cows and temperment

longhorngal · #1 05/02/10, 09:14 AM

I'm just curious, since we have been raising a calf for about 4 months now, about temperment. This calf is just really easy going. I decided to halter train him and literally it was done in about 3 sessions. He loves to be petted and have his head rubbed. I thought I had read that cows don't like to be messed around with on their heads? Maybe I have rubbed him so much he's desensitized?
He rarely kicks and really hasn't in about a month and he'll follow me around anywhere. For about the first 3 months we had him I really didn't spend that much time with him. Pretty much just feeding and stall cleaning. When the weather turned nice I wanted him to get out and eat grass so I halter trained him. It's not like I had a halter on him from the beginning.
So is this little guy pretty normal for his age of about 4 1/2 months or did I just
get lucky? He's an Angus cross if that matters.

agmantoo · #2 05/02/10, 11:04 AM

longhorngal, has this animal been neutered? If not you are asking for real problems as he matures. Even if he has, as a steer as he matures the cute actions will become a major problem as he tries to get into a feed bucket. Lucky is not the words I would use to describe the situation.

longhorngal · #3 05/02/10, 11:46 AM

Yes, he was banded about a month ago. It's not that he does anything "cute" he just is really easy to get along with and not crazy skittish like the pasture calves.

rancher1913 · #4 05/02/10, 03:53 PM

one of my old ladies( shes about 15) still likes to come up to me for head scratchs. shes always liked them. be careful, when he gets big even just a toss of the head to lick a fly will knock you down. if you can get some field corn this fall, mine love it husk and all as a treat.

springvalley · #5 05/02/10, 07:21 PM

Cows in general love to be messed with if you want to, ours are all halter broke, and it makes working with them if you need to alot easier. As far as steers, you can tame them also, there sure are alot of them used as oxen. And with proper training are very gentle animals. What do you plan on doing with your calf? I sure hope you don`t plan on butchering him, as the more you make a pet out of him, the harder it will be for you to butcher him. Good luck, have fun, > Thanks Marc

DJ in WA · #6 05/02/10, 08:27 PM

How easy it is to tame and halter break a boving depends on genetics and amount of exposure to humans. The more genetically docile an animal is, the easier it is to tame or halter break.

My cow is naturally docile like your steer. However, we've bred her to a bull which has produced 6 calves, 4 have been naturally wild. I've been able to tell on the second day after birth if they'll be wild. Run your hand over their back and if they flinch and try to get away, they won't like to be handled. I still halter train them to stake out for grazing, but it takes more work, and any sudden move can set them off.

I bought 10 straws of that bull's semen for AI and won't be using it any more. Calves look great, but it does get tiresome dealing with crazies.

I understand the Angus breed has started scoring cattle for docility to try to improve that trait. The Limousin breed has worked for years to improve their cattle - here's an interesting site showing a graph of how they've improved, and a chart on how they score them on how they act in a chute.

http://www.nalf.org/why_choose_limou...mtechbull.html

It can be hard to get docile cattle to herd, and supposedly they can be less vigilant mothers, but generally docility is a good thing. They experience less stress and therefore get sick less, and they gain weight easier.

crowinghen · #7 05/23/10, 12:57 AM

DJ In WA- would you be willing to share the name of the bull? I am very interested in getting friendly temperaments-- so it would be helpful to know to avoid certain bulls,
you can pm me if you want-- thanks!

springvalley · #8 05/23/10, 08:13 AM

I am going to reply again as I disagree with agmantoo on the steer issue. I have raised calves most of my life and while I havn`t raised all different kinds I have had many. to name a few Holsteins, Brown Swiss, Jersey, Polled Hereford, Angus, Limi`s, Charlias and lots of mixed. The steers I have raised in 4-H and on the farm most have been tame and have never had a problem with them. Even feedlot steers that have never had a halter on them and just in the lot gaining weight, have most come to be friends and love attention. You always have some that don`t care to be buddy`s but most like human interaction. That is why I have gone back to milking as I got to attached to my feeder cattle, and had a hard time loading them on a truck bound to have their throats cut and ground into burger. I get to be around my cows every day and when the time comes we need to part ways, I try to find homes for them where someone else can enjoy them. Yes I do still raise some for the freezer, but I have to do that if I still want a steak now and then. As I have said before I love my Jersey`s and hope to have them around for a long time. > Thanks Marc

tinknal · #9 05/23/10, 08:18 AM

Just remember that when you breed for docility that that you are removing survival traits. If you live in an area with predators you don't want cows that are too docile.

willow_girl · #10 05/23/10, 08:37 AM

Quote:

I get to be around my cows every day and when the time comes we need to part ways, I try to find homes for them where someone else can enjoy them.

Thank you!!!!

KOHL HAWKE · #11 05/23/10, 01:24 PM

We have a black baldie and a holstein calf, both hefers, both halter broke, messed with daily by myself and two boys ages 12 and 6. The only one that has a problem is my husband the baldie "Isabella" likes to push him around abit, but has never hurt him. I do NOT however let my boys stand infront of her, (if she is in season she may try to mount), they know the signs thou
We love to mess with the girls, and we are even known to walk the girls to the open field to graze. My neighbor doesnt mind, and teases us about our oversized dogs!