HOW to HALTER BREAK your CALF in TWO Days!!
Tips for halter breaking a calf for the first time. Topics include catching, tying and un-tying a lead, halter selection, disposition, genetic selection, feeding regimen and more!
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I'm an old farm girl back on a homestead. Great video. One suggestion: first time halter placement you might want to secure that halter to the fence BEFORE you release the lariat. It's the #1 prime time for the calf to jerk away and the absolute worst time for it to happen! If they get away on the first attempt -- instant imprint. Will take much more work to undo that first escape.
Good suggestion Susan! I should have pointed that out in the video and I guarantee I would have if this calf was hot! Maybe i will do a short follow-up video pointing this out. Thanks!
I’m starting a homestead and getting 3 calves next spring so I’m doing my research til then and this was VERY helpful!! Thank you! Would love to see a video on manure handeling
I'm glad this was helpful and thanks for the feedback. What specifically are you interested in knowing about manure handling?
Halter broken and gentle cattle make life so much easier. All mine are halter broken and like big babies lead them around with a grass string
Yes! That's the best way...and really the only way for the small breeder without horses, dogs and good cattle handling equip!
Great video! Very informative and well put together 👏🏻
Thanks. Maybe it will help someone out there! 🤘
Gor a new subscriber! I'm citygirl from Finland, but I have always loved homesteads and animals. And the way you explain things and your personality got me click subscribe! 😊
Thank you very much laura! Glad to have you as a new subscriber. Welcome!
Thank you for this video! I’m feeling more confident about this process.
You are welcome! So glad you found this video helpful:)
Really enjoy your videos ,you have a way of explaining ,that is calm and concise.
Thank you! Much appreciated:)
Very good and wise handling. And you are a very good teacher.
Thank you for those kind words. I have been handling cattle since I was a young lad. 🙂
@@therealprtrhsenteal It’s good that you share your knowledge and life experience.
incredibly helpful video!! Thank you
You are welcome!
Great video sir , definitely helped me , God bless you 🙏🏾
Glad it helped and thanks for watching 😉
So informative! Thank you! We are building a Highland Fold and hope to show them. New subscriber here! :)
Thank you and good luck yo you:)
loved the video ❤ any tips or things to be aware of when halter breaking a slightly older steer? hes a yearling, been handled and around people, just need to halter break him to be able to lead him.
Thank you! With older animals obviously they are larger and more of a challenge. You just need to incrementally gain their trust. I would recommend letting them walking around with the halter on for about a week and then begin to tie the animal up slowly maybe for a few hours at a time. Finally teach them to walk back and forth between the water and food as described in the video. Good luck and with persistence and patience it shall be. 😉
I need a video on head butting! We have two completely halter trained but they love head butting and they have horns
Lol 😆
It's obviously an effective easily releasable knot, also another option with similar attributes is a clove hitch with a pull through loop on the last pass, it's a self tightening knot that's easily removable also. I used this knot quite a lot lobster fishing.
Ah yes the clove is a useful knot. I learned that in fire academy and we use it alot in conjunction with half hitches to hoist and lift many tools of various sizes. 👌
Great video!
Glad you enjoyed it thanks!
Yes it was very helpful
So glad to hear this. Thanks for watching 😉
All of our cattle, both show and pasture are halter broke. This makes loading, vaccinations, and just about every thing else much easier. We start ours on halter at 10 days old. Obviously we have gentle hands at this size and there is no tie out yet, just leading. Great video.
That is the way we always did it with our herd which was usually less than 50 head. Alot of work on the front end but I agree the back end was much easier! Glad you liked the video and thanks for your comment. 👌
So its a while after the video for sure, but im most definitely curious as to what youd do for even wilder calves.. This is my first time showing cattle and ive got myself a steer and a heifer that im working on halter breaking. The heifer is for sure very calm and by far more than id ever hope for personality-wise and i havent had much trouble with her. My steer on the other hand is a free spirit in a few words and has already drug me few times through the yard (Feel free to laugh) Ive managed to get him back under control those few times and i immediately tied him to a post, but Im wondering if there isnt more that i should be doing. He weighs a good 250-300lbs, compared to my 160lbs, so hes definitely giving me a hard time
Once a stubborn bovine realizes it can overpower you it can be more difficult to reassert dominance and gain their trust. Your steer sounds like he may be a candidate for a removable nose lead. Here is something that may help: www.sullivansupply.com/product/nose-plug/ Good luck!
Hey!!! So we have a 4-h steer that was doing well and now starting to charge us every-time we go in the pen, any advice how to break this?
That could be a tough thing to deal with but it can be broke. Keeping them haltered is the best way to domesticate in my opinion. An animal that is charging you should not be allowed to have that level of freedom. If in fact after due diligence and there is no progress with this animal consider getting a different project calf. There are too many good animals to keep one that is bad. Good luck.
well we’re starting a homestead and we’ll only have 2 highlands and 1 yak and our manure/compost pile is planned to be at the top of our hill/mountain but I’m trying to figure out a plan B because we only have 3 acres and we don’t have many garden beds so all of that manure wouldn’t be completely used and I can’t find any videos on how small homesteaders get rid of their manure
I have a number of videos showing how I compost using chickens there may be some useful ideas in there for dealing with your manure. If you are mixing your manure with greens and browns it will accelerate the decomposition thereby reducing the mass of manure/bedding more rapidly and turning it into a usable amendment. I suspect with the number of animals you have planned they will not overwhelm your acreage with a decent composting plan.
