We're city folk and we need help before our first show!

[Supertrace]

Our simbrah steer has a few issues we'd love some advice on!

First, he's halter broken but FREAKS OUT when we try to put the show halter on him. My daughter has been rubbing it on him and "brushing" him with it to get him used to the smell and sound of it, but really wondering how in the world we will get this on him.

He had fun scratching the top of his head on a tree and is bald about the size of a fifty cent piece. Well, he rubbed it raw and I put peroxide on it, as any good city girl would think to do, and his black hair around the area turned BROWN. omg. What do we do next?

He's not trustworthy as far as clipping under neath yet.......I am a cancer survivor who is not looking for a death blow to the head. Any advice on trimming the hair that hangs from his sheath? This is not a slick show but I wanted that trimmed at least.

He's big - 965 pounds. He is led well and poses well but is very leary of new people - worried about him freaking with a judge. Really no one can go near him if he doesnt know them. Should we do a temporary nose ring on him? Sullivan's calf calm paste?

Hoofs are peeling right where the hoof meets the leg. What should we put on that?

Thank you so much for any help you can provide!!!!

:cboy:

 

[Anonymous]

Black sharpie for the bald spot, and put him in a chute and use scissors for the sheath hair

 

[Bigfoot]

Hoof black should cover the foot problems. I would put the show halter on him no matter what the challenge. It probably has a chain that's getting him excited. He also sounds like he's not been around much excitement or strangers. I would haul him some where before the show. Maybe even a couple times. Something like a family gathering etc. tie him to the trailer let people walk by. Unless his totally insane this should help.

 

[Chris H]

Don't use hoof black until you read the rules at your show. Many shows say no polish on the hooves.
Use electrical tape or one of those medical tapes that self-stick on the chain of the show halter. Sometimes a calf is extra sensitive under the chin and the tape softens the effect of the chain.
As far as clipping, I'd call someone experienced. The steer needs to have strangers around him. He'll probably stand better for someone experienced in clipping. You might be more inclined to jump back quicker(can't say I blame you!) if you think he might kick. Unfortunately, that tends to make the animal jumpier, and you've started a bad cycle.
Oh, you probably figured out peroxide isn't a good idea. Get some iodine from the farm supply store. That works well on scrapes, ringworm, etc.

 

[chippie]

Is your daughter showing as FFA or 4-H?
Her advisor or leader should be helping you.
Rubbing the steer with the halter is a waste of time. He sounds like he may be a bit spoiled. Put him in a trim chute & get it on him. If you don't have access to a trim chute, work putting it on over his rope halter and taking it off several times. Do not let him get away from you while doing it. Then put the show halter on over the rope halter and slide the rope halter off. Good luck!


doiging it

 

[Supertrace]

We are in a high school 4H and our ag teacher is a really nice lady but she dont know her butt from page 1 and has not helped us ONE BIT. Doesnt help us AT ALL, we are on our own.

Yes the steer is TOTALLY spoiled but we have learned a lot that will be good for the next steer!

Love the idea of wrapping the chain, will do today.

No polish or hair dyes at any of the shows we will be going to - I know people cheat but we wont do it. Never thought about sharpie-ing his head though - that is FUNNY!

I'll call a fitter to come trim him. Thank God he is a Simbrah and really doesnt need too much clipping.

He hasnt been around a lot of people at all. Took him for a short trailer trip (one hour each way) to the vet and he actually behaved himself there!

 

[Chris H]

Have you been tying him with his head up, and leaving him to stand that way for an hour or so? He should be taught to stand quietly, and the only way to do it is practice. Start 10-15 minutes at a time while his pen is cleaned and he's being brushed. Then let him stand longer. If he's standing quietly with his head up, do what Chippie said, and put the show halter on while he's tied up with the rope halter. When he stands quietly with both on, then he's ready to lead with both. Just use the rope halter to control at first. He should be OK with just the show halter within a couple training sessions.

