Training calves

[wvdexters]

I am so thrilled with our calves this year. I would like to halter train them and really do a good job with them. My goal is to train the heifer to milk in the future. She is going to be a fine girl.

I have so many questions. (These are our first dexter calves. The others we've had in the past were only for beef .... No training) Our jersey came to us fully trained.

Are there any special treats or techniques to get the calves to come to you easily? They like to play and run around.

Is there a good book you can recommend? How tos and What not to dos. I want to be gentle with them and not frighten them.

I bought one of those rope halters you were talking about earlier. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. This is new to me.

Thanks

[kansasdexters]

I've found that just being around them every day, grooming their mamas with a curry comb, and eventually grooming the calves too, works best for me. After I can walk up to a calf and brush it all over, we start halter training. It's very easy at that point because they are already comfortable with me touching them.

Patti

[Gorignak]

Patti is right on with the "gentle first".....We have 3 in halters now, 2 have been tethered out to graze extensively.
BUT....we saw the wisdom of "no halters in the pasture with horned cows". Our horned Alpha cow removed a halter from her month old calf every night. We never saw it done....but gave up before we found him dead. It does not take a lot of imagination to see one hung up on the horns of another.
We bucket-feed gentled 2 heifers.....1 year and 2 years old. It took several months. When we were able to rub over their entire side and back, scratch their head, and rub lanolin on their horns....then we put them in a stall and installed the halters. We used a rectangular, laundry detergent bucket that they had to put their entire head in, to get the feed. They were in below their eyes....the first few days it is a real conundrum...they want the feed, but hate going blind with their eyes deep in the bucket.....finally, they trust you and are on the road to being comfortable.

We used the heavier training halter for about 3 months.....now they lead fine with the light ones. The kids picked up a tidbit on Google....NEVER let them know that they can drag you or pull away from you. It worked best for us to put them in a halter, attach a 20' chain, and attach that to a tree. DO NOT try to lead them until they have convinced themselves that the other end of the lead rope is attached to an immovable object.

When we lead them now, and they show signs of wanting to head a direction that we are not, or they want to go faster than we do....the girls have learned to dig in their heels a bit and turn the cow in a tight circle, a couple times if necessary....you can't stop it, but you can redirect it into a tight circle.....it seems to confuse and pause them so that you can restart in the direction, and at the speed you like.

WEAR HEAVY GLOVES ....at least for a while.
An open heifer in heat is harder to lead/control than any other. We don't try anymore.

[ctownson]

When I have a very young calf and I am around the barn, I like to put a halter on them and let them walk around with it on. You must make sure the area is safe and that you are present. Another good technique is to walk the mom (who is halter broken) and let the baby follow behind on a halter.

[lakeportfarms]

We find a treat that they like when they are little, whether it is alfalfa cubes or animal crackers. Once they're addicted then we feed them the treat holding the halter up in front of them. They have to put their face in the halter to get the treat. We don't try to attach it or anything, just hold it there. After a while, to get the treat we have to be able to wrap it around their neck. We still don't attach it. When they are comfortable with that, then we feed them the treat after we place the halter and fasten it.

Eventually, when we walk out in the pasture with a halter, they come running to us.

[Fran]

All of mine have been fairly easy to halter break except for one. She is bound & determined not to. I've got about 8-9 months before she's ready to breed and hope that I can get her friendlier between now and then. Never had one to be this hard. She will NOT take a treat. She will occasionally eat from a food bowl if I set it down and walk away. SHe will NOT go into a corral pen, stall or anything like that. She is NOT consistent in anything. I have tried everything I can think of and nothing works. My other young heifers come running up searching for treats and stuff, but not this one, she could care less!

[dexterfarm]

I found it to be to difficult to train young calves. Wait until they get over the scary stage.

[wvdexters]

Thanks for the tips everyone. This is all good information. I am excited to get started. We'll start slow with the grooming and treats. The moms aren't halter broke but we'll get these little guys. One question is there a minimum age on those animal crackers and cubes?