Help with holding a calf

[msscamp]

Don't know how many you handle but a real calf table is handy when you get tired of working on the ground or kicked in the shins - Oh wait that still happens, but hey at least I don't have to sqat all the way down anymore.

We use a calf table for branding/castrating/and vaccinations (that is, unless someone gets a wild hair and decides wrestling them would be fun) but, for us, it isn't practical to keep the calf table set up year round.

 

[milkmaid]

My vet showed me a neat trick for keeping calves down -- provided they aren't too insistent on getting away. :lol: When the calf's down, take the front leg on top (not the bottom one) and bring it forward and over the top of the calf's neck. Actually holds 90% of calves in place 90% of the time. I've seen him use it when doing IVs on calves or drawing blood, and I've used it on occasion -- like when I'm bringing a brand new calf home in the pickup and don't have a helper. LOL.

For working on a calf standing up, I do it like some of the others do - back them in a corner, knee in front of the chest, other knee against their rib cage holding them in place. Gives me both hands free for ear tagging (or straddling them works well for tagging too, LOL) or an extra hand under the throat holds them in place well enough to give shots. Depending on how cooperative they are I can do that on some pretty good sized calves.

 

[randiliana]

Your weight will hold them down, and if they start to fight just grab ahold of the top front leg and pull it up and back toward you.

Yeah, but they can still kick the crap out of you!

I do 99% of our calves this way. If you are sitting that far forward on them, they really can't reach you with their hind legs. I tag, tattoo, band, and d-horn them all while I am sitting on them. With the older calves, if we need to catch them we do the same thing. I can do a fairly large calf myself, but it is nice to have help. Besides, by the time you have them caught, the stuff you need to give them is usually to far away....

 

[msscamp]

Your weight will hold them down, and if they start to fight just grab ahold of the top front leg and pull it up and back toward you.

Yeah, but they can still kick the crap out of you!

If you are sitting that far forward on them, they really can't reach you with their hind legs. I tag, tattoo, band, and d-horn them all while I am sitting on them. With the older calves, if we need to catch them we do the same thing. I can do a fairly large calf myself, but it is nice to have help.

Apparently your calves aren't as inventive as ours, or they don't get spooked as easily - I'm not sure which. :lol: :lol: :lol: I used that position to hold a 2-3 day old calf that we had chased down (1/2 mile or so in 18" of snow) last winter while waiting for the pick-up to arrive, and got the absolute snot kicked out of me before I could capture the top hind leg and immobolize it.

Besides, by the time you have them caught, the stuff you need to give them is usually to far away....

Isn't that what pockets were invented for? Tag/pills/ink in front pocket, tool to attach/give it with in the back pocket. That little coin pocket they put in jeans comes in real handy for pills - especially if one is sitting on the calf. ;-)

 

[randiliana]

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Isn't that what pockets were invented for? Tag/pills/ink in front pocket, tool to attach/give it with in the back pocket. That little coin pocket they put in jeans comes in real handy for pills - especially if one is sitting on the calf. ;-)

No, pockets are so that you can lose the stuff as you run across the pasture after the calf ;-) . Then when you catch it you can't find the stuff to give it anyway

 

[dun]

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Isn't that what pockets were invented for? Tag/pills/ink in front pocket, tool to attach/give it with in the back pocket. That little coin pocket they put in jeans comes in real handy for pills - especially if one is sitting on the calf. ;-)

No, pockets are so that you can lose the stuff as you run across the pasture after the calf ;-) . Then when you catch it you can't find the stuff to give it anyway

That's the way putting stuff in my pockets alwasy work for me too. Then I spend more time looking for stuff in the pasture then it took to catch the calf!

dun

 

[msscamp]

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Isn't that what pockets were invented for? Tag/pills/ink in front pocket, tool to attach/give it with in the back pocket. That little coin pocket they put in jeans comes in real handy for pills - especially if one is sitting on the calf. ;-)

No, pockets are so that you can lose the stuff as you run across the pasture after the calf ;-) . Then when you catch it you can't find the stuff to give it anyway

Ah, that's the difference! :lol: :lol: :lol: We never pasture doctor - seen too many young calves take off blindly running and go through the fence once they were let loose, and the older calves are just easier to deal with in the corral. :lol: :lol: :lol:

 

[randiliana]

Ah, that's the difference! :lol: :lol: :lol: We never pasture doctor - seen too many young calves take off blindly running and go through the fence once they were let loose, and the older calves are just easier to deal with in the corral. :lol: :lol: :lol:

Well, our calves are kept on about 1-2 acres that is fenced for sheep for the first 5 - 10 days. They can't really take off because they can't get through the woven wire. After that we don't usually have to doctor many. If we do they are usually old enough that if you turn them around into the herd when you let them go they are fine. Once they get too big, we use the corral as well. Much easier to catch and handle in a small area.

 

[BMoss]

We use an extra corral panel attatched in the corner of the holding pen. Once I have the calf in that corner, I close the panel and use it like a squeeze, using a quick link on a chain to hold it tight if by myself. It has been working great for meds and shots. If calf over #600, make sure panel is strong....no econos.