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Cows/Cattle/Help with Training a Calf
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Question
I have been around cattle all of my life but have never trained a calf to be a "pet" and have no idea really where to start. I watched this little heifer be born on Mother's Day this year and on her second day of life she actually came to me and sucked on my finger. I have interacted with her almost every day ever since. The mother allows me to pet the calf from behind the fence and the calf seems to enjoy the attention.
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We call her Sparky. We are a museum and I would like to halter train this calf so that our guests will be able to interact with her as well. The breed is the Florida Cracker Cow which is known to be not so gentle and they do tend to be a bit wild. The mother is a bit skittish but kind and her calf appears to be very willing to be near me and so I want to take the challenge to train her but I need help.
She is one month old today and all I have done with her so far is pet her and talk with her as much as possible.
Thanks so much for your help,
Debbie
Hi Debbie,
It sounds like you are doing the right thing with this calf, with habituating her to your touch and getting her used to your voice.
But now I think you need to step up the challenge a bit by getting into the same corral as the calf and try to get the cow to let you touch her calf. Progress slowly if Momma isn't a big fan of you messing with her calf when you're in the corral with her, but since you say the cow is not all that wild towards you, then she will warm up to you.
Once you are able to touch and stroke her (also try brushing her too), you can start to halter-train Sparky. Start by tying up the calf (using a hand-made rope halter) for an hour or two at a time in the same area she's always been with her mom at her side. You can tie her up to a fence post, one that is sturdy enough so that it won't work loose if she tries to fight the halter (which she will at first). Brush, stroke and talk to her during that time so that she learns to associate being tied up with the pleasant things she's learned like you petting her. Make sure you leave the right amount of slack in the lead rope so that she can't get tangled up but can still lay down. It may take three or four days for her to get used to the halter and to learn to stand tied.
After she's learned to stand tied, you can start leading her around the corral. Never let her break away from you (in other words, get in front of you) otherwise she'll learn she's the master, not you, and you could end up with a problem animal. Using a sorting or a walking stick will help you correct her from getting in front of you, since it is, to her, an extension of your arm.
Leading needs to be done from the left side with the halter rope or lead in your right hand. The rope halter is good for training, but you may want to start training her (once she's mastered following you with the rope halter) with a more fancy showy leather halter. She will react differently with a leather one than a rope halter when you put one on for the first time.
Normally I would also add how to get her to pose for you, but since you don't sound like you are planning on attending any show-rings with her, then it's best if I just leave you with how to teach her to stand tied and lead.
Good luck with her, and thanks for the picture. :)
-Karin
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| Comment | Thank you for the quick response. I will begin my concentrated efforts tomorrow and will probably be back with more questions tomorrow night or with lots of bruises. We'll See. Ha! Ha! | ||
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Karin
Expertise
Knowledge about almost everything to do with beef and dairy cattle. Strong points include breeding/calving/weaning, breeds, feeding, starting-up, pasture/range, most physiological questions, and genetics. PLEASE use your large animal veterinarian as a primary source of information if you have any health-related, life-or-death concerns about your animals.
Experience
I raised stocker steers with farm family, helping with feeding, handling, checking for sick and injured calves, identifying bull calves, pasture management, etc. I also worked at local veterinary clinic with dogs, cats, horses and cattle. Cattle include breeding soundness exams on bulls, castration, fixing prolapses, preg-checking, C-sections, calf pulling, vaccinations, etc.
Education/Credentials
Four years BSc of Agriculture majoring in Animal Science at the U of Alberta, specializing in cattle, animal health and behaviour, forages, pasture & range management, and genetics.
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