Lead animal selection and training

[Stocker Steve]

We are planning to hold back a couple head to use as a stocker lead animal for each group next year. The initial thought was to retain the tamest heifers even if they are not dominate, bred them this fall, and expect their greater size to make them leaders next year.

Any tips on selection or training?

 

[Northern Rancher]

My lead steer is a huge Coirriente/Simmental steer probably 8-9 years old now-he's loud coloured so easy to find. We just pail fed him a bit so he'd follow us. One thing if you use him to take cattle into pens don't sort him off as soon as he gets in the pen-take him to the back first. He'll start turning back in the gate if u don't.

 

[Limomike]

My lead steer is a huge Coirriente/Simmental steer probably 8-9 years old now-he's loud coloured so easy to find. We just pail fed him a bit so he'd follow us. One thing if you use him to take cattle into pens don't sort him off as soon as he gets in the pen-take him to the back first. He'll start turning back in the gate if u don't.

I agree.. I have one of my older momma cows that I do the same thing with. Take her to the back of the pen, and hold her there.. with feed, and then she wont go back out anytime soon.

 

[Andrew]

I have a question: when you say "hold her there" you mean to restrain her such as in a small loading pen or just entertain her with feed until the other ones come in?

Andrew

 

[dun]

Sting of theleader is done by the cows, not theowner. Training just takes the time to get them conditioned to a do a specific response you you provide the slimulus. I wave my arm overr my head nad yell AAAAAOOOOO. Girls all come running, Granny leading the way. She was out of the herd for almost 6 months, when she went bacxk in there wasn;t any fighting. The cow that had assumed leadership just moved back to #2.

dun

 

[Andrew]

So let me understand... You just look for the cow that all the other ones follow and this is your leader or is there anything you can do to make a cow a leader? Also, why is it that I always hear about a lead steer? Are cows naturally inclined to follow a steer?

Thanks,
Andrew

 

[dun]

In a group of cows there will always be a leader. I don;t know if it's a genetic propensity to lead or what, all I know is there will be one that the others follow. If you get that one trained to do your bidding, if by a bucket or a stick you're problems are solved.
There was a thread a while back about having to get rid of the lead cow and the headaches that followed.
Strangly enough, it isn;t alwasy the dominant cow. It's usually one that is a little more independent. While Granny wasn;t with the herd the one that had taken over as leader never really did fill the bill. She would get distracted and not go where she was wanted to. That's the deal with Granny, the others get distracted and start ti mill around but she will just keep plodding along till you get her where you want them. Pretty quickly the others will realize that she's still going somewhere and fall in and follow.
The only time I recall hearing about a lead steer was on traildrives.

dun

 

[Tod Dague]

So let me understand... You just look for the cow that all the other ones follow and this is your leader or is there anything you can do to make a cow a leader? Also, why is it that I always hear about a lead steer? Are cows naturally inclined to follow a steer?

Thanks,
Andrew

I have all ways herd of lead steers used in stocker operations. He is usually a gentle natured steer that was retained for the simple task of leading the young steers. He will all ways be the leader since he will all ways be the biggest. As for lead cows it is who ever is dominant not who ever is trained.