Spooky Heifer

tanbarkhill · Jul 23, 2007

Hi Everyone!

A while back I had posted pictures of my son's new show heifer. She had turned out to be very spooky. We took her to the GA JR Beef Futurity in Perry, GA this past weekend and everything was improving significantly when she slipped in the blocking chute. My son was heading to the ring with her and a small child stepped (not jumped) from behind a pole and she spooked. She got away from him. He caught her and brought her back through the same breezeway and she was fine.
Does anyone have any methods they have tried to lessen a show calf's jitters? What I mean are there methods used to de-sensitize them to all the goings-on in the various barn senarios? NO DRUGS just ideas to work on at home. We already have a radio playing in the barn 24/7 and there are also chickens, dogs, etc. around her daily. I had thought about putting flagging tape around the barn and fence so it would blow in the wind and in the fans, maybe aluminum "pie pans", and "sacking" her like I have done with spooky horses.

Any and all ideas would be appreciated!

Thank you in advance.

Bez&gt; · Jul 23, 2007

Not every calf is trainable and not every cow is quiet.

Some are naturally high headed. If you have been doing this all along and it is not working - well, you may have one of the above.

Otherwise, keep on trying - personally I am of the opinion animals are imprinted by the time they hit 6-9 months - you can work all you want and they are always a loaded gun - never to be trusted and always going off when least needed or expected - but I am sure there will be some advice on how to solve your problem - question is .....

How much additional time are you prepared to put in?

Good luck.

Bez>

Keren · Jul 23, 2007

All the ideas you mentioned are worth a try. I do them if I have the time, and sometimes they work and sometimes they dont. Also try wheeling a really noisy wheelbarrow around her. Also you might find that after a few shows she will calm down alot.

But like Bez said, some animals are simply just spooky. If she is one of those, nothing will change her.

J. T. · Jul 24, 2007

I used to swear that I was going to set up a Ferris Wheel with bright neon lights in the pasture with hard rock music blaring to accustom our calves to the fair show season. At our county show the Ferris Wheel is always set up right next to the show barn and the calves don't always appreciate the pretty lights.
However, trailering them from show to show, grooming, exposure to the sights, sounds, and smells of the show environment is the best remedy for curing the jitters. But, some calves aren't made for that type of life and they seem to never adapt. Others are like old movie stars who can't wait to perform. Good luck!

tanbarkhill · Jul 24, 2007

Thanks y'all for the replies! I agree JT I wish I could find a Ferris Wheel!

We have not been trying any of these things all along.Before she fell in the blocking chute she had settled down. For example: when she first got there (to the show) every time someone would walk between the blocking chutes and where she was laying down she would jump up...after being there for 1 day she was not doing that anymore just laying quietly while people were milling around and sweeping, scooping, blowing the other calves, the announcer calling classes, etc. He(my son) even clipped her head and neck without a halter (in the chute)and using literally 2 fingers to move her head back and forth. After she fell there was a space of about 15-20 minutes before the bolting episode.
Thanks again and keep the ideas coming!!

VCC · Jul 24, 2007

Was this her first show, if so it sounds like she started making adjustments and getting use to everything? You had a few set backs but it sounds like she calmed down after each one. I would consider your show a success. Each time a calf faces something new they react. With my boy I try and stress that he is aware of his surroundings and look for things that may spook the calf, this way you are ready for it and try to prevent it if you can, or at least be ready for them to react. Our area at home is set up in a way that we are always passing in font of the calves when they are tied, they get used to see everything dogs, pigs, us and everything else that goes on, it seems to help. I have also found that if you can get behind a calf on its way to the ring they will be more comfortable in their surroundings and react less, I guess you would call it piggy backing, as calves start heading toward the ring just follow them with her, it may help.