halter breaking help!!!

[aplusmnt]

Tieing up for long hours is the best way to halter break one. We have broke some pretty rank calves this year by this method.

Step one-Tie them about 15 feet away from food and water, and leave them there for about 1-2 days.

Step two-Walk them to food and water. The first time is the hardest, a few suggetions is have more than one person on the end of the lead rope, dally to a fence and ease on down, have someone behind you if stubborn.

Maybe I'm reading this wrong, I don't know.

I agree with the first paragraph - tying a calf up is arguably the easiest way to teach them the basics of respecting a rope. Tie them and let them fight the rope and the post until they learn there isn't any way out of it. Very little work on your part.

Second paragraph - tying up without feed or water I can understand, but for 24 to 48 hours? and what about in the middle of the summer when the sun's beating down and temperatures are over 80'F?

Not on my place.

To me, 30 minutes a day every day of being tied and worked around achieves good results (too?). I haven't had problems with that method, and by the time I feel they're ready to start being led, they're tame enough as well they aren't going to bolt into the next county at the slightest unusual sound or movement on your part.

im just 15,and i have a replacment heifer that im going to sell/show at fair, and she needs to be halter broken, but shes to much for me and im the olny dairy/cattle :shock: person in my entire family. I need some tips to help me do it :lol: and have it not stress full on her. shes alredy stresed out enough, shes part way blind in one eye!!!

Sorry, but she doesn't sound like replacement material to me. Pet or nurse cow material (I take it she's dairy?) perhaps, but not anything that you'd run on a dairy. What's she weigh? calf is easy to halter break, 1,000lb heifer is not. LOL.

Halter breaking is stressful on a calf to some extent no matter what way you look at it.

Milkmaid I agree, I would never tie them up for that long and or without feed. We do tie then lead them to feed, but for me just an hour or so before their regular feed time, and then take feed to them let them get a bite or two then, take feed a little ways away and lead them over and let them eat, keep repeating, also throw in a drink of water on the trips. But do not need a long time away from feed or water, just as long as it is their normal time to eat.

 

[Gale Seddon]

CACattleGirl, I just checked...there's a lot on here about halter breaking if you do a subject search.

I'd like to add two comments, when you first tie ANY animal up, please don't leave it alone...they can get into a lot of trouble. And if you use a donkey for this (NOT a miniature), I wouldn't leave that situation unsupervised either.

houstoncutter, do you use a donkey to halter break? Would like to know how you go about it, details, any photos?

 

[Susie David]

There was a thread on this subject just a few weeks ago.
Hit the search tab at the top of the page, type in your inqury and have fun...alot of different opinions...pick the one that is the best on you and the animal...DMc

 

[msscamp]

It takes ambition and grit to go against the grain and make your own road.

Apparently you see something I don't see. This young lady came to this board allegedly looking for help, but when the search option was pointed out and explained to her it resulted in an expectation of help without any effort on her part. If she had the ambition and grit that you are referencing she would have availed herself of the search option when it was explained to her, done a search and read through the previous posts looking for answers instead of expecting an easy solution served up on a silver platter. Yes, I post questions, but I have also spent a far greater amount of time searching for answers to my questions in previous posts on this board and didn't post questions as I found the answers I was looking for. If I can find the time so can this young lady. Just my thoughts.

 

[cypressfarms]

CACattleGirl, I just checked...there's a lot on here about halter breaking if you do a subject search.

I'd like to add two comments, when you first tie ANY animal up, please don't leave it alone...they can get into a lot of trouble. And if you use a donkey for this (NOT a miniature), I wouldn't leave that situation unsupervised either.

houstoncutter, do you use a donkey to halter break? Would like to know how you go about it, details, any photos?

My dad's told me about this one. He said back in the old days, when people wanted to halter break a calf to show, they would tie it up to a donkey, and let em go. The donkey would drag them anywhere it wanted to go. Supposedly, after a few days, the calf could be unhooked and was glad to be lead anywhere by a person. Haven't seen it, but it sounds hilarious to watch.

 

[aplusmnt]

CACattleGirl, I just checked...there's a lot on here about halter breaking if you do a subject search.

I'd like to add two comments, when you first tie ANY animal up, please don't leave it alone...they can get into a lot of trouble. And if you use a donkey for this (NOT a miniature), I wouldn't leave that situation unsupervised either.

houstoncutter, do you use a donkey to halter break? Would like to know how you go about it, details, any photos?

My dad's told me about this one. He said back in the old days, when people wanted to halter break a calf to show, they would tie it up to a donkey, and let em go. The donkey would drag them anywhere it wanted to go. Supposedly, after a few days, the calf could be unhooked and was glad to be lead anywhere by a person. Haven't seen it, but it sounds hilarious to watch.

Yea most people that show many calves or Break very many to sell all have donkeys. The donkey will be the boss, that calf will eat and drink only when the donkey lets it. If the calf gives donkey any trouble it will get the crap kicked out of it.

 

[kaneranch]

I would like to clearify on my post. My animals are led to food and water regulary. They are tied up to where they can eat have and lay down. I would net let it hurt my animal. But you might have to be carful with this cow. You will deffinatly have to take some precautions for her safty and your. Thanks Kaneranch

 

[CACattleGirl99]

msscamp

"Apparently you see something I don't see. This young lady came to this board allegedly looking for help, but when the search option was pointed out and explained to her it resulted in an expectation of help without any effort on her part. If she had the ambition and grit that you are referencing she would have availed herself of the search option when it was explained to her, done a search and read through the previous posts looking for answers instead of expecting an easy solution served up on a silver platter. Yes, I post questions, but I have also spent a far greater amount of time searching for answers to my questions in previous posts on this board and didn't post questions as I found the answers I was looking for. If I can find the time so can this young lady. Just my thoughts"


I do not think it is fair that you judge me even though you do not know me. I did not expect the awnsers on a "silver platter" i dont realy know my way around computers very well, and didnt even know this thing had a seach on previous topics untill told so. and mabey not all of us have extra time on our hands to search topics. Anyway i appreciate everyone elses help thanks[/quote]

 

[BC]

Here is the way we have been halter breaking everything from weaned calves to long yearlings.

I use my 20 ft. gooseneck. We tie the calf up with just enough rope to get up and down in the front end of the trailer. Twice a day they are worked down the side to get a bucket of water (3 times a day in summer). While the calves are at the back of the traile, we go in the escape door and clean up behind them, put out feed and a hay bag.

We do this until the calf will walk easily to the back and back to the front. At this time the calf is ready to go to a pen and continue the halter breaking process. Calf cannot break away and handler is protected from calf until a bond is formed.

 

[CACattleGirl99]

thanks, i actully have (almost) halter broken my heifer!!! : ) i can walk her around for the most part with out her mowing me over lol

 

[Double R Ranch]

thanks, i actully have (almost) halter broken my heifer!!! : ) i can walk her around for the most part with out her mowing me over lol

Great Job! Keep it up.

DBL R