Rescue Journal

help.

Carol · Aug. 20, 2007

sweet pea cracks me up. she bloody well slept all afternoon and missed her lunch. at supper time she came bounding out of the bedroom at full speed and started jumping around to be fed. she had her dinner and then started jumping around to be picked up so she could have another nap on my lap. she isn't really sleeping. i know this because she has nipped both remy and tyra's nose when they tried to come over for a quick hello. she is a 4 pound prima donna.

remy is becoming an issue. he is going after the other animals because they are too close to me, or too close to the food bowl or generally just in his line of sight. he ignores everyone for hours on end and then he all of a sudden picks a fight. he is smart enough to leave the big strong dogs alone, and after trying to take on betty boots, he has learned that idea sucks too. so tonight he took on clyde, and while clyde sounds gawd awful vicious (but remy is deaf and cannot hear this) he really hasn't a clue how to fight. i got so mad at remy for being such a jerk, and clyde quite liked that remy got in really big trouble.

i had some real issues with the farm guys tonight too. they don't like having their routine messed with. the horses were all upset that i tied them to the fence to eat their dinners and then didn't let them in the barn. they ran all over that riding ring, all of them running and bucking and throwing their heads around and percy was right with them getting all wound by all the excitement too. i was stuck in there with them and had a hard time getting safely to the gate. i had to get really mean with percy. he was after me again and wouldn't stop. i tried pushing him away which just got him more rev'd up for a wrestling game. i finally hit him on the flanks with the lead rope i was carrying and that didn't stop him either. it was getting really dangerous. i finally had to hit him across the nose with the rope but even that took three or four times of him coming back for more before he stopped. i am at a loss at what to do with him, he is going to seriously hurt me in his moronic playfulness and i feel like such an utter shit for hitting him with the rope.

any suggestions on how to get a baby cow to behave himself?

Comments

Erika

Steers are just too big to play with. Carol, I sent you an email but need a little more info from you about him. Cattle can't really be totally trusted, they are just too big, and dairy calves are the most unpredictable due to the very unnatural way that they are raised.
Erika

Chris T

Ok, so this is really serious. Read this: Pet Camel kills woman:
http://www.mytelus.com/ncp_news/article.en.do?pn=oddities&articleID=2739911

You need to get your prod and get on to halter training that beast!

Erika

I think that a cattle prod could work as a last resort, but for now, don't play with him and I will send you an email about halter training. He is just in a place with no other cows and wants to play with you! But, he is far too big and he can do a lot of damage. I think he needs some tough love. Do you have a calf halter for him? Don't worry, you will sort it all out!
Erika

Carol

ok erika...i want halter training tips and no more pushing him off me... do you know if once they get out of the juvenile moronic stage, do they actually settle down? and are cattle prods horrible, hurtful things to get him to back off or are they just a quick pay attention zap instead of mama's 1500 pound whack with her hoof to teach him manners?

i am in uncharted territory for me and am totally ignorant with him. not good.

Erika

Hi Carol
We have had our fair share of jersey calves where I work. They all play rough. One theory is that they never had a momma cow teach them what is ok and what isn't, so they end up being really rough. One thing I would recommend would be to halter train him, if he isn't already. Another would be to never push him, even in play, as he is just going to get bigger and pushing them is an invitation to them to push back. Deb, I think that the 4-H kids really work on halter skills and don't ever go in with their calves while the calves are running around freely. Those steers are probably also housed with other steers and can play with them and not people.
Good luck with him Carol! If you want cow halter training tips, I would be happy to share some with you.
ERika

Deb

Tell the little monster calf that there's this restaurant, Big Bubba's Steak and Beer, who keep asking if you would like to trade Percy in for a wrecked dog or two.

It sounds like Jersey Joe needs some tough love. How do the little 4-H kids learn to handle their steers? Is there a "nothing in life is free" program for spoiled rotten calves?