Heifer with an attitude

[mmiv]

I'm a newbie and a friend gave me one of his show heifers(11 month old Star5 by a Simmental bull) . She is a sweetheart until I try to blow her, clip her or get near her with the show stick(I've taken her to 3 shows all of which i was acting the part of scratching her due to my stick ending up in a 90 degree angle twice). And I have multiple questions:

1.How do i break her habit of kicking? I've tried reprimanding her and she quits for a while and i can swear i watch her plotting and then she nails me or as she did Saturday she kicked the fitter in the jaw.

2. She needs more weight suggestions on that? she is currently eating 3/4 a scoop beet pulp with 3-4 scoops Fitter's Choice with 30ml b12 twice a day with the powdered probios at night.

3. Her hair is fairly long and i have been told to rinse her twice a day. Do I need to blow her dry every time i rinse her?

My placings at the shows where 6/6 at Heart of Texas , 5/7 at my county fair ,and 2/2 in all 4 rings at Navasota. At all of the shows all 6 of the judges said they think she will be very competitive in the future but they would like to see more growth and volume.

 

[showing71]

When my animal kicks, I tie a rope on the top bar on one side of the chute, go under the flank, and then tie the rope on the other side tightly. This usually keeps them from kicking and after a while they don't need the rope anymore. Or you can just keep blowing her and stand far enough away so you don't get kicked, she'll get tired of it eventually. I dry my animals everytime I rinse, it helps to keep the hair trained, but do you need to, no.

 

[TheBullLady]

I would suggest you could spend a little more time with her, doing nothing more than brushing / or scratching with the show stick. I don't own a calf that won't run me over to be under the show stick, so it seems odd that she'd kick at it. I think sometimes if you're always tied, rinsing, blowing, you miss the opportunity to just sit and scratch on them. So she's probably resentful that you're always doing something that she percieves as bad, and doesn't trust you.

She will stop kicking.. it's going to take some time. Putting weight on can be tricky as well. If she's crabby anyway, she's not going to eat as well as if she was content. Do you have her with a buddy? They tend to eat better with another calf.

We all started out the same way... patience and practice, and you'll get the hang of it. Good luck.

 

[mmiv]

I don't have another calf but she is in with an Arabian mare, a miniature mule, and a Great Pyrenees, so she has constant company, and she loves being scratched, just not with a show stick. :???: I haven't figured that one out yet...

 

[Avalon]

I agree with the others. It will take time and persisitance. She may have been hit with something simular to a show stick at a young age. If so she will be naturally leary of it. That stick must become a friend to her. As far as the stick, I would suggest tieng her up, and gently working it over her back and just rubbing her all over with it. Not poking or hooking anthing just rubbing, Once she tolerates it on the back then work your way down the hip then lower to the legs. If she starts to kick go back up to the top then gently work your way down again. If you want to add condition to her start feeding 2% of her body weight per day of show feed. The beet pulp would be considered extra to me. 3 scoops doesnt sound like enough if you're needing to add condition unless she is very small. Just take your time. Spend time working your way into the things that irritate her. Very slowly and cautiously. Good luck.

 

[Keren]

I'm a newbie and a friend gave me one of his show heifers(11 month old Star5 by a Simmental bull) . She is a sweetheart until I try to blow her, clip her or get near her with the show stick(I've taken her to 3 shows all of which i was acting the part of scratching her due to my stick ending up in a 90 degree angle twice). And I have multiple questions:

1.How do i break her habit of kicking? I've tried reprimanding her and she quits for a while and i can swear i watch her plotting and then she nails me or as she did Saturday she kicked the fitter in the jaw.

easiest, safest, simplest way is to hose her. hose her legs etc, she will kick but the water will keep touching her, after a while she will figure out that its useless

2. She needs more weight suggestions on that? she is currently eating 3/4 a scoop beet pulp with 3-4 scoops Fitter's Choice with 30ml b12 twice a day with the powdered probios at night.

I cant tell you about the products you are using, since I'm in a different country, but its HUGELY important that she has free choice good quality hay, pasture, oaten, wheaten hay, or alfalfa mixed with pasture. Roughage is really important to keep her rumen healthy. And also ensure that the hard feed you are giving, is at least 16% protein or higher.

3. Her hair is fairly long and i have been told to rinse her twice a day. Do I need to blow her dry every time i rinse her?
no, but comb her whilst she is still wet, in the direction you want her hair to sit. This will really help train it.

My placings at the shows where 6/6 at Heart of Texas , 5/7 at my county fair ,and 2/2 in all 4 rings at Navasota. At all of the shows all 6 of the judges said they think she will be very competitive in the future but they would like to see more growth and volume.

 

[knabe]

http://www.24-7agtv.com/Joomla/index.ph ... link&id=54

start over and let her tell you where she needs work. without the halter on, you won't have a crutch to disguise the feelings she is having about the situation.

kicking is a method employed by cattle to get you to move away. it doesn't take very many attempts to prove to the calf that it works.

 

[LoveMoo11]

I agree with those who have said to just spend time with her. Scratch her, talk to her, brush her, etc. When she kicks, don't yell at her or hit her, a lot of times they kick when they are scared/worked up so that's not going to solve anything. I really think if you just keep spending time with her she should improve. I am not very familiar with the feed you are using so I am not going to make any suggestions about that, but make sure you are exercising her frequently to build muscle as well. I would recommend blowing her after rinsing. Good luck

 

[mmiv]

Thanks for all yalls help she has really improved over time though she still is having issues with the blower and i took her to a small show in November she placed second in all 4 rings(there was only two heifers) but the judges really liked her here's a before and after picture of Tabby.

