Taming a wild calf

[tobemeghan]

Hello! I am new to the list and have a question. I had a Dexter cow and when I went to get her breed the I found that the man with the bull was selling out his stock and long story short I bought a 4yr pregnant cow from him. I was not expecting the cow to be so wild but she is. With work and the use of sweet feed my brother and I have been able to get close enough to her to pet her and quickly get and squirt or two of milk (she calved 11-19-09). We wanted her for a milk cow (as what we were going to use our first cow, who is very tame, for) but have come to the fact that that may never happen. She had her calf 11-19-09 while she was still at the other guys place. Once we got them both home the weather got so bad that we weren't able to work with the calf. He is now pretty wild and we aren't able to get close to him. He in his mother are in a small pen so we were able to corner him (and his mother) and got halters on them. We have been going in catching him, putting him on lead and petting him. It takes on person to hold onto the lead and be the "anchor" while the other one handles the calf. My question is is there anything food wise that would bring him around faster (or at all). His mother responded quick and well to the sweet feed so I was wondering if something like a little bit of molasses water in a bottle, etc. I know I would have to careful not to make him sick. Do you think it would be better to just keep working at catching and petting without a lure? I just hate chasing him down, don't want to traumatize the little guy and more than we have too.

Thanks for any input.

 

[3waycross]

But the little fella his very own Donkey. Halter them both and turn them loose in the corral tied as close together as you can tie them. I mean heads touching. He will be halterbroke in a very short time. THEN you can worry about taming him down.

The other way to halterbreak him is just tie him up high on a rail or a post.(tie him high enuf that he can't get a leg over the rope) Do that every day for a week almost the same result only it's not as much fun as watching the donkey school him.

 

[knabe]

try this.

http://www.24-7agtv.com/Joomla/index.ph ... link&id=54

 

[angus9259]

it's not as much fun as watching the donkey school him.

If you ever get a video of that, put in on You Tube - I'd love to watch it :lol:

 

[LoveMoo11]

3way's methods are what I would suggest, and of course using sweet feed in small amounts won't hurt either, talk to him a lot, touch him, brush him, the more you handle him, the faster he'll come around.

 

[chippie]

What your goals for the calf?

If he is terminal, don't make a pet out of him. If he is going to be used as a bull, don't make a pet out of him.

Usually just give him some time to get used to your routine and situation. The more you pursue, the more you will scare him.

Or you can rope him, put the halter on, tie him up and start getting him used to being touched by brushing him with a broom.

good luck.

 

[dawnrogerl]

When we get a new animal home that we bought from a large herd we use alfalfa cubes and within a week or two they are very tame. I would start by putting a couple in his feed so that he gets the taste. Then extend your hand to him with a cube in it. Make him come to you. Do not try approaching him. If you stand there with you hand out and out wait him he will come to you. At leased it works for us.