pleasantpasturesbeef
Active member
Hi! I am wondering what the best method of halter breaking a cow is. My heifer is due to calve any day now, and I wanted to wait a little while after she calves so as not to add stress to her body while she was pregnant or recovering from delivery. I bought her with her Mother (Angus-Hereford cross), and her mother was a show cow, so she is halter broke, even tho I haven't really ever "worked" with her. She load trailers really well when I've taken her to get bred. Now her daughter, this heifer I want to break, is about to have her first calf, and she wears a halter that I put on her, but she's rather wild. I just got her into the barn a few nights ago, so I'm hoping that will settle her down a little while she's in there for the next week or so. How soon after she calves is alright to try to halter break her? When I put a lead rope halter on her like they use for show calves, she manages to get it off within a day or so. Should I just tie her to a post for certain lengths of time? I guess my main concern is causing too much stress soon after having a calf for the first time, and making her weak. I am not a show cow operation, by the way; I just breed my own cows and raise grass fed beef. My family used to raise dairy steers for meat when I was growing up, and they were not halter broke, but they were tame enough for me to grab their halter and drag em back to the pasture when they got out. Now I'm working with Angus and Hereford and Simmental and Maine Anjou, and they are huge and beefy compared to the Herefords and Holsteins. I am not strong enough to man handle these girls, so I need to get her halter broke if it isn't too late!
The first photo shows the red heifer on the right with the lead rope halter that she came with. Her mother is that Baldy in the middle of the photo.
The second photos shows her next to my Jersey steer back in November. She's not terribly big, but just really strong and wild.
The first photo shows the red heifer on the right with the lead rope halter that she came with. Her mother is that Baldy in the middle of the photo.
The second photos shows her next to my Jersey steer back in November. She's not terribly big, but just really strong and wild.