Sullivan’s Show Cattle Paste
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Snider_Angus
Well-known member
People in the business look down on it IF YOU TELL THEM YOUR USING THE STUFF. there is no need to let people know that you use it. The reason that they frown upon it is that the only reason to use it is to calm a wild calf, they will just say that you dont spend enough time or work with it enough. . It would help............So would a little extra work. but if you use it, you dont need to make a poster and say that you are using it.. just go about your business... i dont think that stuff is illegal but i dont know. :santa:
You will have to check the rules of your show. I believe if I remember correctly it is a herbal mix for the purpose to make it "legal" at most shows. There are some naturally high strung animals (and breeds for that matter) that no matter how much you work with them they tend to still be skiddish.
A word of caution. I have heard that for some animals it has the opposite effect. It can act as an "upper" instead of calming a calf down. If you do intend to use it I would reccomend you try it at home first to try to find out how it effects the calf.
A word of caution. I have heard that for some animals it has the opposite effect. It can act as an "upper" instead of calming a calf down. If you do intend to use it I would reccomend you try it at home first to try to find out how it effects the calf.
It is not illegal. I would not tell people that you use it, just to keep them from claiming you are cheating, even thou your not. You can also try Calf Calm it does take more tubes to work but it does work well.
What I have found is that it works best on the person showing, what that means is that since they know the calf has been administered it they seem to relax which helps the animal relax.
We've have had to use it on a steer who is fine at home but got worked up at the show, he was acting like a kid having a temper tantrum, calmed him down gave him some paste he was fine, Well right up to the time they handed my son his garment bag he won and it hit the calf in the face. "DO NOT Take awards let some one out side the ring get those" I do not know how many calves I've seen spook from all that stuff and now the child has a calf a showstick and something else in their hands to deal with.
What I have found is that it works best on the person showing, what that means is that since they know the calf has been administered it they seem to relax which helps the animal relax.
We've have had to use it on a steer who is fine at home but got worked up at the show, he was acting like a kid having a temper tantrum, calmed him down gave him some paste he was fine, Well right up to the time they handed my son his garment bag he won and it hit the calf in the face. "DO NOT Take awards let some one out side the ring get those" I do not know how many calves I've seen spook from all that stuff and now the child has a calf a showstick and something else in their hands to deal with.
show steer up
Well-known member
:clap: I agree with all above :clap:
Avalon
Well-known member
It is legal everywhere ( all natural ) contains triptophan. Works well on some calves, others little or no result.
Wisteria Farms
Well-known member
We gave it to our heifers when we took them to get clipped for the first time (not experienced yet to do it myself).. anyway, as long as they're not spooked, they are easier to handle although when we took one heifer off the trailer their dog tried to "herd" her and it spooked her. She woke up real quick!! My daughter loved how easy they were to handle...kept saying she wanted us to give it for the show...I told her we DID when actually we DIDNT. I knew it would calm her nerves just to think they'd had it but they really didn't need it. They were angels and I think it was due to her own confidence. On the flip side... our friends have Charolais and their heifer is just a hag... that tube of paste didn't help that heifer one bit!! Try it and see how they do but I hope it isn't just because you haven't worked them enough...
TxSimbrahShower
Well-known member
When my son started showing back in 2001, we used the Cattle Calm on a couple of heifer's, like other's said, not so much for the heifer as for my son, made him feel more calm and secure.
Later is when they came out with the comments about that something in Cattle Calm was illegal. So we have helped other kids that have not worked as much with there animals and only planned on showing them one time, these animals usually get the Sullivan's or the Hamm's, or whatever show supply brand is there. Like other's have said, it has had the opposite affect on some of there animals, some had no effect, but, it helped the kid calm down. Alot of the animal being nervous is feeling and knowing the kid is nervous and unsure. Then other animals are just high strung and nothing works your just wasteing your money.
We go by this saying: "When you go to look at cattle in the pasture, if they throw their head way up in the air to look at you and then haul it to the opposite end of the pasture, leave them there. If you can get out and walk around among them, the calves come up to smell you, take'em home."