Good video, do you make your own halters and could you show how please.
Its been years since I have made my own halters. It might be a great topic for a future video. Thanks for the suggestion:)
I was wondering if you could do a toturial on how to gentle a month old calf that had a charging problem
I have never seen a one month old calf with this behavior. If it is still on the mother it will be bonded strongly to her and if it is a bottle calf it would be bonded to humans. In any event, frequent handling with persistence and patience would more than likely yield the desired change in behavior. If it doesn't, consider selling that calf in favor of getting another calf. There are too many good animals to keep one that isn't. Good luck!
Do you have to rope them every day to work with them or do you leave the halter on?
The halter stays on. There is less stress to the animal if you don't have to try to catch them daily. The process goes more quickly once they trust you are not going to harm them.
I have a steer that was raised as a bum calf, his name is Gus. I am currently trying to get halter broke and trained for fair but I’m having a hard time getting him to be fully halter trained. Do you have any advice? I’m worried I may have made it a lot harder for myself because he was pretty much halter trained in the fall as a younger calf but throughout the winter he wasn’t messed with as much. And now getting back into the groove, he acts a lot like he just wants to fight and push me over rather than walk. As you mentioned, with trust. I am aware of the fact I need to nourish that relationship but how can I keep that building in this situation?
It definitely can be more of a challenge once they realize they can push you around and have more of a desire to be out on pasture. The key is to make them dependant on you for their food and water needs and keep them confined to a small pen and tied 24/7 until they comply. . If the steer is extremely headstrong you may try a nose lead. I have used these for many years with great success. Here is an example of what I use but not specifically this one of from this vendor. There are other choices available. Good luck! www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=30e076bb-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5&itemguid=3269e0ce-7b6a-11d5-a192-00b0d0204ae5&sfb=1&grp=L000&grpc=L500&grpsc=L510&sp=f&ccd=IBSF0001&msclkid=4153178538dd1b6eea04730c7845dd35
@@therealprtrhsenteal Thank you so much, that is very helpful. I’ll take a look at it right now!
I have 3 rescue heifers that are 6-7 y/o, they have never been halter trained, but I would like to. Is it too late for them?
No not at all. It will be easier if they are tame but not impossible for sure. Depending on their level of acceptance I would begin with a long lead in a small corral and allow them to step on the lead. When they walk they will step on the lead which will introduce them to the concept of head control. After a day or more you can begin to tie them up beginning with a long lead and then shorten as they progress. Sounds like a fun project. Good luck:)
Im a young farm girl and i am breaking in a calf. This really helped but he just wont walk very well and i dont have the strength to properly pull him what should i do??
Your best bet is to be persistent and focus on developing the routine of going from food to water. This will force your calf to eventually comply. The calf should be tied up 24/7 until It gets with the program. Isolation from other cows may also be useful and cause them to bond with you more quickly. It may take some time but just be patient. Food and water is a basic need and powerful motivator. You will prevail! Good luck!
Where can I get that halter? Online I only see them for 750# cows. My baby is 300#.
The halter being used is just a nylon rope halter which is adjustable to accommodate calves as well as full grown. There are alot of places you can purchase from, Sullivan Supply, Tractor Supply etc. Here is a link for nrs world: nrsworld.com/products/weaver-leather-black-poly-rope-calf-halter
Once you have them broke, can ya let them off out the field then with the cow,will they still be broke if you bring them in again after a month or do you have to keep them on the halter once you start. I've never broke an animal before but I've bred a show calf an would like to be able to show her,she's two months old,I've the halter on her head now,I've it left on her to walk around with it on her for the last 2 days,I think I'll tie her tomorrow to a railing.
It really depends on the animal how and how much they have been worked with prior to release. Most animals will retain what they have learned but it is definitely advisable to continually work with them before too much time passes. Most of all of their motivation to comply is because they trust you won't harm them and you are their meal ticket. If you turn the animal out into lush pasture with other cows they will be less apt to remember what they have learned.
@therealprtrhsenteal OK,thanks very much for the information,I had her tied up for an hour or two today an walked her to her mother,she came along fairly good ,I thought she would have been more resistant,but no,so far so good. Thanks for getting back to me,I appreciate it. It's unreal to be getting advice from someone so far away,I'm in the west of Ireland, County mayo.
hi there ..how old is he for halter training?
Usually training occurs once the calf is weaned. This calf was around 6 months old
don't ever rap the rope around your hand even with calves. If the cow gets away that will tighten on your hand and hurt you really bad
This could be great advice for hot animals and maybe it should have been included to cater to the first timer. On the the other hand all animals should be read and dealt with based on their temperament and how they interact with you. Maybe my years of doing this got the better of me and I did not approach creating the video with that in mind based on my reading of this animal. There are alot of possibIe scenarios that I did not include. I look forward to your follow-up video.
You're doing a how to video, but you cut out what you're doing when the calf fights and struggles.
This is a video on how to halter break a calf. If you want to see a fighting, struggling calf this is not the video for you. 🙂
@@therealprtrhsenteal I think you misunderstand, I mean to see the fighting to know the correct way to deal with a fighting calf.
I'm reminded of those pandemic masks.
Triple mask double Vax! 🤷♂️
Trying to halter break my calf in two days was like trying to teach a cat to fetch...but with more mooing involved! 🐄😂
Lol 🤘