Post by jerseyluv67 on Feb 28, 2019 12:53:19 GMT -5
Hi everyone!
We have a mini (not super tiny but still mini) Jersey steer that we got around the end of November. He was dam raised and is around 9 months old now. We got him to be a pet and as a bonus eat what our goats don't, but currently he is in a corral till there is a lot of forage in the pasture, then we will let him out. (We are in south GA and should get about 1 more freeze before "real spring" sets in). We have electric string fence. The corral he is in currently is a very old cattle panel and wood corral.
I am torn about halter training and need some advice. He warmed up to us quickly after he arrived and loves head/neck scratches and will also readily approach you for food/treats. He has tried head butting but we discourage it. He is polled and not mean. A playful baby. I'm not sure how much he currently weighs, maybe 300 lbs? More?
However we have so far failed at halter training. Here are the methods we have tried over the past few months.
Tying him to a post with a rope halter: We were unable to get the part around his nose. After a few days it became impossible to even get it around his neck once he figured out what we were trying to do (even with treats). He would fight the post and pull it so tight he couldn't swallow. Then we couldn't loosen it. At one point we somehow got the nose part and the neck part BOTH around his neck and it was a disaster getting it off.
Using a show stick to drop the loop around his neck. He figured it out after a few days and wouldn't let us, even with food. Then when you grab on to the rope he breaks away and runs around frantically.
We did buy a traditional halter and lead when we first got him but have not put the halter on him because we were afraid him or us might get hurt while trying to get it on him. We put him in an old wooden "chute" we have to attempt to get the rope halter on him before and it was difficult, plus we couldn't get it around his nose.
Any ideas? After we try anything related to the rope he is wary of us for about 24 hrs, then he goes back to being sweet.
We have decided to not use the rope halter method because it has been to dangerous for him and us so far. We haven't been able to get the loop around his nose and he chokes himself pulling it tight. Also when we tried to just leave it around his neck he somehow pulled it down and got it tied around his belly.
So do ya'll think we should attempt to get him in the chute and put a horse style halter on him, clip a lead to it and leave it on? That seems to be our only option at this point. He is not a show cow, we just wanted it to be easier to move him if he ever needs medicine/vet care or we need to get him to go somewhere.
My other question is about deworming. In my opinion he is skinny (you can easily feel his bones) and he has never been dewormed before. He is eating hay and gets alfalfa pellets 1x a day. Sometimes sweet feed or beet pulp. Also gets purina wind and rain minerals. Does that sound right for food?
Any suggestions on deworming? What type and method of administering would you recommend? Should we get a fecal done first? I know how it works with goats but unsure on cows. We do live in south ga where it is hot and humid for most of the year.
What about shots? Does he need iron or b12 shots after deworming like goats do? The only shots he has had were before he came here. He got tetanus when he was steered and an eartag/whatever else they give them when they cross a state line.
Hoof trims? I have no idea how that would work (he certainly wouldn't let us grab his hoof...) but does it need to be done? How can you tell?
Does he need treatment for lice, etc?
Any common illnesses in cows that I should know about?
Thanks and if anyone has any input it is appreciated! I searched on here and found conflicting information, and a lot of it only applied to milk cows. Is there a "Everything You Need To Know" book on how to keep your cow healthy, halter trained and keep it from dying? We went down this road with goats and I don't want something to happen to him because I didn't know what to do.
We have a mini (not super tiny but still mini) Jersey steer that we got around the end of November. He was dam raised and is around 9 months old now. We got him to be a pet and as a bonus eat what our goats don't, but currently he is in a corral till there is a lot of forage in the pasture, then we will let him out. (We are in south GA and should get about 1 more freeze before "real spring" sets in). We have electric string fence. The corral he is in currently is a very old cattle panel and wood corral.
I am torn about halter training and need some advice. He warmed up to us quickly after he arrived and loves head/neck scratches and will also readily approach you for food/treats. He has tried head butting but we discourage it. He is polled and not mean. A playful baby. I'm not sure how much he currently weighs, maybe 300 lbs? More?
However we have so far failed at halter training. Here are the methods we have tried over the past few months.
Tying him to a post with a rope halter: We were unable to get the part around his nose. After a few days it became impossible to even get it around his neck once he figured out what we were trying to do (even with treats). He would fight the post and pull it so tight he couldn't swallow. Then we couldn't loosen it. At one point we somehow got the nose part and the neck part BOTH around his neck and it was a disaster getting it off.
Using a show stick to drop the loop around his neck. He figured it out after a few days and wouldn't let us, even with food. Then when you grab on to the rope he breaks away and runs around frantically.
We did buy a traditional halter and lead when we first got him but have not put the halter on him because we were afraid him or us might get hurt while trying to get it on him. We put him in an old wooden "chute" we have to attempt to get the rope halter on him before and it was difficult, plus we couldn't get it around his nose.
Any ideas? After we try anything related to the rope he is wary of us for about 24 hrs, then he goes back to being sweet.
We have decided to not use the rope halter method because it has been to dangerous for him and us so far. We haven't been able to get the loop around his nose and he chokes himself pulling it tight. Also when we tried to just leave it around his neck he somehow pulled it down and got it tied around his belly.
So do ya'll think we should attempt to get him in the chute and put a horse style halter on him, clip a lead to it and leave it on? That seems to be our only option at this point. He is not a show cow, we just wanted it to be easier to move him if he ever needs medicine/vet care or we need to get him to go somewhere.
My other question is about deworming. In my opinion he is skinny (you can easily feel his bones) and he has never been dewormed before. He is eating hay and gets alfalfa pellets 1x a day. Sometimes sweet feed or beet pulp. Also gets purina wind and rain minerals. Does that sound right for food?
Any suggestions on deworming? What type and method of administering would you recommend? Should we get a fecal done first? I know how it works with goats but unsure on cows. We do live in south ga where it is hot and humid for most of the year.
What about shots? Does he need iron or b12 shots after deworming like goats do? The only shots he has had were before he came here. He got tetanus when he was steered and an eartag/whatever else they give them when they cross a state line.
Hoof trims? I have no idea how that would work (he certainly wouldn't let us grab his hoof...) but does it need to be done? How can you tell?
Does he need treatment for lice, etc?
Any common illnesses in cows that I should know about?
Thanks and if anyone has any input it is appreciated! I searched on here and found conflicting information, and a lot of it only applied to milk cows. Is there a "Everything You Need To Know" book on how to keep your cow healthy, halter trained and keep it from dying? We went down this road with goats and I don't want something to happen to him because I didn't know what to do.