Halter or collar?

[Boscanat]

For my 4-5 week old jersey heifer calf.

I could just out in the role halter and let it dangle so she gets used to it or I could get a regular halter that has a clip for a lead.

She is in a stall of her own for now. Should I do this halter training before I ever let her out of the stall into the small fenced pasture or can I let her out periodically before training?

I will start soon. She is acclimating to her new home nicely.

[billinwv]

Start now. Tie her for 15 or twenty minutes while you do chores and can KEEP AN EYE on her. Halter is better if you can keep the nose strap on. My adult cow wears a collar but respects a halter a lot more for handling, especially the one with a chain chin strap.

[Boscanat]

It should have read "put her into a rope halter".

I did try the rope halter for one minute just for kicks this evening and she hated it. Fought it like crazy.

Should it be tied really short or give her 3 ft or so?

I will try it again tomorrow. I am not going to show her. Just need to be able to handle her when needed.


Would you take the same approach with a yearling horned dexter?

[DJ in WA]

I start young calves out with a llama halter. Clip a lead rope on it and tie them with a few feet of rope above their head so they can't get tangled up in it. Few minutes at a time until they learn to give in to it.

As they get bigger, go through calf/heifer and cow size halters like this one that don't hang down and get caught on stuff. Ideally it is safer to not keep it on them all the time when can get caught on things.

[Zimobog]

I'm not an expert but I like halters.

[myheaven]

I had a cow dam near hang herself with her collar. She was seconds from death when I reached her. What I came to figure is she was scratching on a t post and her collar got caught. I was able to reach her before she went down. She was hard to cut off the t post. I got her free when she was on her last few breaths. It me so bad. I was shaking for hours. Not to mention she's my baby.

[billinwv]

Originally Posted by myheaven

I had a cow dam near hang herself with her collar. She was seconds from death when I reached her. What I came to figure is she was scratching on a t post and her collar got caught. I was able to reach her before she went down. She was hard to cut off the t post. I got her free when she was on her last few breaths. It me so bad. I was shaking for hours. Not to mention she's my baby.

Leather or nylon collar? Just curious. I think my leather collar would break.

[quane]

This is IMO the best halter training thread I have ever found. It includes photos as well as breeding and weight discussions.
http://www.lifestyleblock.co.nz/lsb-...alter+training

[arabian knight]

Halter. I break all my Jersey calves to halter right away I have a regular calf halter and I lead them around. But I would never ever leave it on. I never leave halters on ANY animal and goes goes double when talking about horses. I have all nylon halters.
You put it on work with them during a training session, and take it OFF at the end on it. No ifs ands or buts about it.

[myheaven]

Mine was nylon, you can only get nylon around here.

[stanb999]

If the heifer learns she can pull on the halter or collar and get away with it. She will always do so. If she never learns that bad lesson you can use a small rope, collar, halter, or whatever. The most important part is to spend lots of time leading her and teaching her what you want. When she is small. Then she will be good for you when she weighs a half ton.


My girl always has her collar on and is occasionally tied out in the pasture. It's a heavy leather collar but sits lose on her. The rope we use is 1/4 poly braid with a breaking strength of around 100 lbs. If she needed to break it due to being tangled up... It would likely just snap.

[Frosted Mini's]

I bought a couple rope halters for my jersey heifer calves. It only took a few times of wearing them for them to learn on them; jersey's I think tend to just be easy and docile critters. I put the halter on, gave a little pressure, then the instant they step forward, release the pressure, that is their reward, keep doing that a few times and they figure out really quick what to do. I have only had my girls a month now, and I can take them anywhere on a halter. They are about 8 weeks now. I also tied them to the fence with me watching closely, helped them learn to give to the pressure. I do the same thing with my goat kids. It's so nice when they can train themselves. LOL. I do not leave the halters on, ever, when not being supervised.

[Boscanat]

Thanks for all the input. I have gotten it on her, she has thrown herself on the ground. I only leave it on for 5 min or so. She stands just fine but does not like to lead. I will continue to work on it.