WILD 4-H STEER...

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

I had been planning on getting a steer for 4-H. He had never seen a halter until two weeks ago and then today, he was wild as a march hare when we got him out of the trailer. He tried to bunt my dad through the fence. Now my parents think we should take him back.... They think he'll kill me (or paralize me). Or kill one of our dozen dogs. So my question is, has anyone out there had a WILD 4-H steer? How to gentle them?! And to cows hate dogs?!

 

[brooster]

how old is the steer?

 

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

He was born March 2007. He weighs about 800 LBS.

 

[jkcove08]

I agree with your parents. Since he is wild now even if you were able to get him calmed down at home he will be to unpredictable when you get to fair. It would be a real shame if he kicked some child that wanted to look at the cow... I had a friends daughter that had a very calm steer that she took to the fair and he went nuts when the got there and took 6 men to get him into a trailer. He was taken home right away. You might want to try starting with a bottle bucket calf and then use it as a steer project next year. Definately take the steer back, to dangerous. Jenn

 

[Cetawin]

I had a 900 pounder and I was a mere 82 lbs, that tried that nonsense with me. I got a nose clamp ring and when he started that stuff with me, I grabbed the lead rope, yanked hard in a downward and left motion...snatching his head down towards my feet. Pulling away was a bad move on his part and he could not get to me because I had his nose in the dirt. He got the idea after about a week. He was like a puppy after that and I won Grand Champion with him that year.

The steer probably does not hate dogs, he is probably afraid of them. Just show him who is boss and a good nose bleed will not hurt him...it beats the alternative.

Good luck with him.

By the way, I do not know if they make those clamp rings with the teeth any longer...but they work. It straightened that Brahma out quick.

 

[Chatychick]

They sell all types of nose rings for cattle at www.jefferslivestock.com that is where I got my weaning rings for my heifer calves. It keeps them from sucking on each other and ruining each others bag. They do sell bull rings too.

 

[4-H chicken mom]

I have to ask how big are you? If you are not a big burly kid, I would not get a steer that hasn't been worked with. Most of the 4-H kids I know get their steers when they are about 300-400 lbs and work with them for 10 months before our fair and they get them up to around 900-1200lbs. These steers are walked about every day to get them used to walking well on a lead. I agree with Cetawin and Chatychick about the nose ring. I will help to control him. He sounds like he just needs a lot of attention. Make sure you always have help when getting him out. Good Luck!!!

 

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

A nose ring! Great idea! I don't know if I'm allowed to show him at the fair with one of those. This is probably a dumb question, but can you remove the nose rings when you no longer need them?
I went out so see him this morning, and he seems to have calmed down a little. He tried to reach through the fence and lick me. What is that about? He still put his his head down and starts to snort if he thinks you're gonna touch him.
I am 5'7 and 145 LBS if that makes any different. This is my first year in steer project.

 

[CrowinKing]

They make a nose clamp that is not permanent it looks like a pair of vise grips that you can hook a rope to. The harder they pull on that the harder it holds!!! As far as the halter goes it might be to late 800lbs is pretty big it'll be pretty hard to get him used to a halter the best thing to do is find a barn post and tie him to it for a while wait till he wares him self down and then try to lead him around!! Did you just get him or have you had him for a while?

 

[P0U1TRYP3RS0N]

I just got him last night. Everyone else got their steers at the auction in January. We couldn't go to the auction, so I got my steer from a ranch. He's in a pen made of horse pannels--how do I tie him up? There's trees around his pen, but outside the fence. He has like a thirty foot lead rope he's dragging around right now. Can I tie it to a tree through the fence, or will he try to break his neck getting at it? Also, I've heard some things about people breaking steer by tying them behind a tractor or quad and pulling them around until they give up fighting? Good idea or bad idea?