Got my Dexter heifer calf!

InHisName · #1 10/13/10, 01:08 PM

So Rose Marie was just dropped off- she had never eaten grain (but I put some out and she is eating it) and never handled. I have her in a pen for now- what are the first steps to getting her used to being handled? Do I need a halter? Any suggestions?

dragonjaze · #2 10/13/10, 02:11 PM

no help on your questions, sorry, but can I ask where you got her from?

Will be moving back to WA in the next few years, and I'm super interested in Dexters.

InHisName · #3 10/13/10, 02:18 PM

I found 2 places locally- they have stock from Celestial and Upland- so when you get here and if you are in E Wa, pm me and I'll get you a contact.

francismilker · #4 10/13/10, 04:27 PM

InHisName,
The first thing I always do in this situation is DON'T pressure/chase the animal into coming to me. I pen her/him in a relatively small pen close to the house. (Not turned out loose in a pasture.) Make sure all the critter's food, hay, and water have to be provided by you. If you have the ability to make this pen out of portable panels or something where you can effectively "shrink" it around the animal a little at a time until the animal basically has no where to go but to stand by you that's great. Otherwise, hang tarps or blankets around the perimeter of the pen so it can't see the wide open spaces.

Use a few days to build the animal's trust by standing near the pen when you dump it's feed out and talk to it while it eats. If it won't come to the feed bucket, you remove the feed bucket and try again later. After a day or two or three or four............it will get the point that you come bearing gifts! Take baby steps. Next try to touch it while it eats. Use the same coaxing point to get it's attention.

Not to be discouraging at all because I love gentling a critter, there's some that will revert right back to the old "I can make it on my own without you" attitude as soon as you turn them out to pasture where there's a pond and some green grass so don't let it get you down. Come winter time when they need some protein, they'll come knocking!

cathleenc · #5 10/13/10, 05:13 PM

congrats! no real advice but please do update as you and Rose Marie go along the path.

InHisName · #6 10/13/10, 07:45 PM

Thanks!
Francismilker, I was wondering when to let her out of the pen, so that info helps. She is in a small pen, and I sat in there with her today- no skitishness on her part (except kicking dirt with her front hoof) - she did come up to the fence later and smelled what I had in my hand- so that is good. She bawls some, but quiets down when we show up.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow....

dragonjaze · #7 10/13/10, 10:35 PM

Actually, I might have some helpful info. I watched this the other day, and it didn't seem overly stressful on the calf.

(skip the boring feed guy in the middle....

)

Halter training a calf:

http://www.24-7agtv.com/Joomla/index...rectlink&id=54

francismilker · #8 10/14/10, 07:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by InHisName

Thanks!
Francismilker, I was wondering when to let her out of the pen, so that info helps. She is in a small pen, and I sat in there with her today- no skitishness on her part (except kicking dirt with her front hoof) - she did come up to the fence later and smelled what I had in my hand- so that is good. She bawls some, but quiets down when we show up.
We'll see how it goes tomorrow....

If you've got her coming to the fence and smelling of your hand, you're battle should be an easy one. Trust is the key factor in gentling a future milker that wasn't bottle/hand raised. Once she gets dependant on feed, you're headed in the right direction.

I'd personally not turn her out in a big pasture where she could fend for herself until it's routine that she meets you at the feed trough. Then, I'd let her out and see what happens for a few days. More than likely, if she likes the feed trough meeting, she'll bawl when she sees you leaving the house everyday calling you to come down and feed her.

linn · #9 10/14/10, 10:52 AM

I agree. I would keep her in an enclosed area until she learned to come to feed. You can also work with her, gaining her trust more effectively in a small area.

copperhead46 · #10 10/15/10, 11:14 PM

I put mine in a small pen and take water and hay and some creep feed to them. I start by just standing by the feed trough while the eat, until they get used to me being there. I start touching them while they eat and pretty soon they are not paying any attention to me, it just takes time.

InHisName · #11 10/16/10, 07:49 PM

Here is an update with this calf..... I have been going out and sitting in her pen- give her a bit of grain in a tub and have touched her a few times. She is still shy- I put 2 goats in today and she is watching how they come right up- and followed them for a bit too, when they were having a treat. Today sat in her pen while preparing tomorrow's Jr church lesson- where Jesus said Take my yoke upon you and learn of me..... kind of like working with this calf. Having hubby make me a rope halter for her tonight for an illustration- Do I wait until she is touchable before I put a halter on her? Also, what about the dogs? I usually have my collie with the goats, but have kept her out to not add any new stress.

InHisName · #12 10/19/10, 04:15 PM

Calf has been eating grain from my hand and hay from lap- today had a lasso under hay- so got it around her, and after a bit of a fuss, got a halter on. After she settled into the halter- she came to me again for grain. Can't say I like a halter much, she cant eat the hay like she did with it. (But I do like the idea of leading her) no rope or anything yet, just harness, until we get used to that. She still does not come up freely- can see this is going to take a while.