Later is when they came out with the comments about that something in Cattle Calm was illegal. So we have helped other kids that have not worked as much with there animals and only planned on showing them one time, these animals usually get the Sullivan's or the Hamm's, or whatever show supply brand is there. Like other's have said, it has had the opposite affect on some of there animals, some had no effect, but, it helped the kid calm down. Alot of the animal being nervous is feeling and knowing the kid is nervous and unsure. Then other animals are just high strung and nothing works your just wasteing your money.
We go by this saying: "When you go to look at cattle in the pasture, if they throw their head way up in the air to look at you and then haul it to the opposite end of the pasture, leave them there. If you can get out and walk around among them, the calves come up to smell you, take'em home."
OP
OP
tom4018
Dumb Old Farmer
She has spent about the same amount of time on this heifer as she has others. I don't know how much time other people spend on theirs so it is hard to say if it is enough. Heifer has a pretty calm dispostion but seems easily excited and stubborn, sometimes when leading her she just tries to take off on you.
Snider_Angus
Well-known member
When she does that you have to let her know that its wrong. take whatever you have in your left hand and hit her in the nose with it, fairly hard. (scotch comb,end of the halter rope,showstick.tom4018":2n1gh3rs said:
show steer up
Well-known member
Snider_Angus":2qh7uz17 said:
No, no, no
scotch comb- could hit them with the wronge end and cause a lot of damage
showstick- good way to throw 20 bucks down the drain, will bend the crap out of it and make the animal affraid of the stick.
End of the halter rope- not my choice but it could help? As long as your not beating the crap out of her.
I would lead her around with a clip on nose lead. Stay calm and lead her around slowly. Use it every time you walk her and she should come around. When she does somthing that is wronge, then use your voice to get her attention and pull up on the nose lead. Praise the heck out of her when she is doing good
. Remember these are show animals and should be treated like one 24/7. Abusing the animals with objects is not good practice.
Use your equipment the proper way and use it according to what it was made for
That's why there are nose leads, so people don't have to beat the crap out of their animals. If a show stick was mad to hit your animal in the nose with, then that's what it would be avertised for. It would be called a johny be good stick for the show ring. JMO 8)
Wisteria Farms
Well-known member
I agree with Show Steer Up... although in defense, I've seen people in the show ring use the HANDLE END... the soft rubber part to TAP them on the nose if they are starting to get wound up. I've also seen people use the lead rope in their left hand to whack them in the nose as well. I personally don't like either but I also have never needed to get real physical with my cattle.
My question is, is this heifer trying to "take off" because she was allowed to escape once before, or is she doing it because she is truly scared? Neither is good but your job now is to work, work, work. Unless this heifer is a nutcase you will see a huge improvement in her but you're going to have to work every moment that you can. Ours will willingly walk with us where ever we take them. I was even impressed that at the fair they walked right past a noisy generator... I felt them tense up but they came along. You just HAVE to spend the time with them...and realize that YOU are to blame if you don't and then have trouble. No "cattle calm" is going to sail you through a show.. there are too many new things for them to experience and they have to trust you. Also as newbies (like my daughter) you have to learn to keep your mouth shut. If one acts up she's the first one to holler... which just puts them on higher alert. You'll do yourself a favor if you're quiet while working them (I try to praise them in a low/calming voice).
Good luck, and just work them as much as you can... you'll be rewarded!!
My question is, is this heifer trying to "take off" because she was allowed to escape once before, or is she doing it because she is truly scared? Neither is good but your job now is to work, work, work. Unless this heifer is a nutcase you will see a huge improvement in her but you're going to have to work every moment that you can. Ours will willingly walk with us where ever we take them. I was even impressed that at the fair they walked right past a noisy generator... I felt them tense up but they came along. You just HAVE to spend the time with them...and realize that YOU are to blame if you don't and then have trouble. No "cattle calm" is going to sail you through a show.. there are too many new things for them to experience and they have to trust you. Also as newbies (like my daughter) you have to learn to keep your mouth shut. If one acts up she's the first one to holler... which just puts them on higher alert. You'll do yourself a favor if you're quiet while working them (I try to praise them in a low/calming voice).
Good luck, and just work them as much as you can... you'll be rewarded!!
tglenn
Member
Several of the kids in our show circuit are firm believers in chamomile tea. They would brew the tea at home and add it to their water buckets when they arrived at the show. If it was a short show, they would stall the animal and start it on the tea water then. Used it a few times ourselves with a heifer that was skittish and nervous - really saw a difference and only used it 2-3 times and she evenutally settled down to show life. :nod:
Wisteria Farms
Well-known member
Wow... "who'da thunk it"...
