How to Get a Hand Shy Calf to Let You Approach It
Find a place to sit and something to sit on in the calf's pen., Bring a book or tablet to read from., Remain in your spot for 20 to 30 minutes at a time., Leave your spot and return the next day or a few hours later., Make feeding time a time your...
Step-by-Step Guide
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Step 1: Find a place to sit and something to sit on in the calf's pen.
The best place to sit is where the calf can see and smell you and come up to you on his own.
You can choose to start in the corner of the pen for the time being, or near its food and water.
Use a pail or stool or log to sit on, or anything that is relatively comfortable.
This is because you may be seated for about a half-hour at a time or more.
Sitting is also better than squatting, though both methods are used to make you look smaller and more vulnerable than you actually are.
If you find a clean place on the ground to sit on and wish to sit there instead, then feel free to use that.
This will certainly eliminating the need for a pail, cut log, stool, or anything else bring and sit on. -
Step 2: Bring a book or tablet to read from.
This will give the calf the impression that your focus is completely off him and only on the object in your hand, making you appear less threatening.
It's completely up to you if you feel comfortable reading silently or out loud the calf.
Some may recommend reading out loud to get the calf used to your voice, and some may not.
It just depends on your comfort level. , Read aloud, or silently (your choice), and look around every so often to see how the calf is reacting to you.
He may be curious at first and make some movement to come up to you, or he may stand and stare at you, then go find a place to hide or get as far away from you as possible.
This completely normal, especially for a calf that is both not used to you nor accustomed to human contact.
If he does come up to you out of curiosity, move very little and avoid petting him.
Just let him sniff at you and move away when he wants to.
Don't be disappointed if the calf is more interested in its food or sleeping than you, because this may actually be a good sign.
If a calf is feeling alarmed or frightened of you he won't be interested in eating or finding a place to nap.
Rather he will be pacing around his pen, avoiding you, and trying to find a way out.
He may just be walking around a lot, casting nervous glances at you. , Do the same again as indicated in the steps above.
Continue to do this until the calf appears comfortable around you:
This is indicated by eating or grazing, and/or laying down in your presence.
This may take you anywhere from after 3 attempts to at least
10.
It will depend on the individual calf., This may mean taking your time with feeding the calf, talking to him as you do so, and staying for a few minutes afterward.
If you've figured out a name for him, then use that so he knows who you're calling him by.
Don't try to reach out and pet the calf just yet, because you should be more focused on him getting comfortable being near you than you trying to touch it. , Try to offer the feed to him at first with your hand, holding it somewhat low where you're sitting.
If that fails after several minutes, then leave it on the ground in a pile near you; not under you.
Stay where you are, and try not to pay too much attention to the calf, which includes not touching him if he comes to sniff at the pile you left for him.
If he doesn't come close to eat the pile or attempts to sniff your hand, then leave the calf be and try again the next time., This may take several tries in combination with the step above, so patience and time is needed.
But don't spend too long at it; 10 to 20 minutes is ideal for each session.
Take this as an opportunity to stand up while offering the feed.
He will have seen you standing and walking as you come in and out of his pen to clean out his bedding and feed him, so in combination with you sitting and reading with him, this part shouldn't cause much trouble with the calf.
Especially if you are consistent in being the one to bed and feed him regularly. , Avoid touching the top of the head or the muzzle; instead start from the chin and under the jaw, with a gentle touch at first.
If the calf doesn't move away from you with that touch, turn it into a gentle scratch for a couple seconds.
From there you can move, using the calf as a guide to let you know how comfortable he is with you (don't force yourself on him, in other words), from his chin and jaw down his neck to his chest.
It's very important that you move in baby steps, repeating from the same or similar spot you started him with before moving just a little farther each time.
But don't push it.
If he moves away because he's not comfortable with the new spot your scratching him on, let him move away, but get him to come back to you right away so that you're not ending on a negative note.
It's at this time you can also try to get him comfortable with putting and having a halter on to start halter-breaking him.
Once you have the halter on him you can really begin to get him to get comfortable with you touching and grooming him.
Remember to use yourself and the halter as a source where good things come from. , Bovines are very food-motivated, calves especially, so "bribing" him with food will be very easy especially now that he understands who and where his feed is coming from.
Call his name as you do so.
Eventually you may be able to call his name without having any treats for him and he'll readily come to you. -
Step 3: Remain in your spot for 20 to 30 minutes at a time.
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Step 4: Leave your spot and return the next day or a few hours later.
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Step 5: Make feeding time a time your calf will associate you with good things.
