December 2017 NZHCS Newsletter

New Zealand Highland Cattle Society Spring/Summer Newsletter TRAINING CALVES www.highlandcattle.org.nz December 2017

President’s Report

by Doug Sheldon

The is almost over and the 2018 calendars are once again available for sale, with all details on the Society website. Remember that all photos are from our members, and once again, we encourage everyone to take photo opportunities throughout the year and send them to us.

Thank you, Catherine, for your excellent and timely article on training calves, and to all other contributors. Hopefully many will be encouraged to follow your methods.

Breeders of animals whose pedigrees are recorded are automatically stud breeders. Accordingly, the Registrar’s comments are particularly important in maintaining the integrity of our Highland breed and bloodlines in New Zealand, and ultimately the value of our animals.

Council members wish you all the very best for a Merry Christmas and a happy and prosperous New Year.

From the Registrar DNA samples

Breeders are required to send in a hair sample with their female registrations – this sample is kept in the breeders file and will be used if there are any uncertainties around animal identification of the animal or its progeny. The costs of DNA testing are borne by the member. DNA parentage proofing is done if a herd return is not supplied or if the information on that herd return does not match that of the registration application. Bulls have DNA samples collected at the time of assessment and the NZHCS pays for these to be profiled.

Having DNA samples available means that in the event that a DNA parentage or sire proofing is required - it is simple and fast. If samples are not on file then it can be difficult to obtain a sample because an animal has been culled, died, or sold. Pedigrees are all about absolutely correct animal identification and this is why tags and DNA samples are taken seriously by the Society. The animal identification and herd book integrity requirements are outlined in our Constitution and Rules and Regulations.

If you are uncertain about tagging or DNA sampling – please contact the Registrar or a Councillor - they will be able to provide guidance.

COUNCIL CORNER REMINDERS: •

Visit our website. New articles of interest are added as appropriate.

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Like us on Facebook

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Register all new calves with NAIT and record all transfers.

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Transfer animals sold to non-Society members. This provides a trail if/when the purchaser or a subsequent purchaser later decides to join the Society and bring the cattle’s progeny into the Herdbook.

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The 2018 AGM will be held in mid Canterbury next year.

www.highlandcattle.org.nz

HALTER TRAINING -

by Catherine Atkinson

Sue’s training program was my starting point. After watching and talking to other people re how they trained their animals, I made up my own rules. My method works for me and my calves, but once you have the basic idea, do what suits you best as there are no hard and fast rules – GOOD LUCK.

Day 1

You will need:

In a small pen…..

• • •

• • • • •

Calf – training more than one at a time can make it easier Calf halter – leading type (I do not bother with tethering type halters) Brush – whichever sort you have, I use metal comb variety Long lead rope – 5 to 8 metres Short lead rope – as normally used in the show ring Small enclosed area - yards or pen Crush Larger enclosed area – to lead them around in

The process may take about 5 days plus, does not need to be consecutive but the closer together the better.

Talk quietly and calmly to the calves at all time.

Each animal may have a different temperament. Do not lose your cool. If it not working out, stop take a break and come back to it later or the next day.

Take the halter off at the end of each session (it is good practice for you and the calf to put the halter on and off each day).

The process can start at 3 to 4 months old even if the calf is still on mother. Just separate cow / calf during training time/s. (Some mothers watch and keep a close eye on her calf, some enjoy the break and head off for an uninterrupted meal – best for me is when mother is not too close by)

In a small pen.....pat, stroke, talk, and just walk around among the calves for around ½ an hour. Repeat 2 or 3 times this day.

Day 2 Pat, stroke, talk for about 10 minutes.

Put calf in crush and put leading halter on.

More patting, stroking, talking etc.

Tie calf up to a secure post, low level with a short rope.

Leave tied up for ½ to 1 hour and leave the area. The calf may throw a real tantrum and throw itself on the ground / pull hard on the rope etc – this is ok and part of the process. Some may give in relatively quickly, others may require repeat attempts.

Release from halter and pat, stroke, talk while they settle before putting back with mother.

Day 3 In a small pen…..

Pat, stroke, talk for about 10 minutes.

Put calf in crush and put leading halter on.

Tie to a higher position on your post Touch, talk, pat, stroke and brush them while tied up (perhaps leave the head for now) – do this off and on for about an hour.

Give them a food reward while they are tied up – introduce them to the meal you will use, or what they are already used to.

Leave them tied up and in peace to eat the food reward.

Release from halter and pat, stroke, talk while they settle before putting back with mother.

ARE YOU HAVING FUN YET ?

