Question?

[countrygirl25]

I got 2 jersey heifers on Saturday, they are beautiful girls! I am working on halter breaking them, I thought this would be a good way to get them use to me and also make them easier to handle after they calve and we try to put other calves on them. Just wondered if this is a good idea, I just want these calves to be gentle and easy to handle, they are not too wild now they were both bottle babies.

[cowbelle]

Yes, for what you want to do with them, halter breaking them is a great idea. It will make vet treatments, help with calving if needed, milking, etc all much easier. Get them used to being scratched and petted all over.

[Chixarecute]

Yes! Halter breaking is a great help. Halter & food/treats, add lead rope, walk, & food/ treats. Just be sure to remove the halter when you are done, so they don't get tangled up with it - foot caught in it, or halter caught on fence, shrubs, etc.

Also, scratch them UNDER the chin, jaw, not on top of the ears/poll. Keeps their head up so they don't learn to butt at you when they want more scratches on top.

[springvalley]

Great advice!! I second all that was said above. We love it that we can walk out into our herd and put a lead rope on our girls!! - Catherine

[countrygirl25]

I thought that halter breaking them would be the best, lastnight was the first time we put a halter on them, the younger one was alot easier than the oldest one, the oldest one was born january 1st and the youngest march 20th, I think they will be great nurse cows they will just have to get use to us. The oldest calf really fought the halter she laid down a couple of times, the youngest just was a little stubborn and didn't want to walk, but we led them to the feed tub and let them eat and we just rubbed on them and petted them, and they settled down after a few minutes we messed with them probably about 30 minutes, and let them go, I have never halter broken a calf, we have rodeo cattle and usually we are running from them lol, not trying to pet them. So this is all new to me, but I am enjoying it so much, but working with these heifers is the difference between daylight and dark, compared to the other cattle we have. Any suggestions on the best way to get them halter broke would be great thanks for all the inputs.

[Chixarecute]

Haltering itself is enough for a week or two. Halter, treat, pets. After a short time, add in the leading. Let them smell the treat, then "hang that carrot" jsut far enough away that they have to move forward to get it. (Treat & praise & reassurance if needed for moving forward).

Coaxing will work better than pulling...they automatically go in to reverse. Since they are old enough to appreciate grain/treats, just work that into your routine. You could even make it so the ONLY time they get the treat is while you are training them.

It probably won't take long to get them to settle in...have fun!

[francismilker]

I picked one up at a sale a week or so back that weighs around 325-350lbs. She's already leading quite well. However, catching her is another story. She's still pretty skittish around me. It may take a while before she meets me with a lick like the others do.

I try to haltar train all of my animals that are used for dairy/homesteading purposes. It just makes things easier when it comes to moving them from pasture to pasture, loading in a trailer, and giving meds if needed. It also makes local petting zoos, church functions for kids, and county fairs a lot more pleasant. You can have several different breeds of exotics in a county barn when the school kids come through for their annual viewing of the livestock at fair time. But.......those big brown eyes of a jersey heifer take the show away hands down...Every single kindergartner in the place wants to pet the milk cow. lol.....

[freedomfrom4]

I had a calf that everytime I put a halter on him he would fall over to the side and refuse to get up. It was the funniest thng ever to watch. Put the halter on and he said no way try and make me and down he would go. He was the most bull headed calf ever. I'm glad I just have to get my small bottle babies used to the halter and not a larger animal.

[Callieslamb]

I didn't put a halter on mine when they were little and really, really wished I had. I have a skittish heifer. I can pet her - especially if it is dark outside but can't hold on to her for very long. I really need to tackle this project. I thought you left it on them though? You don't?

I vote - put the halter on them and get them used to it while it is easy.

[mary,tx]

Originally Posted by Chixarecute

Coaxing will work better than pulling...they automatically go in to reverse.

I'll vouch for that. We brought home a couple of bottle calves this spring, and I wanted to lead them a short distance from the trailer to a pen. One did okay, but the other went into reverse. I finally turned him around and backed him in and that was easy. lol.

What do y'all use for treats, and where do you get the halters? Are the halters especially for calves?

[onthespot]

at what point do you tie one up? I am used to horses and halter broke a billion of those but I am sure cows are their own little world and don't assume anything is the same.

[Cliff]

Originally Posted by onthespot

at what point do you tie one up? I am used to horses and halter broke a billion of those but I am sure cows are their own little world and don't assume anything is the same.

Tie them at the beginning, they'll fight for a while but learn they can't get away from the halter.
To the op, you might know this already, but the easiest way to get them moving is to turn them in circles. When you pull to the side like that they can't help but take a step because you're pulling them off balance.