Also i wanted peoples opinion on her hair and what to do with it, it was growing okay until she got into a pile of smoldering feed sacks (long story we both learned our lesson) and burned most of the hair off both sides of her neck, knees and her left shoulder(though somehow she didn't burn any skin) and now shes shedding profusely and curling. I vote shear her if it takes all day but my mom wants to try getting the hair back b/c everybody has told us hair is GOOD. in the October pic i had just finished blowing her and in the January pic she just got brushed with a rice root brush.

and here is a link to her photo album with her progress pictures: http://s938.photobucket.com/albums/ad221/mmiv_texas/

 

[greatgerts]

Have the Gert breeders been saying she needed to keep her hair?
To me, she looks like she has enough Gert in her to clip her hair short. That's how they are shown, and in my opinion, which isn't much, would be do clip yours short too.
Being 13 months old in the January picture, it looks like she is a bit small. Who did you get her from? Was it a Gert breeder? I would talk with them and see what you can do in your area.

 

[mmiv]

Have the Gert breeders been saying she needed to keep her hair?
To me, she looks like she has enough Gert in her to clip her hair short. That's how they are shown, and in my opinion, which isn't much, would be do clip yours short too.
Being 13 months old in the January picture, it looks like she is a bit small. Who did you get her from? Was it a Gert breeder? I would talk with them and see what you can do in your area.

She is small, I attributed it to her first 9 months being on range during a bad drought I got her from a close friend of mine Bradley Campbell who breeds beefmasters and happened to have 1 gert that placed 2nd at heart of texas and this is her daughter and her price was right (free). And I don't know of any gert breeders near me it was suggested by a family in my FFA chapter who raised star5's a few years back (though i believe they were chianina crosses). Her DOB is January 23, 2009 and we're planning on AI after Houston Livestock Show

 

[saintgert]

I know some folks in the Conroe and Huntsville areas--you said you are northeast of Houston on the other thread where you are considering what breed to work with next? There's also a large concentration of folks right around Brenham. I suspect a good number will be in Houston; you might walk through some of the Gert aisles there.

 

[greatgerts]

There will also be a sale at Houston. All haltered animals. In addition to the show, you should go to the sale and look around and see what they can do.

 

[mmiv]

Just wanted to update she got 10/11 at Houston b/c she was so sucked up (i hauled in with my FFA group they said would keep her watered while i was showing my rabbits they lied) but i knew the girl i beat and the girl who placed right above me they also showed rabbits and their heifers were like mine from the stress but in the ring Tabby did AMAZING. She actually let me set her up for the first time back legs and everything . She only stopped once then she continued walking and she didn't throw a fit when Kaitlyn's heifer kept mounting her in the ring :banana: so i was happy with her though not so much my FFA group/teachers, they are gonna have a come to Jesus from my momma(long story LOL) I'll post another pic of Tabby later.

And does anybody have any experience feeding the Nutrena NutreBeef and how easy the heifers on it can breed? I'm feeding Producers now which everybody round here says is the best but I've noticed a lot of people have switched to Nutrena and a friend from another school district is feeding it and her heifer (a Red Brahman 1 year old) just took first try AI and has been pleased with the Nutrena and the feed dealer is a lot closer by 70 miles.

 

[Avalon]

As far as breeding the key is not getting them to fat. You just need to feed her a good balanced growing ration and stay with it. When it is time to breed make sure that you give her the appropriate vaccinations. Always keep a good mineral supplement in front of her and make sure you worm her at appropriate times.

 

[TexasBred]

Just wanted to update she got 10/11 at Houston b/c she was so sucked up (i hauled in with my FFA group they said would keep her watered while i was showing my rabbits they lied) but i knew the girl i beat and the girl who placed right above me they also showed rabbits and their heifers were like mine from the stress but in the ring Tabby did AMAZING. She actually let me set her up for the first time back legs and everything . She only stopped once then she continued walking and she didn't throw a fit when Kaitlyn's heifer kept mounting her in the ring :banana: so i was happy with her though not so much my FFA group/teachers, they are gonna have a come to Jesus from my momma(long story LOL) I'll post another pic of Tabby later.

And does anybody have any experience feeding the Nutrena NutreBeef and how easy the heifers on it can breed? I'm feeding Producers now which everybody round here says is the best but I've noticed a lot of people have switched to Nutrena and a friend from another school district is feeding it and her heifer (a Red Brahman 1 year old) just took first try AI and has been pleased with the Nutrena and the feed dealer is a lot closer by 70 miles.

Are you feeding a Nutrena Calf feed?? Should be ok. Just looking at the pics she actually looks better to me in the older picture than the more recent one. Almost like she's lost weight. For one thing I'd quit feeding by the scoop and feed pounds......beet pulp is a great ingredient but more of a topdress or a high quality "filler" as it swells up tremendously and fills the animals out. You should see a lot of it at the sales you go to. If anything I might add some steam rolled corn to the diet you're now feeding to increase the energy and make sure her hay is the best grass hay you can find.