Some halter training progress is happening for little Emma and Miss Brittney. Being only two weeks old, Emma is learning to be handled by humans. All calves are super friendly when they're small and will follow you just about anywhere if they think they may get some milk or food out of you. When you first put a halter on any of them, all they want to do is pull back. Just like any animal; horse, puppy, learning what is wanted from them while on a halter or leash takes practice and training.
Now, it's not necessary for our calves, heifers and cows to be halter trained at all but I wanted to begin this halter training program with the kids so they can feel more a part of the dairy and learn to handle the calves and when they're older, the heifers and cows.
To show a heifer or large animal at the county fair, a child must be 8 or 9 years old. Bryce and Paige have a few more years to go before they get to that point and if they choose to go that route, giving them some experience with the calves they've picked out themselves, will give them a sense of accomplishment and some good hands on experience.....I hope.
Along with practicing to lead on a halter, comes lots of 'hand's on' pet time. Just today, we found Brittney LOVES to be scratched behind the ears.
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8 comments:
Brittney is so CUTE!
And really, don't we all like to be scratched behind the ear?
Love this great for kids and calves
i always love seeing paige hanging with the boys!
love your new wallpaper on the blog!
Our shows at the county and district levels allow the kids too young for 4-H to lead calves in a class called peewee showmanship. They can have another person with them. Often they receive a participation ribbon or a dollar. Some fairs will pick a top winner with a trophy. Its really cute. One county gives them a t shirt that says I led a cow at the Morrow County Fair.
Add to that patience!
@Pat, you're right!
@flemming4716, I'm not sure if we have a pee wee class at our local fairs....I'll have to look into it:) Thanks!
I enjoy reading your posts and taking a look at your pictures. I also am the wife of a dairyman and mother of two farm boys (11 & 12 yrs old). I did not grow up on a farm so it is all new to me but there is nothing like time the 4 of us spend together, even if it is just cleaning the heifer barn or checking the fence lines. My boys show cows and goats at our local fair in July. We are struggling a little in halter breaking our spring calf for this year's show. She doesn't like to move at all! I guess practice, more practice and patience are in order.
Hi Chris, so nice to meet you here! Sounds as though you keep quite busy with your farm boys and their show animals. Halter breaking is definitely different with every calf....sometimes there's a stubborn one in the bunch but just give it time and she'll learn to trust and like being lead around:) Thanks for taking the time to comment:)
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