Help please!

[RbarJ]

I just got a show steer that was just pulled out of pasture and away from him mom yesterday. He was also worked much harder than was needed, doing nothing but rile him up. After trailering him home, I got him tied up to a good sturdy post. When I went out early this morning to give him feed and water he pulled back and broke the chain on his halter. He then continued to bust out of his pen, break down a gate, and blow through an eight strand hotwire fence and getting out into a pasture. I'll be penning him tomorrow afternoon. The plan is to tie him up the same as before, this time with a stronger halter.
He was born in December and is about 600lbs.
I think the issue is him being used to being out at pasture with a herd and with his momma. I have him away from all other cattle. If need be I can put a show heifer in with him to help with weaning.
The weigh in is Saturday. I've already turned in my entry form for the calf. It's too late to get another calf.
This is my second calf already this year, and believe it or not, the first one was far worse.
Any thoughts are welcome and appreciated!
Thanks!
Robby

 

[bigbull338]

it might help if you put him in the corral an let him get used to you.an let him settle down a bit before you start trying to halter break him.you becareful as your going in to feed him.what breed is he.it sounds like he was weaned when you picked him up.

 

[RbarJ]

He's angus cross. He was not weaned, they had just got done sorting when I picked him up.
The calf is now long gone. We went to pen him and he is nowhere to be found.

 

[bigbull338]

hope you can find him.right they weaned him on the trailer when yall picked him up.an thats why he took off for parts unknown.

 

[greybeard]

BB is right. Weaning on a trailer is ok, but ONLY if you allow plenty of time afterwards for the weanling to adjust to being without momma and to get used to you and new surroundings and feed regimen, and I do it in a good pen.
Sounds like every possible stress was thrown on that steer all at once---not good.

 

[RbarJ]

grey beard, Your right. Everything possible was thrown at him at once. I found him holed up deep in a swamp. We got him out of there late yesterday evening and moved him to a smaller pasture with about 30 head in it. We penned all the cows today and got him sorted out like it was nothing. He seems to have calmed down a little bit (knock on wood). Right now he's sitting on a trailer overnight, tomorrow he's going to weigh in. I'm putting a heifer in with him to help him with weaning. Once we get him back from the weigh in I'm going to tie him up to a good stout post, with two halters on.

 

[bd797]

If a rope halter wont hold him, you can always build one out of 1/4" chain and connectors. I have done this before as I also had a steer some 20+ years ago that was the same way. Needless to say, he never broke the halter again. Just be sure to use good rope on the halter or it will be the next to break.

 

[3waycross]

To be honest the first thing that caught my eye is that someone sold you an 11 month "Show steer" that only weighs 600lbs. That cannot be right. Please let us know what eh weighs at the weigh-in. If that weight is correct you will have a terrible time getting him to finish as he has already proved that he don't gain for squat!

 

[hillsdown]

To be honest the first thing that caught my eye is that someone sold you an 11 month "Show steer" that only weighs 600lbs. That cannot be right. Please let us know what eh weighs at the weigh-in. If that weight is correct you will have a terrible time getting him to finish as he has already proved that he don't gain for squat!

That and he is 11 months old and not weened . :?

I am curious as to what is his actual weight as well .

Make sure he has a pen mate when you pen him and start to finish him , a heifer may not be a very good choice as I sure as heck wouldn't push the heifer with feed like you would the steer . ;-)

 

[RbarJ]

The calf never ceased to be a pain ans has been sent to market before he could hurt anyone worse. He was 9, almost 10 months when I bought him. He weighed 660 lbs at first weigh-in, after loosing an estimated 50 lbs running around in the back swamp. That's about what most show steer are like around here. They all finish out well, though.