Halter breaking heifer

[susie]

My cow has a 3 week old heifer that I'd really like to halter break. What is the easiest way to do this if the mom is not halter-broken? The cow is friendly and i can pet her or brush her or "walk" her to where I want her to be ( she'll follow me) ... but the baby is a little wild and won't let me catch or touch her. How can I easily catch her and get her used to being led?
Thanks!

Susie

 

[WarriorPatriot]

Three weeks is awful early. I say wait til shes a bit older otherwise if you arent planning on working her every single day shes likely to forget it.

 

[TheBullLady]

Or pen them in a smaller pasture where the calf can get used to seeing you a lot. I get my Brahmans used to me as soon as I possibly can, it will save you a lot of time in the long run. Or try a creep feeder for the calf.. that will get her coming up!

 

[angus5722]

If your going to wait until she is weaned then I've found the best way to do this is to put them in a shoot and put a rope halter on the heifer and let her go and drag it around with her for a few days.If and when you can catch her just kind of hold her loosely and let her get used to you and gradually start seeing if she'll walk and then try to tie her up loosely.Just do every thing gradually.

 

[shutskytj]

No you will be surprised they don't forget I start tieing up my calves the first three weeks of their life. They never forget makes it so much easier to handle them when they are 600-700 pound weanlings.

 

[jaydill]

No you will be surprised they don't forget I start tieing up my calves the first three weeks of their life. They never forget makes it so much easier to handle them when they are 600-700 pound weanlings.

He means if you aren't consistent, doing it everyday.

 

[Victoria]

Start by patting the calf and spending a lot of time with it before you try putting the halter on. Get the calf to like you. Sit with it while it naps, scratch it just be there. When she gets to the point of wanting to come get scratched (they love a good butt rub) then put a halter on. She'll be more liable to follow you if she likes you. Good luck.

 

[SF]

Looks like you've got lots of advice on this subject Susie. Here's mine:

Pen cow and calf up for a few days. If the calf is just 3 weeks old and is gentle, just put a halter on it and let it get used to it. The calf will probably lead without much problem. I wouldn't stress the calf much as this point. Give the calf time. Gentle the calf down and get the calf to trust you and leading will just come natural to it.

 

[Grand Chaser]

Just keep messin' with the baby and when she gets bigger do the halter stuff.

i agree with cowboy on this one!

 

[jaydill]

Ive got a balancer bull calf that when he sees me in the field he bellers and comes running for me to scratch him. He likes being scratched on his head, his back, and he even lets me lift his legs off the ground. Hes real gentle. Im thinking about halter breaking him myself. When he is asleep he will allow me to rub him without waking. I think he will be easy to halter break. I guess we shall see.

You'd be surprised. The simbrah calf I had this year was real calm and sweet like that and he was easy to break. After he broke, he became extremely skittish. So, the trouble I might have had actually had halter breaking him, turned into the trouble I did have getting him to be not so skittish.

 

[dvcattleco]

The way we have learned is by listening. I have heard so many stories on halter breaking, I could write a book. We have tried them all, and this the best that has worked for us. Tried and true for 10 yrs now without any problems. We get the calves to about 200 pounds and liking a bit of creep feed. Just making sure they are old enough to go without momma's for about 4 hours at a time. We put the calves in the barn, (out of the sun and in front of fans helps keep the coat nice too) and let mom cows go on about their grazing. It was hard the first year as the cows thought it was weaning time. Every 4 hours we let moms back in the pen and the calves nurse. They have halters on but no pulling them around, let them get used to the feel of them on their noses. After the 3rd nurse, on day one. We tug them off the teat, then release. By day two, we hold the halter till mom comes in, and have slight pressure until they start to nurse. Tug off more then day one, and by day 3, we have the calves walking to mom cows without knowing we are in control. Momma's milk does wonders in giving them something to walk for, not just another nasty human trying to pull their heads off getting them into the wash rack. By day 3, the cows know what is going on even if it is their first time, and will meet you at the barn every 4 hours. Works like a charm and saves our body from trying to out muscle a 500-600 pound calf that hates us for taking away his momma! But like us, you have to try and fail, before you figure out which works for you. Best of luck!