Vickie44 · #13 10/19/10, 05:22 PM

Hold out your hand but dont look at her , she will come up and smell your hand . Do that a couple times and then have a slice of apple in your hand . Look at flank , not in the eye to start, in the eye when feeding apple slice . Will be your best friend in just a few days

Patt · #14 10/20/10, 05:19 PM

What sort of a halter are you using? All of ours that were keepers were halter broken, just easier to handle them that way. We used horse halters since they are loose, never liked the cow halters. It should not impede her eating though no matter what kind you are using.

InHisName · #15 10/20/10, 05:55 PM

What a nice picture, Patt!
She is doing fine eating, after all. I am using a yearling calf halter,with no chain- looks like your in the pic- she is 6-7 months. (haven't got the exact date of birth yet) Just today hooked the rope lead to the halter.
What next??? She will eat from hands, and scratch head while eating, but I know she'll fuss If I try to tie that lead to a post. I suppose do it anyway? They are pretty strong, so do you just let her jerk around a bit? I think if I could brush her sides, that would help in the taming process.
Thanks for the info on the horse halter, after she is too big for this one, will look at those. I want to try minimizing the pen she is in with cattle panels. (thanks for that tip, Francismilker)
Vicki, the apples are a hit. Have to coax a bit, but after the first one, she stays till they are gone.

Patt · #16 10/20/10, 06:19 PM

To halter break yeah you will need to tie her to the post. The big thing is to convince the cow that they can't get away from a rope. Cows have long memories and once you set it in there it's set for life mostly.

You have to convince her no matter how much she tugs and pulls and fights the rope always wins. Dexters usually aren't big fighters so it won't take her long to figure it out. Her feed and water should come from you, feed by hand, water only if she let's you lead her to it. In a couple of days she will be tractable to most anything you want to do. The important thing is to never ever let go of the rope.

Once she settles into leading get a brush and start working on her while she is eating. Start with her neck and stay there until she stops being bothered by it. Work your way back slowly. Cows do kick and you need to keep a watch out for it. She needs to know you are in charge and not her. When she shakes her head at you or tries to kick she is trying to be in charge. Take the treats away and come back later, she will put 2 + 2 together pretty quickly.

The big thing with a post is they need enough length to stand up and lay down and that is it. It also needs to be away from the fence so she won't crash in to it. Keep in mind this is only for a couple of days until she knows fighting the rope is useless.

InHisName · #17 10/21/10, 04:22 PM

Progress, I think! I'm thinking this is a race against time- as winter is coming on quick here, and this calf is much bigger than me. (She is a long legged Dexter) Today sat out there giving her apple peels and a tad of grain- stepped on her lead rope and didn't let her get away (she was moving us both around though). When she settled down, I let off of the rope some and let her eat the grain from my hand- trust and control thing going on here.

cathleenc · #18 10/21/10, 09:23 PM

hey, for what its worth, it might be fine if you don't have your girl perfectly halter trained by the winter. Our cow is yet to be halter trained at all - but she comes when we call and will follow quite well. Nothing intentional about how it worked out, more that she showed us what to do and we learned from her. Seriously. We meant to halter train her but in the end never really needed to.

I'm having fun reading your updates. thanks for continuing to post.

InHisName · #19 10/22/10, 02:24 PM

Thanks for the reminder

Cathleen of they will show us what they need- I need a book on how to understand them. I did tie her to a post today, and she tugged a bit, but with the hay in front of her, and the goats sticking their weasly heads through the fence eating her hay, she soon ignored it and got down to the eating business. She only really tries to get away if I get within 4 feet (unless I have a snack)- must be her flight zone. I did brush her a bit, she was not a willing party, so think I'll go slow with the forcing the petting business. When I untied, I tried to lead her around with a snack, she was not too willing, as it was too close for comfort, but we left on a good note (I tug, she steps,release pressure, she gets apple) I think I would not press for the halter, except I have a 4-Her that wants to take her to fair next Sept, so we have to be ready.

cathleenc · #20 10/22/10, 04:28 PM

I think a critical difference was that our cow had the experience and we did not. lol! She was 3 yrs old and from a working dairy and knew her routines just fine while we did not - yours needs to learn routines. Ours was very not accustomed to attention near her head and petting was very irriatating to her last year - this year she loves to be pet and loved on. She follows us around the farm at will, curious as can be, playing with us when she feels mischievous. Loves to knock over stuff my dh is working on. Gives the dogs grief, lets the chickens ride on her back. Licks my kids silly. Looks in the windows of the house when we're late to milk or to feed. Altogether just a delightful creature and friend to all.