter.  How tight are you tying him?  We usually tie ours where there head will be while they are set up and they can't move much.  We usually do this a couple times a day at first for a half our or so.  When they stop fighting it so much then try and pet them and rub all over them and even start brushing on them.  When we untie them I like to hold on to them a minute and and scratch their head and tell them a good job.  I always loosen the halter up a little and I ALWAYS let go on my terms not theirs.  If they act a little fiesty I will scratch their head again and loosen the halter again let them go once they are calm.  Hope this helps and good luck.  Over the years I have learned that a gentler calmer approach is definitly the best way to go.

<rock>  Right on the money.  When "breaking/training" cattle, you train as if the cow is a horse....and train to release of pressure.

 

[ffabandchick123]

firesweepranch suggested not grabbing the steer by the nose, but what do i do if he likes to bolt off? Should I just pretend he didnt try to run off or is there another way to inforce that he doesnt try to break loose. I do like the ideas on tying the steer to a tractor or truck but because I raise my cattle on school owned land and only rent a pen I don't have the opportunity to work them like that by driving the machines all over the place. I have to break them by hand. I have been practicing the method of loosening the halter when he takes a couple of steps, I also use positive reinforcements of scratching under the neck (i have been told that scratching them on the top of the head can make them aggressive???) or i also used molasses treatss. this morning I took my brother out to the farm to control the halter, I stood by hand to praise him when he did something right and scold when he was in the wrong.

 

[firesweepranch]

firesweepranch suggested not grabbing the steer by the nose, but what do i do if he likes to bolt off? Should I just pretend he didnt try to run off or is there another way to inforce that he doesnt try to break loose.

Turn him in a circle around you when he tries to bolt. As long as you have control of his head, you have control of him. Do not let him "duck and dive" on you. My daughter made this mistake with her steer (he had learned this behavior from the boy we bought him from), and when he got older even the tractor did not help. He knew when he was being led by a person (and could get away if he dove his head down), versus the tractor (and could not get away). It is like teaching a horse to give to the bit, when he gives to the pressure, release as a reward. When he turns in a circle towards your pressure (pulling), give him his head back. That is what we do. I can tell you from experience,  you will be able to grab his nose just a few times before he figures that out and you will not get near his nose after that!

 

[wyatt]

firesweepranch suggested not grabbing the steer by the nose, but what do i do if he likes to bolt off? Should I just pretend he didnt try to run off or is there another way to inforce that he doesnt try to break loose.

Turn him in a circle around you when he tries to bolt. As long as you have control of his head, you have control of him. Do not let him "duck and dive" on you. My daughter made this mistake with her steer (he had learned this behavior from the boy we bought him from), and when he got older even the tractor did not help. He knew when he was being led by a person (and could get away if he dove his head down), versus the tractor (and could not get away). It is like teaching a horse to give to the bit, when he gives to the pressure, release as a reward. When he turns in a circle towards your pressure (pulling), give him his head back. That is what we do. I can tell you from experience,  you will be able to grab his nose just a few times before he figures that out and you will not get near his nose after that!

i agree with him we just used the tractor to walk them and tire them out and then they would be less jumpy but i would listen to firesweep ranch they know what they are talking about

 

[bwood]

sounds like you have a great start. it probably is just one of those calves that takes more time. next time your trying to lead him bring him a buddy calf to walk behind. he might be a little less stressed with other cattle close to him. we had a heifer one year that was a problem, we had to leave her tied up over night and start leading her to water to get her going and use to being led. there are lots of ways to do it, you just have to pick one and stick with it. it just takes time. keep up the good work and you will get him going sooner or later.

 

[vanridge]

This is awesome advice! If I can add another question to the people who know what they are doing... Our 9 year old son had a 4-H steer, who tends to kick sideways... any cures for that? We need him to be calm and docile or its gonna be a gong show at the fair and we will have one scared boy with no desire to show again. His first steer was a sweetie after we put him on a truck for a week. First we put him on and walked behind him to encourage him to walk and not pull on the rope. Then when he was used to that we got our son to walk beside him holding the rope so the steer got the idea that the little wipper snapper was in control and not him or the truck.(we think that's how it worked anyway :-\

 

[wyatt]

i wouldnt have him do this or even let him watch because he would be scared of him but usualy ours kick when you are glueing or blowing so i would put the bar on the chute low and do whatever it is that makes him kick and when they do they will kick the bar and think to themselves oww that hurt thats how i got my heifer to stop kicking when i was blowing her

 

[vanridge]

Ok, but not when junior is around right? Someone also told us to tease him with a broom handle until he doesn't react to being touched....

 

[cbcr]

Back when I was showing and breaking my own cattle, what I found worked the best was to tie the animal up by themselves with no other animals in sight and leave them tied.  This usually can work just overnight but not always, sometimes it can take longer.  I have had an unruly animal or two and I remember having one heifer that stood tied for a week before she would lead.

I would carry feed, hay and water to her, groom her but she would not lead and would do just as your calf and be unruly. 

After they stand for a period of time, they get restless and need to walk.  I have tried this several times and it is what worked for me.

 

[wyatt]

Ok, but not when junior is around right? Someone also told us to tease him with a broom handle until he doesn't react to being touched....

yes dont let the kid see this because he would think his calf is always going to kick and be nervous around it or not want to work with it

 

[ffabandchick123]

my steer i think is slowly in the process of doing better. my dad has been going out to the barn daily to control the halter of the steer and walk him around a little bit. he doesnt like walk farther than a couple steps before he tries to stop and stay grounded to the floor where he basically becomes unmovable. my dad has been in a slow process of turning the steer one way then changing directions on him to turn him the other way,, after praising him each time. one of the new problems besides not wanting to walk a long distance is that he doesnt like to leave his pen to walk him in a larger amount of area in the walkway (we fence him in so he can not break lose in the walkway). any ideas on how i can encourage him to leave his pen in a friendly manner? as of right now we have to take a old hose and hit him on the rear to move him. he also doesnt like anyone touching his rear,, he wont kick but he would do anything to break loose.

 

[vanridge]

Ok, but not when junior is around right? Someone also told us to tease him with a broom handle until he doesn't react to being touched....

yes dont let the kid see this because he would think his calf is always going to kick and be nervous around it or not want to work with it

gotcha (thumbsup)

 

[Ms Ray]

my steer i think is slowly in the process of doing better. my dad has been going out to the barn daily to control the halter of the steer and walk him around a little bit. he doesnt like walk farther than a couple steps before he tries to stop and stay grounded to the floor where he basically becomes unmovable. my dad has been in a slow process of turning the steer one way then changing directions on him to turn him the other way,, after praising him each time. one of the new problems besides not wanting to walk a long distance is that he doesnt like to leave his pen to walk him in a larger amount of area in the walkway (we fence him in so he can not break lose in the walkway). any ideas on how i can encourage him to leave his pen in a friendly manner? as of right now we have to take a old hose and hit him on the rear to move him. he also doesnt like anyone touching his rear,, he wont kick but he would do anything to break loose.

have you tried walking him with another steer?

Also do you feed first or walk first, some will work better if they have eaten