Question about Problem Steer.

[Mama_Mutschler]

Need advice. My daughter's steer is mean. When ever we go to walk him he goes nuts. She can't work with him at all. He was sick and stuck in his pen for 5 weeks. We let him out to run the first day after quarantine, thinking it would get better because he was gentle when we first got him and we had no problems working with him. Now he either won't walk at all but just stands there and stares at you or he starts to jump around until he gets control of his head and then he tries to throw whoever is closest. That's usually me, I did not sign up to be a rodeo clown. But if a guy comes and takes him he's just fine. We have thought that maybe it's Faramones (?) and masking our scent might work but the only thing I could come up with to do that was Vick's Vapor Rub, not sure if that's a good idea. Can anyone give me some advice?

BTW we got all 10 of our FFA Show Steers from the same place but he's the only one that is like this.

 

[Tabor]

I would probley try to start over with him. Walk him to feed an water. If he dont walk he dont get it.

 

[Bez>]

Need advice. My daughter's steer is mean. When ever we go to walk him he goes nuts. She can't work with him at all. He was sick and stuck in his pen for 5 weeks. We let him out to run the first day after quarantine, thinking it would get better because he was gentle when we first got him and we had no problems working with him. Now he either won't walk at all but just stands there and stares at you or he starts to jump around until he gets control of his head and then he tries to throw whoever is closest. That's usually me, I did not sign up to be a rodeo clown. But if a guy comes and takes him he's just fine. We have thought that maybe it's Faramones (?) and masking our scent might work but the only thing I could come up with to do that was Vick's Vapor Rub, not sure if that's a good idea. Can anyone give me some advice?

BTW we got all 10 of our FFA Show Steers from the same place but he's the only one that is like this.

Well Mama - I tend to think a bit differently.

If this guy is beating up on you I would find myself a good little fish bat and beat the tar out of him. He knows he is stronger and better than you - you might even be acting a bit timid around him. Might be time to "Alpha up" and show this guy who the boss really is.

I also might think along these lines:

Every EXTRA minute I have to put into that little schitzen head is taking me from doing other things that might not only be more productive, but might allow me to bring another calf along and be the champion.

If you are running more than one animal to be readied for show - this one is robbing the others. You might just want to stick a fork in him and call him done.

This guy is proving the Law of Diminishing Returns. Funny though - most people go right along with it.

Good luck on this one.

Bez>

 

[Keren]

Firstly you need to really define what his problem is.

It he just stale from being in his pen for 5 weeks? If so, turn him out for a good three or four days, preferably with another calf for him to play with, then bring him in and see if he behaves better.

Or has he learnt to get away from you and your daughter? This can be a big problem because they learn that they are stronger than you and that they can get loose. As suggested, I would start over with him, in a small yard which allows him to walk but is small enough that if he tries to run from you, you will still have the rope. He will begin to learn that he can't get away. Also as suggested, put a nose dog (or even a bull ring if he is very difficult) in his nose. When you notice him throwing his head to get it and run, pull up hard on the nose. This will a) pull his head up high so he cant get his weight behind it and run and b) hurt his nose so he will think twice about taking off. Don't pull forward and try to lead him with the nose lead, just use it as a 'handbrake' to make him stop. If he wont walk for you try leading another animal in front and have someone behind pushing him up. Other things that can help are the type of halter - I use a rope halter with an oval ring, but for more difficult steers hackamores can come in handy. In extreme cases you can lash them to a donkey or use a tractor, but I would only recommend that if you know what you are doing as inexperienced people can and do cripple/kill their cattle using tractors.

Hope all of that helped. Keep us informed of his progress.

Btw, as Bez said (I forgot to add it) if by 'mean' you mean he is charging at you, then yes, belt him a good one and re-establish the pecking order.

 

[Southerngal]

I think I read were you said that if a male tries to lead him he acts ok. Daughter had a heifer that could not sand females. Trioed everything we could think of to help. It got to the point when she or I just started to walk to the pen she would snort and paw the ground like a bull. Hubby could do anything with her though. Still don't understand. We were not afraid of her just not strong enough to man handle her. End up getting a male that lived down the road from us to show her. She never gave him a bit of trouble.

