Could the Alfalfa hay be causing weirdness with my steer?

TSYORK · #1 01/03/09, 08:19 PM

I have a steer, an angus/holtein cross, cut at two weeks old and is now fourteen months old, scheduled to be processed next Monday. He gets regular hay, fresh winter oats fodder, a healthy portion of ground corn/dairy ration and pretty routinely a couple of flakes of Alfalfa hay. He's about 800-850 pounds now. I would liked to have kept him around a while longer, but his attitude here lately has caused his eminent demise. One thing I have noticed is that on the days I give him the of Alfalfa his demeanor changes drastically. Now, sometimes he can be a real jewel, but other days he is part Satan. The one thing that I have concluded is that the days he gets the Alfalfa he is twice as nasty. Trying to pamper him a little, this morning I gave him three flakes of Alfalfa. By this evening he was demonic! By late evening his face, from his nose to right below his eyeballs was completely red; this from charging the ground. I just went out to check on him and he's still fighting with the ground, slinging snot, snorting, and begging me to come within his territory so he can trample me. As soon as he sees me his head goes down and he goes into charge mode, acting a complete fool!

Could the Alfalfa be doing this?

kscowboy · #2 01/03/09, 09:30 PM

Sounds pretty ----ed off to me , what did you say to him ?

just comparing what I feed mine you have him on a pretty hot diet with the oats and dairy feed , add in the alfalfa and you have a steer on speed. I raise those same crosses and they get to be handful at about 14 months , but I've never seen them aggressive to me , just the smaller calves. If i were you I'd cut out the oats and alfalfa , limit the grain to under 12 lbs a day , no science here just what I've found works with mine . seems the more you feed em the more they want and the crazier they get. Mine will start knocking down or jumping fences to get to more grass. The grain limit is just what i've found they can handle without having to add rumensin or other meds.

TSYORK · #3 01/03/09, 09:57 PM

Just went out to check on him again. He's already tore down my fence in three places, so he is tied with a two inch rope to an six foot iron stob that's been pounded in the ground about 3.5 feet. I had to do this a few days ago because I couldn't keep him in. He is just about jumping upside down to get to me, snorting, blowing snot, and head burried in the ground running at me. He'll take huge lunges, but the rope prevents him from getting to me, Thank The Lord. Of course, I'm staying out of his reach. I pray it doesn't come to this, but if he gets free and I can't do anything with him; well, let's just say the outcome won't be good! I've NEVER seen him like this, this bad. All I can say is come on January 12th!!!

kscowboy · #4 01/03/09, 10:55 PM

You've got a lot more patience than I have , he'd meet mr bullet at my house.

TSYORK · #5 01/03/09, 11:15 PM

He's this years beef for the freezer, and in NC they have to be slaughterhouse killed. If shot beforehand they're not allowed to be processed at the slaughterhouse, and I am not set up to do it here. I'm hoping he can play nice for one more week.

topside1 · #6 01/04/09, 07:46 AM

Sounds like he heard about the scheduled appointment....Wow!!! or maybe the cut job was botched....Good luck

ksfarmer · #7 01/04/09, 11:55 AM

Alfalfa wouldn't cause this behavior, unless there is some contaminant in the hay. Never heard of anything like this. Has this been an ongoing problem? Or, just the last few days? No chance of rabies? Maybe just a mental thing .

TSYORK · #8 01/04/09, 12:10 PM

He was cut at one-month old, and I am 100% sure it was not botched. The Vet and I did it, and I know we got both jewels. He's been a tad pushy here and there, but nothing like this. For the last couple days he has been purely demonic! After church today my wife and I went out to check on him and he would have had us both for lunch if he could have gotten to us. I had to warp his skull twice to get him off of us; I had to untangle him because in his frenzy he got the rope tied up somehow. I think he has just decided it's time to be mean, but I've decided I want some fresh steak, so I win!

One day closer to butcher date!

francismilker · #9 01/05/09, 01:02 PM

I think it's the feed he's on. I've seen my daughter's show steers act like this on several occasions when the weather changes. (have you had a recent cold snap?) All they have to do in life is stand around and eat without a large pasture to roam to burn energy. That shot of alfalfa pushed him over the energy edge and he's feeling his oats. Literally!