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Step 6: When not feeding
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Step 7: and after the calf is comfortable sitting or eating with you
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Step 8: you can try to coax him with a handful of grass or hay
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Step 9: or a taste of pellets or grain.
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Step 10: Once the calf has become comfortable enough to come and eat from the pile next to you
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Step 11: try once again to get him to eat from your hands.
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Step 12: If you finally have the calf eating from your hands
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Step 13: now try to touch him.
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Step 14: Once you have him comfortable with touching him
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Step 15: then you can start training him to come to you.
Detailed Guide
The best place to sit is where the calf can see and smell you and come up to you on his own.
You can choose to start in the corner of the pen for the time being, or near its food and water.
Use a pail or stool or log to sit on, or anything that is relatively comfortable.
This is because you may be seated for about a half-hour at a time or more.
Sitting is also better than squatting, though both methods are used to make you look smaller and more vulnerable than you actually are.
If you find a clean place on the ground to sit on and wish to sit there instead, then feel free to use that.
This will certainly eliminating the need for a pail, cut log, stool, or anything else bring and sit on.
This will give the calf the impression that your focus is completely off him and only on the object in your hand, making you appear less threatening.
It's completely up to you if you feel comfortable reading silently or out loud the calf.
Some may recommend reading out loud to get the calf used to your voice, and some may not.
It just depends on your comfort level. , Read aloud, or silently (your choice), and look around every so often to see how the calf is reacting to you.
He may be curious at first and make some movement to come up to you, or he may stand and stare at you, then go find a place to hide or get as far away from you as possible.
This completely normal, especially for a calf that is both not used to you nor accustomed to human contact.
If he does come up to you out of curiosity, move very little and avoid petting him.
Just let him sniff at you and move away when he wants to.
Don't be disappointed if the calf is more interested in its food or sleeping than you, because this may actually be a good sign.
If a calf is feeling alarmed or frightened of you he won't be interested in eating or finding a place to nap.
Rather he will be pacing around his pen, avoiding you, and trying to find a way out.
He may just be walking around a lot, casting nervous glances at you. , Do the same again as indicated in the steps above.
Continue to do this until the calf appears comfortable around you:
This is indicated by eating or grazing, and/or laying down in your presence.
This may take you anywhere from after 3 attempts to at least
10.
It will depend on the individual calf., This may mean taking your time with feeding the calf, talking to him as you do so, and staying for a few minutes afterward.
If you've figured out a name for him, then use that so he knows who you're calling him by.
Don't try to reach out and pet the calf just yet, because you should be more focused on him getting comfortable being near you than you trying to touch it. , Try to offer the feed to him at first with your hand, holding it somewhat low where you're sitting.
If that fails after several minutes, then leave it on the ground in a pile near you; not under you.
Stay where you are, and try not to pay too much attention to the calf, which includes not touching him if he comes to sniff at the pile you left for him.
If he doesn't come close to eat the pile or attempts to sniff your hand, then leave the calf be and try again the next time., This may take several tries in combination with the step above, so patience and time is needed.
But don't spend too long at it; 10 to 20 minutes is ideal for each session.
Take this as an opportunity to stand up while offering the feed.
He will have seen you standing and walking as you come in and out of his pen to clean out his bedding and feed him, so in combination with you sitting and reading with him, this part shouldn't cause much trouble with the calf.
Especially if you are consistent in being the one to bed and feed him regularly. , Avoid touching the top of the head or the muzzle; instead start from the chin and under the jaw, with a gentle touch at first.
If the calf doesn't move away from you with that touch, turn it into a gentle scratch for a couple seconds.
From there you can move, using the calf as a guide to let you know how comfortable he is with you (don't force yourself on him, in other words), from his chin and jaw down his neck to his chest.
It's very important that you move in baby steps, repeating from the same or similar spot you started him with before moving just a little farther each time.
But don't push it.
If he moves away because he's not comfortable with the new spot your scratching him on, let him move away, but get him to come back to you right away so that you're not ending on a negative note.
It's at this time you can also try to get him comfortable with putting and having a halter on to start halter-breaking him.
Once you have the halter on him you can really begin to get him to get comfortable with you touching and grooming him.
Remember to use yourself and the halter as a source where good things come from. , Bovines are very food-motivated, calves especially, so "bribing" him with food will be very easy especially now that he understands who and where his feed is coming from.
Call his name as you do so.
Eventually you may be able to call his name without having any treats for him and he'll readily come to you.
About the Author
Ryan Perry
Writer and educator with a focus on practical practical skills knowledge.
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