Discouraged with steer training--any ideas?

Sorry for making you tinkGAL instead of Tinknal! Not awake this morning, I suppose! My hubby IS a real cowboy, with a horse, by the way, just nothing seems to have worked with this crazy steer! We have neighbors who rope, too and no one has any options left for him. I'm the city gal in the bunch! Jan in Co

Oh, this just gets easier all the time. Tell the cowboy in your bed that breeding season is over until that steer is halterbroke!

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Flaming Xtian
I like your Christ, I do not like your Christians. Your Christians are so unlike your Christ.
Mahatma Gandhi


Libertarindependent

WAY TOO MUCH INFORMATION! You can't hold a cowboy accountable for boycow's failures!

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Francismilker

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" James 5:16

Personally, I believe there are some animals that children(possibly even adults) should not work with. This steer sounds like one of them. To me, my children are too important to risk having them work with/around this type of animal. At the very least you will end up with a discouraged kid that does not want to work with cattle if you force the issue. Or you could end up with a trip to emergency. It just is not worth it. Better to have a disappointed kid than an injured one. There is always next year.

The whole point of 4-H/FFA or whatever is to teach the child and for the child to enjoy what he is doing. By having to work with a nutcase animal you are mostly just discouraging the kid, and it is no fun when you have to watch your back all the time, or worry about where/when the steer is going to drag you to/around again.

Not sure if you have already done this but in case you haven't: I would try the multiple haulter thing and snug him up tight. He needs to keep his head up. I would then keep him there all day. If you walk up there and he still snorts at you while tied up make him stay longer. Keep him in a small pen. When he's stood there all day with no food or water he may be a little more agreeable, lead him to water and food, may take someone stronger to do this but thats where he will want to go.Then tie him back up not as tight till morning then lead him over for water and food. Tie him up tight again if he's still being a poo, if he's better then looser, pretty soon he will associate food and water with you and you will be his best friend. This is what we did with our daughters steer. Just don't hit him. It took us about a week of this and by show time she could sit on him, huge difference.

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RIR, Bantie Cochin, Silkies, White and Bronse Turkeys, Guinea's, and Auracana's

Quit messin with the da*n critter before someone gets hurt. Get rid of him. Sometimes one is just crazy , and no fancy methods of taming him is going to work. I don't care what the program is, it isn't worth the grief you could have.

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* I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one. .*-

Well, progress! We finally made contact with the correct person in charge of the program, and he agrees that the best thing to do with this crazy steer is take him to the sale barn, with the payment going to the stock show. They are looking at some options to get her another steer, either this year or in January, so she doesn't completly lose out. Thanks everyone for your advice and support. We've just never encountered one this crazy before! Jan in CO

Glad its working out for you. It doesn't happen often , but cattle are like people sometimes. Some just don't fit the program.

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* I'm supposed to respect my elders, but its getting harder and harder for me to find one. .*-

There is one thing that is extreme, would not suggest it except in such a case. Please do not accuse me of advocating cruelty. It does work. Pen the animal w/o water for 3 nights (&2 days), water w/animal on halter on 3rd morning.

Not trying to hijack a thread. But ponder on this one. My daughter has been leading her market steer around as easy as leading a dog for thirty days until last Monday evening. She hollered at me and said he would'nt lead. I thought to myself, "I'll lead him". Well, I done just the opposite. He all of a sudden just locked up and wouldn't budge an inch. We finally had to pull (literally pull) him back into his lot and I figured he'd be good and sore headed the next day. He wasn't. I noticed some shallow breeding so I called the vet to get him diagnosed with pneumonia. The vet gave him a shot of some long-lasting anti-biotics and said he'd be fine.
Only problem is: yesterday was the official weigh-in at the county fair. If the animal doesn't get weighed, he doesn't qualify for the county livestock show in the Spring.
Me and several other muscled him through the scales and he came in at 722lbs. He still won't lead over a couple of feet before he locks up and he's mostly over the sickness. I've only got about a month during his warm-up period before he goes on full feed for the "rate-of-gain" competition. Any suggestions on what I can do to get this critter leading? He's still very gentle and not crazy acting. He just won't lead. Very depressing since he was such a good leader before all of this.......Thanks.

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Francismilker

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much" James 5:16

Francismilker, our granddaughter's other steers were like that, too, just like big puppies, unlike this monster!

I've watched the experienced market beef kids when their steers won't lead in the show ring, and they take hold of the tail and the lead rope at the same time, pulling the tail in the direction they want the steer to go. USUALLY that works to get them to take a step or two and keep walking. Or offer them a piece of cow cake, just out of their reach.

Glad you got that one weighed in! I was really surprised at how much feed it takes for those critters to feed them for rate of gain! Ashley didn't win that, but did get reserve grand champion in the carcass contest here. Last year she placed 7th out of 45 in that category. Got her an extra 180.00 in premium money. Good luck with that steer!

Jan in Co