Crazy Steer....

Took a friend out to the auction last night, and she bought three steers- two to feed out and one fat. They loaded easy at the auction, but one went nutso on the way back. They don't have any really good handling chutes, and the two to be fed were turned out into a pasture with two other steers. But the fed out one was supposed to go into a pen, got loose in a horse stall barn that was converted fron an old loafing shed. He was charging us, pinned me against a wall, ran over her husband and hired man, and finally took about five hours to con into a stall with some water. The sliding door was reinforced with five stakes at the bottom and a steel gate across the front to try to keep him from pushing it apart ( he tore up the tack room and another stall that had the gate open). And the stall where he is is going to be real fun to try to reload onto a trailer.

Guess my question is, will he calm down enough with some time to handle him safely? He's 1200#, and quicker than all four of us put together. I've had a couple over the years that have been nutso, but I've got fairly good facilities to handle them. This one scared me, and there is really nothing up there to handle him short of a 30-06. And the butchers frown on that now....Any ideas and rude comments accepted...

Sometimes they are just crazy. I get those out of here fast. I'm doubting he will settle out, especially on his own away from the others. Sometimes a crowd helps settle them.

I wonder why he was at the sale barn..................??

If he is drinking from water bucket- might see if you can slip a trank into the water. Old practice on hogs to be butchered was some beer in the water bucket if they were getting upset, had figured out that something bad was going to happen to them- might take lots of beer, have your friendly sherrif raid a underage party to "confiscate and destroy" while issueing a "warning only" ticket. Next suggestion if available- put a calm companion next to him or next stall over for a hour or so, one of the friendly calves hand feeding some sugar cubes or apple slices where rowdy can see it, might get him to take a few nibbles. Steer isn"t crazy, just highly suspicious of what is coming next- he"s right isn"t he?
Butcher may not like some medications in the system, check first. DNR training officer may like a trankgun target for new recruits- check with him. Wait a day to let steer calm down, play some music- like "home on the range?"- better not, he"s trying to get out to range already. If worse comes to worse- a tractor and loader, 100 foot of rope sling to carry him to butcher wagon and the .30 caliber. RN

(quoted from post at 11:12:34 07/10/13) Sometimes they are just crazy. I get those out of here fast. I'm doubting he will settle out, especially on his own away from the others. Sometimes a crowd helps settle them.

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In my years of cattle experience, I believe notjustair summarizes it well. Almost always, pulling one away from the others results in an upset/anxious animal.

Was that sale Barn in Maryland or Pa.? I used to haul goats to New Holland years ago and I have taken back hauls from Westminster and Frederick and a sale around Whitehall that I can't remember the name of, just curious how many barns are left around there.

Frederick is gone, before we quit milking we were hauling up to Hagerstown Md.

Chances are pretty high that he ain't gonna calm down without the help of a bullet. Do it sooner or later before he hurts or kills someone.

Have had quite a few that just ain't right, and we always decided they were the ones we were gonna butcher.

I went out to Westminster, but I also go to Hew Holland and Vintage. The sale near White Hall was up at New Park, Pa., and has been closed for thirty years (you're dating yourself). Aberdeen Sales at Churchville closed close to twenty years ago when the owner was killed in an accident down on the shore, and Lancaster Livestock has been gone for probably thirty years now. The next closest sale is Greencastle or Lebanon, both close to two hour hauls. Even so, the other three I normally use are close to forty or fifty miles of increasingly urban traffic....

Had one that went nutzy when I was working my Grandparents place. Tried several times to corale her to no avail so just let her stay with the herd till it was time. Then talked to the butcher, so's he was ready, laid the 30-06 over the hood, so's she was laying down biled and set her in the truck with a loader and headed for the butcher.
Then it got funny. Wife had already dictated that she didn't want the heart, kidneys, liver or tongue. So I pull in with the cow laying in the truck the helpers jump to it. Pull her up, rollin' the guts out at the same time and pick up the heart, kidney and liver turn lokk at me and ask if I want the sweet-meat, the what? guess not, and it all disappears. Then comes the question if I want the brains and of course I say no and those boys almost get in a fight over who gets the brains.
I would says if the butcher doesn't cooperate when you have the crazy ones Find a new butcher.

If you butcher it now,the meat will be very tough as the animal is stressed. Hopefully it will calm down soon.

Leave him alone for a couple days, with food and water. If he is still nuts, a 22 to the back of the head works great. A 30-06 to the front of the head works too. I have hauled nearly as many to the locker plant, on a flat bed, as I have in the stock trailer.

(quoted from post at 12:15:41 07/10/13) Frederick is gone, before we quit milking we were hauling up to Hagerstown Md.

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Justin, do you live around Fredrick? I used to milk cows for William Schrodel when he still had his farm by the land fill. I was stationed near there in '91/'92.

Turn him out with the other 4-5 and he will probably calm down. If not, wait until he is sleeping or lying down to kill him.

I"d give him a day or two in the pen with feed and water and quiet and see if he sweetens up. If not turn him in with the others and start feeding them along the fenceline. When it"s time to do him in, put the feed out like usual then pop him with a rifle in the head. With his head down to eat the bullet won"t go on into his body depending on the size of the rifle. Draw an imaginary line from horn to eye, horn to eye and where the lines cross is where the bullet goes. Well placed you don"t need big artillery. The others will jump back for a bit but then come up and finish eating.

Could the sale barn have sedated him to make it through the sale?

I thought the cattle had to walk off the trailer in order for the butcher to take them.At least that's the way it is in Mn.

Load in trailer with top. Drive to auction. Get check in mail. Why ask for trouble, injuries, and all that hassle. Cut your losses and sell him. Tom

I heard that if you do not give him any water, he will be happier to see you three days from now, when you have a water bucket in your hand.
SDE

Tomnocentx has one of the better solutions.

22 to the back of the head? I never used more than a 22, and always in the forehead. Except the time I didn't have any 22 ammo. I've seen a box of 22's put into the back of the head and the cow still very much alive.

Federal laws are that the cow has to be up and walk into the slaughterhouse itself, if being sold. If it's for your own use it can be already dead.