My first steer, and its wild!

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kauai96

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Hello everyone, this is my first steer it is a black angus, and i'm raising it for meat. I have had problems with this steer from the first day i brought it home and put it in the pasture. So here is a little history on the animal. I got it when a friend of mine was weening the new calves in his heard. it was 7-8months old and never been away from it's mom. we loaded him in the trailer and drove him an hour home. I have a two 2.5acre pastures. I set up a round pen inside one of the pasture to try to let him settle down and chill out for a week or two while he got used to the pasture and me. He broke out of the horse round pen in under 60seconds! But i figured he was in the pasture so it would be alright. He is about 9months now and i feed him 3-4times a week and generally spend about a half hour out there when i do. He likes to hide in these trees ALL day long and i have to go up to him and when i get about 10ft away he will bolt out of the bushes's. Then i can get him to follow me with the bucket of food. But he wont let me get closer than maybe 7-10ft away. I am worried because his worm meds are up in 2months and i wanted to give him something to keep the flys at bay. I am also worried if this behavior keeps up i will have to shoot him prematurely because i wont be able to control him when he gets bigger. I guess my question is , Is it too little too late for this steer? If it matters i have two horse's that are tame in the other pasture, the horse's and the cow are only seperated by a fence.I feed them both at the same time right next to each other on oppisite side's of the fence, and will brush the horse's to try and show him im friendly. But i still cant get close to him! Is it too little too late for this steer? sorry for the lenghty post.
 
Try getting a second calf to put with him that some times helps. You can eat one and sell the other. Just try and get one that is a little more docile than the one you currently have. ;-)
 
I agree with VCC, He's lonely. That was a tough weaning he just went through. I'm not sure he can rationalize that you're interaction with the horse makes you a "good guy".

Maybe you should put the horses in with him for company?
 
Had the exact opposite problem. I was feeding out two very gently steers, when I had a momma cow decide to hang herself in a land plane....Had to take the new born calf and feed it daily to keep it alive. It hated me despite bringing it feed every day for 115 days. I took the two steers to the slaughter house 12 days ago, and now this little heifer calf loves me. Meets me at the gate, walks close to me, and no longer hides or sprints away from me when I walk in to feed her.

She goes back to the farm next week to be with the herd and I think I have raised a calf that will be friendly and trusting enough that I dont have to worry about her being a problem.
 
i'd say if you can get 7 to 10' away from him before he bolts thats not bad he is just scared. remember he is in a new place and all by hisself really. just continue to feed him and try not to get to close he probably wasnt messed with when he was with his mom so he's not gonna let you pet him. if he stays in your pasture he will eventually calm down most proabably.
 
Thanks for the input. Getting another one is kind of out of the question at the moment. This is a trial thing. I think after this one I will get 2 at a time for sure. But thats good news. I guess i will just keep trying to feed him and see how that goes. I have let the horse's in the pasture with him before. He follows them around and graze's with them for a while then he will hide,then come out and hang out with them for a little, and so forth. I have not feed them together in the same pasture. I have been afraid the horse's might make punk to the steer. Do you think i should try feeding them together? Or just keep doing what Im doing?
 
marksmu":1liwixud said:
Had the exact opposite problem. I was feeding out two very gently steers, when I had a momma cow decide to hang herself in a land plane....Had to take the new born calf and feed it daily to keep it alive. It hated me despite bringing it feed every day for 115 days. I took the two steers to the slaughter house 12 days ago, and now this little heifer calf loves me. Meets me at the gate, walks close to me, and no longer hides or sprints away from me when I walk in to feed her.

She goes back to the farm next week to be with the herd and I think I have raised a calf that will be friendly and trusting enough that I dont have to worry about her being a problem.

Until 3 years from now you are tagging her calf and she grinds you into the dirt for about an hour! Because you trusted her and weren't paying attention.
 
Hi there, what everyone has said is right. Regarding giving him his worming treatment, do you have facilities to contain him for this? What are your plans for managing him during this time? He wont take kindly to being drenched without restraint of some kind, unless I guess you went with a backline pour on treatment which you could maybe put on in the paddock if he stood close enough to you. I'd suggest having a catch pen would be better anyway in case he ever gets sick and needs to be doctored :)
 

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