Aggressive Steer(s)?

redtailgal

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greenbean said:
Unfortunately I don't have a trailer, but I know someone wanting to buy him who would be taking to him straight to the slaughterhouse so I'm going to go ahead and sell him. The family has already told me that I'm not selling him until next spring, but I'm tired of putting up with his behavior and it is only getting worse.

How am I going to get the other 3 to stop? The second steer is 10 months, the 3rd is 9 months, and the heifer is 6-7 months.

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At those ages, you are not likely to get any of them to stop.

The next time you raise out cattle, be VERY strict with them from day 1. NO contact on your body with any part of their head, period, under any circumstances. If they break the rules, slap the P-mortal snot out of their nose, no matter how "cute" it may be. The simple rule is that if a wee tiny little calf does anything the may possibly somehow might be a little bit scary or uncomfortable when they weigh 900 pounds, they get corrected.

The last steer I raised out was a ginormous Holstein we named "Beauford". He was a pushy bugger, and wouldnt lead for anyone but me. When FIL was trying to load him in the trailor for that ride to the slaughter house, FIL was knocked down and could have been seriously injured. Beauford thought NOTHING of swinging his head and sendning FIL flying. I walked right up to him and trailored him without incident......because while FIL put up with that junk, Beauford knew I would go off upside his head with my woppin' it stick., the same woppin' it stick that I carry EVERYTIME I have to be in close contact with the cattle. Most of them know the stick and know to move away from the stick before it wops 'em.

If you are gonna actually handle your livestock, you have to show them that you are bigger and tougher than they are when you really are bigger and tougher. THEN you have to STAY bigger and tougher than them, at least in their mind. This doesnt mean to beat them. Just get your point across in an unquestionable fashion. The more crap you put up with from them, the more crap they will give you.
 

greenbean

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Yeah, they don't bother me much, like if they start to try I don't even let them in my space, but everyone else does, so they've started to try more often than usual, so far they're still good about staying away from me though, I'm just worried they're gonna get like him. The only one I handle is the heifer because she's going to be milked later on, so I don't want a cow that's going to run away from me or anything, she's pretty good, she'll lead and stand still for me and isn't pushy like the steers, but she's starting to get that way with others. I think I'm going to have to have a serious talk with everyone, only thing is, last time I apparently hurt feelings and was ignored by family until I gave them another option they liked, which was like a few months later :rolleyes:
 

CochinBrahmaLover=)

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greenbean said:
Yeah, they don't bother me much, like if they start to try I don't even let them in my space, but everyone else does, so they've started to try more often than usual, so far they're still good about staying away from me though, I'm just worried they're gonna get like him. The only one I handle is the heifer because she's going to be milked later on, so I don't want a cow that's going to run away from me or anything, she's pretty good, she'll lead and stand still for me and isn't pushy like the steers, but she's starting to get that way with others. I think I'm going to have to have a serious talk with everyone, only thing is, last time I apparently hurt feelings and was ignored by family until I gave them another option they liked, which was like a few months later :rolleyes:
May I ask, whats your 'role' in the family? Like are you their kid or mom or dad or..? Cause honestly your family sounds like mine! This time when you try and talk, just be gentle, and act as if your talking to a bunch of 2 year olds.. :lol:

Best of luck!
 

greenbean

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It's kinda complicated lol, to skip over everything, I live with my dads (he passed away when I was 8) mom, and I'm the outcast on this side of the family. Anything I say gets ignored or gets thrown back in my face and I get laughed at or snapped at usually. :rolleyes: When they do listen is usually when I get really... aggressive? about something, then they get upset and yeah. As for the 'they' I refer to, that would be my uncles, aunts, cousins, and their friends. If I go about things certain ways, I tend to stay on their good side, but this time I think I'm just going to have to be blunt.
 

WildRoseBeef

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I think it's your family that is to blame to start this behaviour. Like KF said, they're treating those animals like pets, not livestock, and are actually encouraging them to be horsing around like that by laughing at their antics (which is a way to encourage the behaviour) and letting them in their space, etc. It's too bad they don't take you seriously and that you're the only one that really knows how to treat those animals like livestock. Hopefully you can find a way to get your point across without getting into too much of a tiff with your folks.
 

Cricket

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Can you handle your heifer separately from the steers? Like take her in a barn to grain her and work with her a little? Another thing you might want to try is to get a good horse lead rope with a leather popper and don't go into the field without swinging it. So they can never get closer than about 12' unless you invite them. Take them one at a time, put a bucket of grain on the ground and don't let them near it until you decide to walk away. Then every time you grain them, take a good whacking stick and make them back up before you put it down. Personally, I think cows make great pets, it's just a matter of training as with any other animal. And I feel for you about the being the only disciplinarian! My husband drives me nuts with letting our critters get away with stuff, esp as when it came to human kids his own much-loved mom referred to him as Simon Legree.
 

greenbean

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Unfortunately the pasture they're in is open with a little run in shed. I did the lead rope thing and it worked great! They havn't tried to bother me anymore. Also, we don't grain, they're just on grass. Sometimes they get scraps from the garden.
 