 

[Mama_Mutschler]

Thank you all for your replies. I am having someone come out to work with my daughter and her steer but i'm not sure it's gonna work out.

Southerngal - I'm afraid that our situation is alot like yours. I told my husband that I think he just doesn't like women. It could be because we were the ones that gave him all the medication. We had to drench him for 10 days, give him a paste and then shove a pill down his throat. I think that's part of the reason. I'm not afraid of him at all I love working with him when he's not throwing my through the fence. I don't think we're allowed to have anyone else show them for us but I'll look into it.

Again Thanks Ya'll

 

[jmbadavis]

I would get rid of him. My daughter had a cow that was the same way. She was fine one minute, loved to be rubbed under the neck, you could be leading her just fine then the next thing you knew she would bolt. We had her in the trimming chute one day and she kicked my husband and he wasn't even touching her. That was the final straw. If that had been my daughter she could of done serious damage. We called the guy that we bought her from and told him either he needed to come and get her and her calf or she was going to the sales barn. The cow was meant to be shown at the county fairs as a cow/calf pair by my daughter. But there is too liability these days with a cow that has the potential to kick or run over someone.

 

[Matt Schiel]

I had a similair problem with my first show heifer. Did not like women at all. My mom could not go into the same lot as her. This steer seems to have the same problem and their is nothing that you can easily do to fix. I would "start over" again but in different way.

Morning time: feed, water and tie up low all day with the fans on and brush, stick and play with the steer, no walking.

Afternoon: get dad or guy to rinse her and then tie him back up with his head up for about 2 -3 hours. Brush, stick and play with steer and then feed him.

Do this for at least a week or two without walking him. Let him know that you are not the bad guy and let him trust you again. As he gets into a routine I would keep the morning routine and in the afternoon start walking him in a small pen. When he learns to move with you in a small area, then move into a bigger pen and work yourself up to walking him everywere. Keep tying him up for at least two hours a day during your work, but walking would be my first concern than keeping the head up for two hours.

Matt

 

[Mama_Mutschler]

Well it's be a couple of weeks and my daughter's steer just doesn't seem to want to behave. We have however figured out that he is just playing. Now we just have to get the playing behavior knocked out of him.

He will walk now with out much fight but he wants to play after a while and that's when it get rough. My husband and Daughter were working with him yesterday and he was fine then out of nowhere he decided to start playing.

He threw my hubby in the air a few time but when he got him on the ground he would just walk away. Then when he got up again the steer would go at him again. Then he just decided he wanted to go home and he walked back to his Pen.

We're gonna be working with him in a different area now and see if that doesn't help with his playfulness.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Ya'll have been a great help.

 

[L Weir]

Some may not agree, but I would find another steer. I would not let my daughter have an animal like that to show. After reading the threads about "crazy cows" and some of the other threads about people getting killed from cattle, I would not want to take the chance of having someone getting hurt when she tried to show him at a show. He may get worse instead of better.

 

[annaduhon]

I would say that the steer is pretty smart. He remembers who doctored him, which for some reason was traumatic to him. You must regain his trust. If this means staring all over with him thats what needs to be done. Do things that feel good to him, tie him up and rinse with water hose longer than normal, brush him longer than normal. Find his feel good spot, every calf has one, somewhere on him that when you scratch him he likes it. He will eventualy forget about the bad things that happened to him and you will have control again. Your daughter may even need to sit on a bucket in the stall with him while he eats. All these little things will eventually change his mind. I would not give up on him yet.

 

[Bez>]

I have to admit I think you are going to have a bit of a rodeo in the ring. Hope your daughter can handle it.

Time to toss this one and start again.

Not likely you will - but then again it is your animal.

Once again - all the extra time you put into this one takes away from the others.

Have fun and stay safe.

Bez>

 

[rancherswife]

How much more time do you have on this steer before you show him? That would be a big part of my decision to keep him or ship him and start over. In my opinion I would ship him. If he is knocking your husband to the ground your daughter is probably going to have a real hard time keeping control.
My Grandson is raising 2 steers for San Bernardino county fair right now. One is really gentle but the other one is kinda a brat. I would prefer he go in the freezer now but my Grandson made a deal with me for 1 more month. He isn't mean but if my grandson stops paying attention for a second that steer takes off like a shot!! The boy is 10 and has a hard time holding on to 1200 pounds once he gets his head. I keep telling him I won't risk him getting hurt or the public getting hurt!! Soo..we shall see if one goes to fair or two.
What fair are you raising him for? I assume it's a fair?