 

[Supertrace]

Yes we do tie him and he is very well behaved for grooming, brushing, etc. We are able to brush his back legs, tail etc with no flinching but I'm worried about running the clippers on him. :shock: We can brush the sheath too.....maybe he'll be ok. We checked out our school's trim rack for the week and will see what we can do. We may just roll up in there looking like Cousin Eddy with his pet steer. We're starting the au naturel trend. :lol: :banana: :lol2:

 

[Chris H]

Oh, if you're able to brush him all over, clipping his belly shouldn't be a problem. From your first post, I assumed he might be a bit jumpy.

 

[Supertrace]

He's just weird. Sometimes totally calm, sometimes a pure freak. Calm to halter, lead and pose. Totally calm with brushing. Perfectly content with the blower. Total FREAK with show halter and we tried running the clippers on him without them even being ON and he wigged out. :lol2: I think he is missing a critical brain chip. ;-)

 

[VCC]

For the halter, get black vet wrap and wrap the chain (I assume both the calf and the halter are black) work with him at home with the halter, we put the show halter on under the rope halter and then pull the rope halter off. Best to practice this at home, I have seen the halter put on wrong and as they pull the rope halter off the show halter comes with it.
As far as something to help calm him down, go to Wally World or any other store like CVS, Walgreens or a store like that, buy the 3 MG Melatonin pills, put 30 in his feed every night for a week and see if he is not a different steer. It is not a narcotic, it is a natural supplement that is used as a sleep aid for humans, it is used in several of the show supplements for cattle. (It helps with Hair on cattle) If 30 doesn't work try 40, if 30 is too much, he just stands there asleep on his feet, try 20. If it works you can keep him on it until your fair or start him on it right before the fair, it usually just takes the edge off of one that is a little high strung.
If it helps calm him down you will want to give him about 40 the night before you go to the fair and then back to 30 every night, on the show day I would also give him 30 that morning. If it works do not stop giving it to him because you think he is over needing it, this is when they revert back to their olds ways. Depending on the amount you find that works adjust accordingly. We try to find it on sale there is usually a 2 for 1 deal on one brand or another.

Calf Calm, works sometimes, I think it works more on the kid then the animal, they think it will help the animal, so they relax, helping the animal calm down, I have found that the melatonin is more consistent.

 

[Supertrace]

Thank you so much! We will try this!!!!

 

[Supertrace]

The calf calm worked (well, it worked as far as we are concerned and he did GREAT! The steer was well behaved, my daughter was calm, and we had no problems! She got a third place ribbon and was a happy camper! We also got some good feedback. I've got two questions I will post separately. Thank you!

 

[chippie]

Happy that your daughter had a good Fair. : )

 

[VCC]

A little story about Calf-Calm, we were at a show and we did not have any Calf-Calm and Sullivan's was out, my son just knew his calf needed it. I did have an old used tube in the tack box, I acted like I gave the tube to the calf, had the kid hold the head while I gave it to him. In the show ring my son was relaxed, so his steer was relaxed.
We have had calves that needed it, and you could tell if they had it or not, but other times I think it helps the kids just knowing their animal has it.
Good job, the next show should even be easier.

 

[Chris H]

A little story about Calf-Calm, we were at a show and we did not have any Calf-Calm and Sullivan's was out, my son just knew his calf needed it. I did have an old used tube in the tack box, I acted like I gave the tube to the calf, had the kid hold the head while I gave it to him. In the show ring my son was relaxed, so his steer was relaxed.
We have had calves that needed it, and you could tell if they had it or not, but other times I think it helps the kids just knowing their animal has it.
Good job, the next show should even be easier.

I like that, I think we'll try that next year.

 

[ffamom]

A steer jock told me one time that he took all of his cattle to Wal-Mart in a trailer with slats. Parked close to the front as possible. He allowed every kid to run up and stare in as well as bang on the trailer. When the cows laid down, he knew he could go home. He repeated this every Saturday until they could careless about the chaos.