Steer keeps running/dragging me into pen and feed pan

[Kxrina]

My steer keeps running me into his pen and towards the food bowl. It may seem like a small problem but he constantly does it towards anything he wants to eat and it doesn’t help that he’s almost 800lbs and I’m only like a 100lbs . For example I will walk him from point a to point b and if he sees his pen or anything he may want to eat he will run full force head down towards it. I’ve tried everything to stop this bad habit. Ive tried tying his head up high over the food, moving his food bowl where he doesn’t expect, if he runs in I take him out to go in again, put him in the pen with no food, i’ve even whacked him which i don’t like doing. From the very beginning he’s been food obsessed. He gets agitated if he even sees the food pan or the pen gate open. When I go to untie him to walk or take him to the wash rack he even pushes me towards the pen. If anyone could please give me suggestions on how to stop this it would be very appreciated

 

[ska]

HI! so i would put a ring in his nose and put a lead on it. and maybe get another person the lead him with you. and what is  his sire? a lot of clubby sires can be hot headed. good luck!

 

[CRS]

For me rings are a last resort unless its a bull.  Have you tried feeding him first and then exercising him?  We always halter ours to eat, that way we are not playing games in pen to get them caught and they like wearing the halter.  We have had difficult ones like that too and have found that walking with a buddy steer that is well mannered helps and tying them up even in their pen for extended periods of time also helps.  I was hoping Knabe would respond, he usually has really good advice for breaking calves. Good luck, but most importantly stay safe.   

 

[knabe]

feed him somewhere else.


when not worrying about him running away, get so he only moves a foot when you do.


understanding catching them early in their thought/action process is helpful to head them off early instead of after they are already in gear.


i always like to let them find the end of a post themselves if one is small.


then they learn to feel the slack being taken out.


if you are at the stage of holding them close when he does this, get him to learn to follow you and learn his behavior when he starts to drift and reel him in.


the more you learn to do this earlier and earlier, the better you and him will be.