Snider_Angus
Well-known member
show steer up":whqm2lkv said:Snider_Angus":whqm2lkv said:
No, no, no
scotch comb- could hit them with the wronge end and cause a lot of damage
showstick- good way to throw 20 bucks down the drain, will bend the crap out of it and make the animal affraid of the stick.
End of the halter rope- not my choice but it could help? As long as your not beating the crap out of her.
I would lead her around with a clip on nose lead. Stay calm and lead her around slowly. Use it every time you walk her and she should come around. When she does somthing that is wronge, then use your voice to get her attention and pull up on the nose lead. Praise the heck out of her when she is doing good
Remember these are show animals and should be treated like one 24/7. Abusing the animals with objects is not good practice.
Use your equipment the proper way and use it according to what it was made for
Whatever you think. Just because thats the way you DONT do things doesnt mean anything. A little sting on the end of the nose in not "beating the crap out of an animal"
karlie45
Well-known member
Snider_Angus":343khfma said:show steer up":343khfma said:Snider_Angus":343khfma said:
No, no, no
I agree with Show steer. I have always tapped my animals on the nose if they were getting a little to feisty in the show ring, and yes, I have smacked a good few with the end of the halter to make them listen a bit ( I just dont do this in the showring)
In fact, the judge at county fair this year actually advised it. Her words were "if you have a show stick, and your animal is acting up, use it to your advantage" She then walked over to a showman [this was junior showmanship class] who was having a little trouble with his steer. She grabbed the halter and showstick, waited for the steer to act out, and then tells the kid "when he does that, you do this" and tapped the steer on the nose. Guess what, the kid didnt have any problems after that.
Dont beat them, I tap, just enough to surprise them and get their attention back on me. [the same thing as if I jerk the chain quickly] And a good hard whap across the nose when they are excited [not in the ring] calms them right down. I have never had a problem with any of mine becoming scared of me or head shy.
karlie45
Well-known member
show steer up":3smjjjcf said:Snider_Angus":3smjjjcf said:
No, no, no
....
I would lead her around with a clip on nose lead. Stay calm and lead her around slowly. Use it every time you walk her and she should come around. When she does somthing that is wronge, then use your voice to get her attention and pull up on the nose lead. Praise the heck out of her when she is doing good
Remember these are show animals and should be treated like one 24/7. Abusing the animals with objects is not good practice.
I just have a question, isn't this the same?? Both show that if she acts out, she will get hurt (be it by nose ring, or by showstick) Neither feel good to her. And (at least here) a showstick is something that you use in the showring, and you cannot use a nose lead, so what then? And again, I can't use my voice in the showring to get her attention, I have to find another way [and that would be my showstick]
Im not saying my way is right and yours is wrong, everybody has their way of handling things, and I understand that, i'm just asking.
Avalon
Well-known member
Can you say Melatonin? Works wonders as a prophalactic for calming as well as helping to grow hair.
And by the way a nose ring is an object also. Everyone (almost everone uses the end of the stick to the nose of a calf occaisionally to make one stop.
And by the way a nose ring is an object also. Everyone (almost everone uses the end of the stick to the nose of a calf occaisionally to make one stop.
whew it's been a long time but i'm finally back. we've been showing cattle for 7 years, and in all that time we had 1 heifer we could not do anything with after months she went to the pasture to be a cow. we did use show calm one time, on a first timer, didn't do a thing! After being hauled she settled down real good. some calves are just juicier than others and you have to learn to be patient and my son says its a "heifer thing" he prefers to show bulls and steers! any extra work you can do such as having strangers come around, hauling them to weigh, or get feet trimmed will help when you get to a show. lot's of patience and work. as far as hitting them with the show stick, if you can tap and i mean tap them on the end of the nose with the stick and it makes them settle down that's not being abusive, i dont believe in whacking the c---- out of them that just makes you look like a duffus, sometimes snapping the chain on the show halter will line them up and alot of it is don't spaz when they do it, ride through it and alot of times they settle down asap. but please don't him them or make your show stick into a u that doesn't solve a thing.