Day 4 Put halter on and tie calf to high position on post.

Touch, talk, stroke, pat, brush – and give food reward.

Attach long lead rope, move to the larger pen, one calf at a time.

Walk calf around in an anti clockwise direction ie you are on its left side

Push the calf if it does not walk Walk with rope slack

HALTER TRAINING .. Continued •

Day 4 (continued)

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Walk with rope slack If / when calf tries to go wrong way, tighten rope (may trip calf up)

Tie up time…short time in the beginning sessions (20 minutes) Can get longer…1 hour When I let them all go back to the paddock I have more piles of silage out. With or without meal

TIPS….

Start walking again with rope slack

Gradually make length of rope shorter ie getting closer to • the calf.

Tie to post again and give food reward Release from halter and pat, stroke, talk while they settle before putting back with mother.

• Day 5 Put halter on Attach a short lead rope and walk around

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Tie up with food reward •

Release

At any stage (pre training and post training) it is good to put food in the enclosed area/s for the animals to come in and eat of their own accord… and nothing happens to them.

Always put the calf in the same place (routine) they get used to “their” spot and know what is going to happen next ie stand at X, halter goes on, eat yummy food, get brushed, halter comes off, go back to mummy!

It is easier to have more than one calf to train! But just having one is still ok.

I buy my halters from Shoof (pg 85) (http:// www.shoof.co.nz/nzcatalogue/page_85.pdf.

Notes: •

They like to be brushed and talked quietly to at any time

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Food reward – I use meal which has molasses in it ie No 2 Soy

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If you, or the calf, are not having fun at any stage, stop and come back to it later.

Calf Training Notes • • • • •

• • • • •

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Yards – big area (6mtrs x 6mtrs)….leading into…

Small pen area 3mtrs x 2 mtrs…leading into…

Crush 6 mtrs long Rope – 5 mtrs (soft rope for dangling/tying around neck) Short lead (600cm) fastened to a “ring” in the small pen (I also have “rings” in the bigger area too. You can never have too many tie up options!)

Lead with clip – to attach to halter Halter – I use leading halter not tethering After each session I always take halter OFF Food – hay / silage, chaff, meal Putting on the halter…I bring it UP from under their chin so they don’t panic when they see something coming up/past their eyes. As they get used to it this doesn’t matter so much (depends on the animal) Halter…I only do the first fasten ie I don’t thread tag back through the clip. Easy/quicker for placement and release until they trust you more Always talk to them. Especially the ones tied up

Benefits of Halter / Leading It would be easy to think that unless breeders intended to show their cattle, haltering isn’t important, but that would be wrong.

The benefits for training and handling cattle of any age are substantial and the animals never forget what they have been taught whether they are shown or not.

Quiet, well-handled cattle from weaners to mature, are much easier to sell.

Because they remember what a halter is for, even if they haven’t had one on for years, they are also easier to handle if there are problems with calving, etc, later on.

www.highlandcattle.org.nz

ORDER YOUR 2018 NZHCS CALENDAR Doug—021 938641 : jenny@eadon.co.nz

IMPORTANT REMINDER — Temperament Highland cattle are the most lovable of cattle but sometimes they get a bad reputation when some are seen to be of poor temperament. It is disappointing to see cattle sold that their owners are unable to handle when these animals should be put in the freezer or sent to the works. It is important, however, not to blame temperament when lack of handling may be the main problem.

When it comes to halter training, even the most magical techniques cannot overcome animals with bad temperaments in their genes. When selecting animals, select heavily on temperament and you will reap the rewards in the long term.

TRUST is the most important factor here to end up with a quiet, well trained animal.

Some cattle don’t want to be trained but their temperament is good in the paddock. Recognise the difference: cull poor temperament, halter train some and train others to lead.

Training Older Cattle

Comments by Doug Sheldon

After weaning, we have found it is a good idea to put a rope halter on the animal and leave it on for a couple of days while the animal is grazing. By doing this, when they stand on the rope they automatically learn that the halter restricts them and this helps with the tying up process.

Bringing the animals into the yards in a group and into a race where they are confined is easiest, and is the ideal place to get them used to brushing.

Senior cows can be trained as well: We have known instances when a seven year old cow was taught to lead, and a nine year old bull taught tricks for a filming session. Remember that generally an older animal requires a bit more patience and time for training.

Halters: up to around 2 years, a Poly-Rope Halter works well, No 203 480 on Shoof’s 2017/18 catalogue on page 86. Cow leading halters (also pg 86) are good for fully grown animals, although bulls may need something heavier.

www.highlandcattle.org.nz