Cocoa's not a pet but he acts like one???

[Camp-BellRetreat]

Ok, He's 3 days old. I don't want to raise him like a pet, but I can't enter the pen without him running around me and seemingly wanting to play. I just read the 5 pages of "Raising Bulls" but nobody went into detail about bull calfs. How do I break him of wanting to act like I'm his momma without making him scared of me? I don't want him to be frightened of people, but I dont want him thinking that he is a puppy either. :???:

 

[CKC1586]

Okay, he is a baby. Is he alone? You are bottle feeding him? IF yes, then you are in his eyes his MOM! Like it or not he is going to bond with you. If you are raising him for the freezer, why not band him?

 

[Camp-BellRetreat]

I understood that 3 days old was too early. He is an orphaned calf, (Brangus cross) with what we don't know.

 

[kenny thomas]

Three days is not too young. Yhe earlier the better. I have banded several this year before they were dry within minutes of birth.

 

[Camp-BellRetreat]

So what is the best way to break him from thinking I'm a cow too? I read on the other thread about twisting his ears, to using a whip. Like I said, we don't want a pet, but we also don't want him trying to play every time we are in the pen. Thanks

 

[msscamp]

So what is the best way to break him from thinking I'm a cow too? I read on the other thread about twisting his ears, to using a whip. Like I said, we don't want a pet, but we also don't want him trying to play every time we are in the pen. Thanks

When you go out to bottle him, bottle him and leave. He will figure it out if you don't pet him, love on him, scratch him, or hand feed him anything other than his bottle. Don't give him treats, and when he crosses the line give him a hard thump on his nose or butt(or anywhere else that is handy, for that matter). 3 days old is not too young to band, in fact it is better because it won't set him back as much as if you wait until he is older.

 

[bigbull338]

as said bottle him an do what you have to an then leave.alot of times i never go into a calfs pen to bottle them.esp after they are bottle broke.im not afraide of them i just dont want them running around me.

 

[donnaIL]

I bottle fed twins and 2 of them running at me became old fast..Also they both wanted bottle at same time and immediately...I made a pen out of cattle panels, then sat on a bucket and held the bottles bracing them on the panel square..also I switched to the buckets with the nipples as soon as possible (tied them to the panels).

 

[Lammie]

You can buy bottle racks. I never tried them. I had calves that would butt the bottle and make it go everywhere.