Post by Applelonia on Feb 12, 2017 12:54:57 GMT -5
Walter will be six-months-old tomorrow! I've come to the conclusion selling cows is not enjoyable...getting things lined up - writing up purchase agreements and buyers in full agreement and then when the time comes, not up-holding their end but still wanting to work on the sale ....Ahhhh!
My husband and I determined just to kept him - raise him maybe only until he's about 14-15 months old and then have him butchered.
The other very slight possibility, I might go back to my original plan and try working with him as an oxen once he's steered and if he does well then keep him and if not, we have the beef! There's a .001 percent chance working with him would work out...as I've never tried such a thing before ...he's not even halter/lead trained at six months....so beef is most-likely the only logical outcome, but there's still a remote chance he will have a long life here.
If I knew what I was doing, I suspect he'd make a fine ox. He may be more intelligent than Applelonia - his mind works very quickly - he catches on so fast. He is more stubborn than his momma....a trait they all seem to have.... He seems to be built like his aunt Daz - a tank...his short, compact neck is like a thick solid post, wide set powerful legs.
Even though he's not been worked with since he was a very young calf, he is stuck on me...doesn't care for others, he allows no one to touch him except me. He backs up and watches them but with me, if allowed, he won't stay away. Which is nothing new...the whole lot of our Randalls are strangly stuck on me and suspicious of others. He's protective of me like the others as well....something I discouraged and tried to avoid at all costs when he was possibly going to be sold as a bull....can't have a bull - calf or otherwise getting in between me and other people and gently backing me up and standing with his horn stubs down towards the person in question. That was his response.
I've been very hands off and only giving him a pat on occasion for the last couple of months but when I decided to keep him just last week, I called him over by putting me gloved hand out over the stall door and motioned with my fingers for him to come....he paused and jerked his head up rather surprised - "Wall" and he sprinted toward me clearly overjoyed that HIS person loved him again, he couldn't lick me fast enough. He lightly pushed his snout into my arm and then put his stubby neck up for a scratch and just stood there licking me. When he hears me call him, he always comes running. And he's a talker...mooing and grunting and making a huge range of sounds while I prattle on at him. And just like his momma and sister he is fascinated when I pull sleds or brush/logs. Nothing seems to bother him - sounds, movements...he is calm in that regard. So there's a glimmer of hope...just wish I hadn't waited this long....he's rather big already....
Anyone worked with an older calf his age for draft/oxen work - pointers or advice?
Talked to the vet to see what kind of castration knife to order (hazmat ...I guess it's sterilized after use, but I explained I really wanted to buy the necessary tool to eliminate any disease risk.)
They said I had a choice to have him sedated for the procedure. Is this a good idea - common to sedate them? I tried to watch YouTube videos to see how the process was done but couldn't...it looks horrible...poor Wally I mentioned that he was finally getting removed from momma and weaned this Monday. They said "no" - to leave him and wean him after castratrstion so it wasn't so hard on him.
Also wondering....his bull like behaviors, will they go away once he's castrated or do steers also act bull-like if they aren't castrated at a very young age? He's the only bull calf / steer we've had so I have no idea what to expect.
My husband and I determined just to kept him - raise him maybe only until he's about 14-15 months old and then have him butchered.
The other very slight possibility, I might go back to my original plan and try working with him as an oxen once he's steered and if he does well then keep him and if not, we have the beef! There's a .001 percent chance working with him would work out...as I've never tried such a thing before ...he's not even halter/lead trained at six months....so beef is most-likely the only logical outcome, but there's still a remote chance he will have a long life here.
If I knew what I was doing, I suspect he'd make a fine ox. He may be more intelligent than Applelonia - his mind works very quickly - he catches on so fast. He is more stubborn than his momma....a trait they all seem to have.... He seems to be built like his aunt Daz - a tank...his short, compact neck is like a thick solid post, wide set powerful legs.
Even though he's not been worked with since he was a very young calf, he is stuck on me...doesn't care for others, he allows no one to touch him except me. He backs up and watches them but with me, if allowed, he won't stay away. Which is nothing new...the whole lot of our Randalls are strangly stuck on me and suspicious of others. He's protective of me like the others as well....something I discouraged and tried to avoid at all costs when he was possibly going to be sold as a bull....can't have a bull - calf or otherwise getting in between me and other people and gently backing me up and standing with his horn stubs down towards the person in question. That was his response.
I've been very hands off and only giving him a pat on occasion for the last couple of months but when I decided to keep him just last week, I called him over by putting me gloved hand out over the stall door and motioned with my fingers for him to come....he paused and jerked his head up rather surprised - "Wall" and he sprinted toward me clearly overjoyed that HIS person loved him again, he couldn't lick me fast enough. He lightly pushed his snout into my arm and then put his stubby neck up for a scratch and just stood there licking me. When he hears me call him, he always comes running. And he's a talker...mooing and grunting and making a huge range of sounds while I prattle on at him. And just like his momma and sister he is fascinated when I pull sleds or brush/logs. Nothing seems to bother him - sounds, movements...he is calm in that regard. So there's a glimmer of hope...just wish I hadn't waited this long....he's rather big already....
Anyone worked with an older calf his age for draft/oxen work - pointers or advice?
Talked to the vet to see what kind of castration knife to order (hazmat ...I guess it's sterilized after use, but I explained I really wanted to buy the necessary tool to eliminate any disease risk.)
They said I had a choice to have him sedated for the procedure. Is this a good idea - common to sedate them? I tried to watch YouTube videos to see how the process was done but couldn't...it looks horrible...poor Wally I mentioned that he was finally getting removed from momma and weaned this Monday. They said "no" - to leave him and wean him after castratrstion so it wasn't so hard on him.
Also wondering....his bull like behaviors, will they go away once he's castrated or do steers also act bull-like if they aren't castrated at a very young age? He's the only bull calf / steer we've had so I have no idea what to expect.