Head shy

[Grand Chaser]

I've never had a verry head shy calf. i've had one that was sensitive about his head but he got over it. This calf is totally diffrent... i was washing him for the first time down here (yes he has been washed in a grooming chute before i got him he's fully broke) but when i went to blow his head off he sulled on me like brahmans do. well when he got up i went on doing what i was doing.When i got done washing and rinsing him i went to rinse off heis head he sulled again. i have no idea why he is doing this. he has had his horns removed but that was way befor i got him and i havent done anything to harm his head. When he's tyed up and you go to rub fly spray on his head around his eyes he pulls back and fights the rope. has anyone else ever had this problem? :?: i need some help with him before the problem grows.

Thanks,
Tori

 

[jaydill]

Well...what exactly does sulled mean?

My Simbrah calf was a little head shy as was the Charolais heifer belonging to the girl in the pen beside mine (hers was very head shy). What we both did was just keep rubbin on their heads. Mess with their heads. Maybe sometimes give him an alfalfa cube and rub on his head to help him associate the rubbing on his head with something more pleasant. Just make it a point to squirt that water on his head when you're washing him and rub on his head whenever you have a chance. It just takes time.

 

[AAOK]

Well...what exactly does sulled mean?

It's not a verb. It was his SULLEN attiude.

Main Entry: sullen
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: brooding
Synonyms: bad-tempered, bitchy, black, cheerless, churlish, crabbed, crabby, cross, cynical, dismal, dour, dull, fretful, frowning, gloomy, glowering, glum, gruff, grumpy, heavy, hostile, ill-humored, inert, irritable, malevolent, malicious, malign, mean, moody, morose, obstinate, ornery, peevish, perverse, pessimistic, petulant, pouting, pouty, querulous, saturnine, silent, somber, sour, sourpussed, stubborn, sulking, sulky, surly, tenebrific, tenebrous, ugly, unsociable, upset, uptight

 

[jaydill]

Well...what exactly does sulled mean?

It's not a verb. It was his SULLEN attiude.

Main Entry: sullen
Part of Speech: adjective
Definition: brooding
Synonyms: bad-tempered, bitchy, black, cheerless, churlish, crabbed, crabby, cross, cynical, dismal, dour, dull, fretful, frowning, gloomy, glowering, glum, gruff, grumpy, heavy, hostile, ill-humored, inert, irritable, malevolent, malicious, malign, mean, moody, morose, obstinate, ornery, peevish, perverse, pessimistic, petulant, pouting, pouty, querulous, saturnine, silent, somber, sour, sourpussed, stubborn, sulking, sulky, surly, tenebrific, tenebrous, ugly, unsociable, upset, uptight

Well I know the word sullen but in the context which Grand used it...that doesn't make sense. "...but when i went to blow his head off he sullen on me like brahmans do"?

 

[Grand Chaser]

sullen? i've never heard it said like that. but he's getting alot better with it

 

[jaydill]

Glad he's getting better. Good luck with more progress!

 

[msscamp]

i have no idea why he is doing this. he has had his horns removed but that was way befor i got him and i havent done anything to harm his head.
Thanks,
Tori

The simple fact that your calf has been dehorned may be the reason he's so head-shy - depending on the method used it can cause some pretty major pain both at the time of dehorning, as well as for a fairly long period of time afterwards. I would pet and rub him around his head, but be very careful not to cross too far into his discomfort zone. He will tell you with his ears, eyes, and general attitude when you're crossing too far. If you cross too far, back off immediately and try again, just not so far this time. If he accepted the petting/rubbing, I would reward him with brushing, grooming, or something that he really liked, perhaps a treat - although I'm not real big on using food treats as rewards because they can set up the scenario of him expecting them and can cause even bigger problems. Keep doing this, gradually and carefully crossing deeper into his discomfort zone as he figures out that your touching him about his head is not going to hurt. I hope this helps, but it is just my thoughts.

 

[Grand Chaser]

I had heard that that works with horses so thats what i had started doing with him. he is getting so much better about me touching his head and since i figured that he could deal with that i started rubbing and pulling on his leg hair working it up and just making him get used to that and now i can pick his feet up. never had one i could do that with.

 

[msscamp]

I had heard that that works with horses so thats what i had started doing with him. he is getting so much better about me touching his head and since i figured that he could deal with that i started rubbing and pulling on his leg hair working it up and just making him get used to that and now i can pick his feet up. never had one i could do that with.

Good job! :clap: :clap: :clap: