Suggestions please:

My husband and I will be receiving our first bull (an angus mix about 500 pounds) this weekend. We know which end to feed, but that's about all.

Any and all suggestions gratefully accepted as to what to feed, how to halter brake, etc.

-- Sheila Lutz (glutz43@alltell.net), June 20, 2001

Answers

What is your intent with this critter? You mention a halter and breaking him - to what purpose? Also your title says steer but text says bull. If for eventual freezer beef, and still a bull, castration is recommended (see article in Jul/Aug 01 issue). Beyond that you really only need to provide good grazing for him to fatten up. Supplemental feeding is at your discretion.

-- Ken S. in WC TN (scharabo@aol.com), June 20, 2001.

Might not be necessary to put a halter on him. Regardless, you'll probably have to wait on that for a while till he gets used to you. Has he been handled by others before? Is he the only animal on the farm or will he be with other critters? Hope your fencing is good! If you're hoping to butcher him in the fall, you'll have to put him on grain. Just ask your local feed mill guy. Are you grazing him or throwing hay to him?

-- Pat (mikulptrc@aol.com), June 20, 2001.

Vaccinations are a good idea. Ask the seller if he has been vaccinated. If he hasn't been vaccinated or castrated, those two things can be done at the same time in a squeeze chute. A good way to halter train is to lay the halter in the grain bucket so that it is open. Let him eat grain through the open halter for a week or so as he gets used to you. When you get to the point where you can pet him as he eats, carefully pull the straps up around the back of his head and do the clasp. It may take awhile and requires lots of patience on your part. Once he gets used to that, you can work on clipping a lead rope to the halter. Angus can be pretty ornery though. We never could halter train our last angus stag, but the hereford was easy.

-- Skip Walton (sundaycreek@gnrac.net), June 20, 2001.

-- Sue Diederich (willow666@rocketmail.com), June 22, 2001