Cricket

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:)Good! Just don't forget you're going to have to have that rope with you EVERY time you go in there, 'cause they're going to be watching for an opportunity to try for top cow again. And watch for when your heifer starts coming in heat--if she's anything like mine, you're going to learn what it feels like to be a prey species:rolleyes:.
 

animalfarm

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Today we were loading 2 steers to send to the abbatoir. One was a fairly docile fellow, and the other high strung with horns.

Yeh I know the golden rule about horns and agree with them, but all of my critters are polled and by the time we discovered horns, he was well grown and we figured he was destined for freezer camp and wouldn't be in close quarters with people till then, so we left him out in the back 40 till it was "time".

Any hoo, he loaded just fine. The next boy walked quietly onto the trailer and all heck broke loose. That steer snapped. He exploded out the back door of the stock trailer as the hired transport dude was sliding it closed. He was knocked to the side. I was standing back about 20 feet and that SOB got me in his sights and never looked back. About that time I discovered my left foot was stuck in the mud. I was standing with my back to a 6.5' high steel barred fence and totally mired in the muck with a 1200 lb steer bearing down.

I wacked that sucker as hard as I could across the nose with a 2x4 which promptly broke. He backed off and immediatly charged again. My son conked him with a big rock from the top of the fence and he hesitated enough for me to turn, grab the fence and yank my leg out of the mud. I couldn't get over and that b..tard kept ramming. I was clinging to the top rail (the lower fence was vertical bars) and swinging side to side to avoid being crushed and my leg was hurting something awful from wrenching it out of the mud. Had to twist it hard to turn and grab the fence. He kept smashing that fence and my son was able to help pull me over. That bugger kept ramming the fence over and over. Finally he smashed through the plank fence on the other side of the pen and headed off into a field.

We made the decision to shoot him where he stood, because we felt that it was to risky to enter the pasture and if he escaped from it and encountered some one else, it would be unforgivable on our part.

Afterwards, the transport guy asked what was going through my head when I was literally fighting for my life and truely what crossed my mind, was...thank God it wasn't the horned one.

Moral of the story is: previously, this steer showed no agression ever. If one ever even remotely hints that he is not repectful at any age, he will be gone yesterday one way or the other. The sleeper agents have got me worried now. These are Black Angus if any one cares about that.
 

cedarcurve

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animalfarm said:
Today we were loading 2 steers to send to the abbatoir. One was a fairly docile fellow, and the other high strung with horns.

Yeh I know the golden rule about horns and agree with them, but all of my critters are polled and by the time we discovered horns, he was well grown and we figured he was destined for freezer camp and wouldn't be in close quarters with people till then, so we left him out in the back 40 till it was "time".

Any hoo, he loaded just fine. The next boy walked quietly onto the trailer and all heck broke loose. That steer snapped. He exploded out the back door of the stock trailer as the hired transport dude was sliding it closed. He was knocked to the side. I was standing back about 20 feet and that SOB got me in his sights and never looked back. About that time I discovered my left foot was stuck in the mud. I was standing with my back to a 6.5' high steel barred fence and totally mired in the muck with a 1200 lb steer bearing down.

I wacked that sucker as hard as I could across the nose with a 2x4 which promptly broke. He backed off and immediatly charged again. My son conked him with a big rock from the top of the fence and he hesitated enough for me to turn, grab the fence and yank my leg out of the mud. I couldn't get over and that b..tard kept ramming. I was clinging to the top rail (the lower fence was vertical bars) and swinging side to side to avoid being crushed and my leg was hurting something awful from wrenching it out of the mud. Had to twist it hard to turn and grab the fence. He kept smashing that fence and my son was able to help pull me over. That bugger kept ramming the fence over and over. Finally he smashed through the plank fence on the other side of the pen and headed off into a field.

We made the decision to shoot him where he stood, because we felt that it was to risky to enter the pasture and if he escaped from it and encountered some one else, it would be unforgivable on our part.

Afterwards, the transport guy asked what was going through my head when I was literally fighting for my life and truely what crossed my mind, was...thank God it wasn't the horned one.

Moral of the story is: previously, this steer showed no agression ever. If one ever even remotely hints that he is not repectful at any age, he will be gone yesterday one way or the other. The sleeper agents have got me worried now. These are Black Angus if any one cares about that.
Where did he find that rock to throw at the steer? Wast it a big rock?
 
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