[countrygirl25]

We just bought rope halters for them the are adjustable and seem to do the trick, I do not leave the halters on them, maybe I should but I would think that could get annoying after awhile especially while they are out grazing in the pasture. But we have the facilities to call them up and get them in an alley way to put the halters on them so I am hoping once they get used to us putting the halters on them and leading them around and they realize that we are not going to hurt them it will make the job so much easier. I have not had time to mess with the much the last few days we have been building fence!! But I am really going to start working on them, but even this weekend when I was feeding them the biggest one that laid down when we put the halter on her let me pet her so we have came along way. And another question I have is, I am thinking about breeding these heifers to a simmental bull, we just have rodeo bulls and I do not want to breed to them but our neighbors have a really nice registered simmental bull and he has thrown beautiful calves this year I was just wondering if anyone on here has ever crossed a holstein and simmental?

[indianheadranch]

There are several ways in which you can halter break your calf. One is to begin by tying it to a post for a short period of time each day to accustom it to be restrained by a halter. Make certain that you secure the calf to a solid post and tie the lead high enough so that the calf will not get a leg over the rope. About 24 inches will allow the calf to stand or lie down as it desires.
As the calf is learning to respect the halter, you should begin brushing the calf. Be careful, as the calf will be scared and will possibly try to kick you. Brushing the animal while talking in a calm manner will do as much as anything to gentle the calf. (At first, it may be helpful to attach the brush to a stick or use a broom until the calf will let you close enough to brush him by hand.)

Fairs and stock shows require neck ties. All bulls must be tied up in the stall space with a neck rope (neck tie) and a halter. This is required to prevent an untied bull from breeding heifers that are tied up. Also, it will train your animal to stand straight in its tie-up area. So, you need to start working your bull early with the use of the neck tie.

By leaving the halter on the calf in the early stages of training and allowing it to step on the lead as it drags will help to train the calf so that when the lead rope is pulled, the calf should respond. When the rope is stepped on, the calf's head will be pulled around and pressure will be applied to its nose and chin until it stops fighting the halter. Also, this will help make your job easier as this practice will keep the nose and chin area tender enough to make handling easier in the early stage.

After your calf has learned to stand and not continually fight and pull on the halter, it will be time to train it to lead. Start out in a small pen and don't expect too much too soon. Begin by pulling the calf to one side and then the other. This pulls the calf off balance somewhat and it will naturally move around in the direction you are pulling. When the calf gives in to the halter, you should relax the strain somewhat to let it know that when it responds to your pulling, the pressure will go away. Care should be taken to never let the calf break away when being led as it will remember it and try to break loose again. Reward the calf when it responds well by brushing, petting or scratching.

After the calf has learned to lead, it is time to begin practicing show ring procedures. Begin starting, stopping, setting up its feet, and always remember to hold the calf's head up. Invite other people to drop by when you are working with your calf to help it get used to having strangers around. They should walk around the animal and touch it as will the judge and others once you arrive at a show.

Exercise and brushing should become a daily routine with you and your calf. This not only helps improve the calf's trained skills, but also helps to strengthen its feet and legs, imroves its muscle development, and increases its appetite.

[gone-a-milkin]

countrygirl25, in your first post you say they are Jersey, then from #13 I am gleaning that they are Holstein. Not that important, but which are they?

I dont know much about Simmentals, except that most have some holstein blood in them, IIRC. The main thing for FF heifers is a low birthweight calf. You dont want them to have trouble calving.

[countrygirl25]

I am so sorry they are holstein I think I was having a moment we looked at a jersey calf but decided on the holsteins! thanks for bringing that to my attention. And the Simmental bull is a big solid bull but he throws low birth weight calfs and they seem to grow great, our neighbors bred some heifers to him last year and they did not have any problems with them calving.

[deineria]

I read that using sexed semen also makes for lower birth weight calves.

Great advice I will also need as we pick up our Jersey heifer tomorrow. She is a bottle baby and tame already, they tell me, but I am sure she hasn't had halter training.

[haypoint]

I know that lots of people cross dairy cows with beef bulls, but I don't think it is a direction that I'd want to go.
I suggest you breed your holstein to a holstein. Use sexed semen if there are dairies in your area. A holstein heifer will be more valuable than a dairy/beef cross. A bred holstein heifer is much more valuable than a half beef calf. If you want to fill your freezer with beef, buy a beef steer and raise him.

I spent a lot of time with my Jersey heifer. After she had her calf, I could call her out of the 20 acre pasture, when she got closer, I'd put my arm over her neck and walk her up to the edge of the pasture, near the house. I'd sit on a plastic pail and milk into a stainless pail. She'd just stand there, until I was done.

[Welshmom]

I wouldn't use a Simmental on a heifer. Way too big, imo. Remember, Simms are a beef breed, and they are a lot more muscular even when born than a straight holstein.
Just my 2 cents.