 

[Mama_Mutschler]

We are raising him for the San Diego County (DelMar) Fair. I have also made a deal with my daughter. If he is not ready for show next month then he'll be in my freezer.

We have been taking extra care of him, brushing him, washing him, scratching him. He loves to be scratched on the neck. It's his favorite thing. He actually streteches out so I can get his neck better. We spend hours with him. I think it's just that the area we have to work with him is what he considers fun time area. We are gonna try taking him to a different area and work with him and see if that makes a difference.

I'll keep you updated

 

[Keren]

Well it's be a couple of weeks and my daughter's steer just doesn't seem to want to behave. We have however figured out that he is just playing. Now we just have to get the playing behavior knocked out of him.

He will walk now with out much fight but he wants to play after a while and that's when it get rough. My husband and Daughter were working with him yesterday and he was fine then out of nowhere he decided to start playing.

He threw my hubby in the air a few time but when he got him on the ground he would just walk away. Then when he got up again the steer would go at him again. Then he just decided he wanted to go home and he walked back to his Pen.

We're gonna be working with him in a different area now and see if that doesn't help with his playfulness.

Thanks for all the suggestions. Ya'll have been a great help.

Are you seriously persisting with this steer? I'll admit I have shown animals that have beaten me up pretty badly, but a) they were other peoples animals I was being paid to break in and show and b) there were no children involved.

If this steer is throwing your husband in the air, he knows he can and he will do the same thing to your daughter. I would not be putting her at risk by letting her lead him.

That being said . . . if you really want to show him put a bull ring in his nose. Yank hard when he wants to play . . . trust me he wont want to anymore.

 

[Mama_Mutschler]

My daughter refuses to give up on him. I do not let her take him out alone at all. We have someone coming out to look at him tomorrow and give an honest opinion as to if it's too late for him or if they can break him soon. I usually stand in between the steer and my daughter.

she just doesn't want to lose all that she's put into him. Right now my parents are considering buying him from her. If that happens then he's done. No Problems.

She also has a goat so she'll get to the fair either way she just isn't ready to quit on him.

 

[cattle gal]

well if she dont want to quit on him thats a good thing let her try if theres not to long left till fair time see what she can do with him give her the rest of the time she has to work with him and then come fair time if hes not working then get rid of him our county fair this year got donated 7 steers that were all very nasty one of the girls that keeps her steers at my house got a donated steer and another young kid i know got one to but the one that is at my house went in to initial weigh in at 900 lbs when he was supposed to go in at 600 lbs but he was so nasty when my mom leaned into the front of the horse trailer to get something at weighin he kicked the partition gate and ended up kicking her in the face you couldnt get near him he was so bad he weighs 1400 lbs now and the girl couldnt handle him and is trually scared to death of him i just finally got him broke around december to were he could go out in public and the one other kids steers the kid is only 8 this is his first project and the steer has been lose on the rode 5 times and all 5 times has jumped fences and chased someone into there house we have 18 days till fair and i have got him within the past 2 weeks to walk on a ropehalter with the kid leading him so its possible for your daughter to train him give her all the support she needs and fully trust in her shell get it done

 

[Mama_Mutschler]

Well, we're gonna try a nose lead or a Bull ring next. We had one of the champion steer Alumni come and look at him and she thinks he may still have a testicle, which would explain everything.

Everyone says that he's growing the hump on his neck that tells the Heifer's that he's a male. I don't see it but I'll post some pics later tonight and see what ya'll think.

Thanks and have a great day.

 

[Keren]

I'm glad you have decided to ring him. Do it as soon as possible so it has time to heal before the show. If that doesn't stop him . . . chances are nothing will :lol:

 

[Mama_Mutschler]

I've posted pictures of Teddy to the gallery. I don't really understand how to put them in the message. Please let me know what you honestly think!

Thank you!

Look at my new topic my Daughter's Show Steer.... That's Teddy. Someone was nice enough to post his pictures for me.