Steered for pet

[Anonymous]

All I know is horses, i know nothing about cattle. So I am looking for some opinions. Two years ago, I aquired a calf. I'm assuming by looks a jersey bull calf. When he was 7 months old I had him crimped, because of stories that I would not be able to manage him as a bull. OK, he is, I guess, you would say, is steered. Yes? I take him for walks,and even nap on him, I understand every moo. He knows his name and gives kisses when asked.But he does not like stangers. My question is, will he being steered stay nice to me? Or will he turn bad like many people tell me.

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[Anonymous]

> All I know is horses, i know
> nothing about cattle. So I am
> looking for some opinions. Two
> years ago, I aquired a calf. I'm
> assuming by looks a jersey bull
> calf. When he was 7 months old I
> had him crimped, because of
> stories that I would not be able
> to manage him as a bull. OK, he
> is, I guess, you would say, is
> steered. Yes? I take him for
> walks,and even nap on him, I
> understand every moo. He knows his
> name and gives kisses when
> asked.But he does not like
> stangers. My question is, will he
> being steered stay nice to me? Or
> will he turn bad like many people
> tell me.

I never have been around Jersey's that got more than about a year old, but there seems to be pretty universal belief (I assume for well documented reasons) that dairy bulls are the most ornery and unpredictable of all the breeds and that Jersey bulls are the worst of the dairy breeds. Being a steer, in the future he may not be as ornery as a bull but you better keep a close eye on him, especially if you are around him along with some strangers. My dad gave me some real sound advise years ago, to wit: "never completely trust a bull no matter how tame you think he is". There are many people hurt by "tame" bulls every year and unfortunately some are even killed. Just a few years ago a lifelong rancher from my hometown was killed by his bull. And you've probably heard about how Lyle Lovett got badly mauled by his "pet" Charolais bull last year after the bull attacked Lyle's uncle.

If you were my sister, wife, etc. ---- I'd urge you to turn that Jersey into hamburger and get youself another pet that was not a male bovine.

 

[Anonymous]

this said, and being good advise, i would like to add that it's probably not a good idea to keep any bovine as a pet, just because of their size and power. they can be tame, but they can never be considered safe animals.

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[Anonymous]

they will hurt you even when they are just playing... i had a friend that had a tame bull... hand fed him, etc... and one day the bull decided he wasnt thru eating when the food ran out... as my friend walked away the bull nailed him square in the back... he is a big man, but he still when sprawling... and the bull was just playing..

the older i get the more nervous i get sometimes when i walk thru my herd...

gene

> this said, and being good advise,
> i would like to add that it's
> probably not a good idea to keep
> any bovine as a pet, just because
> of their size and power. they can
> be tame, but they can never be
> considered safe animals.

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[Anonymous]

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[Anonymous]

If i were going to have a bovine for a pet i'd get me a heifer or jersey cow the'd be less likly to hurt you > they will hurt you even when they
> are just playing... i had a friend
> that had a tame bull... hand fed
> him, etc... and one day the bull
> decided he wasnt thru eating when
> the food ran out... as my friend
> walked away the bull nailed him
> square in the back... he is a big
> man, but he still when
> sprawling... and the bull was just
> playing..

> the older i get the more nervous i
> get sometimes when i walk thru my
> herd...

> gene

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[Anonymous]

I asked a similar one not long ago here and received pretty much unanimous responses...which I now agree with totally. We bought Junior at the livestock exchange at 2wks.-old to be a companion for an abandoned Hereford heifer. He was castrated at 3wks. and bottle-fed for almost 6mos. About a month ago I was cleaning out their water trough and Junior decided it was play time and I was the toy. Did well to make it out of the paddock in one piece. There was probably no malice intended, but at his weight, playing with humans would be deadly. I grew up with Herefords, but know horses better and why a 1200lb. horse can be pretty darned safe (unless you're an idiot) and a 1000lb. bovine can be a threat to life and limb, I don't fully know. It does seem to be the case though and concur with others that the dairy breeds seem to have more "issues" than their beef counterparts. Will pass on the inimitable words of Dun, who answered my question..."Wack him". Good Luck

> All I know is horses, i know
> nothing about cattle. So I am
> looking for some opinions. Two
> years ago, I aquired a calf. I'm
> assuming by looks a jersey bull
> calf. When he was 7 months old I
> had him crimped, because of
> stories that I would not be able
> to manage him as a bull. OK, he
> is, I guess, you would say, is
> steered. Yes? I take him for
> walks,and even nap on him, I
> understand every moo. He knows his
> name and gives kisses when
> asked.But he does not like
> stangers. My question is, will he
> being steered stay nice to me? Or
> will he turn bad like many people
> tell me.

 

[Anonymous]

look no large animal is safe! A freindly nuzzle in a pasture might be funny but against the side of a barn could crush ribs. my grandpa had a bull that we could halter in the pasture , and lead away from the cows( If we picked our time) grandpa had a bale of hay in each hand and bull grabbed a mouthful and tossed his head to pull it out of the bale, threw grandpa over his back and tore his rotater cuff, Dr wouln't repair at his age. Grandpa had to reach for anything higher than his shoulder with his left hand fro the rest of his life. ALSO HORSES AREN'T THAT SAFE! they're just a little more predictable!

 

[Anonymous]

steers are a neutral thing, mellow. i had a steer for 5 months for the royal show and i could clean his hoofs like a horse and sit under him. he'll stay the same. bulls mellow out with age.

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