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Post by tonhou on Jan 10, 2014 15:25:56 GMT -5
We have a newly acquired bull who is very quiet. He is quite a big boy, approx 118cm (48") at the hip. However when it comes to mating he seems to be very punishing on the cows. I haven't actually observed him serving a cow - three times it has been at night, and the next morning they have looked plain miserable. They did recover in an hour or two and all have held in calf.
Yesterday a later calving cow was coming in season early in the day but when I got home she was sitting down and he was hovering around her and trying to serve her in that position. When I got her up she was very tentative and could barely put weight on her right hand back leg. I managed to get her and calf back to the yard at a very slow pace. On the way there was a clicking noise. I am hoping it is not too serious. This morning she was up and grazing but still very tentative about weight on back leg.
I am wondering whether I should not leave him with cows but only allow access when they are in season and give him a couple of services and then get him away? Any thoughts on this?
--Tony
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Post by cddexter on Jan 10, 2014 22:31:37 GMT -5
Tony: some thoughts.
You don't say how old he is. For a mature bull in NZ, 48 inches is no big deal. I've heard of, but have no experience of, very aggressive bulls who, in human terms, basically, rape. See if you can catch him in the pre-act. Sometimes, just like humans, bulls are too well endowed, so to speak....he may be so anxious or aggressive a breeder he's pushing the cows. I'd be more afraid of internal damage...
Not much help, am I? For totally different reasons, you may want to consider a different bull. cheers, c.
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Post by tonhou on Jan 11, 2014 0:59:53 GMT -5
Thanks for the suggestions. I'd like to give him a bit of a chance - he has lots of good attributes, breeding, temperament, A2 etc. He is just 4 years old. It could be that he is just pretty weighty. He certainly does hug close pre-heat and seems to know exactly when they are coming on. --Tony Attachments:
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Post by stephanie on Jan 11, 2014 4:19:43 GMT -5
My bull is a non short but still not very tall or huge, however he tends to get fat and therefore heavy quite easily. So before its time for him to serve my cows I have him in a starvation paddock all winter, usually with an in calf cow that could do with being a little lighter. I am particularly thinking of any young heifers. Your bull is certainly not thin and another time if he was mine I might try to lighten the load for the girls before he serves them, that might help them out.
Stephanie
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Post by carragheendexters on Jan 12, 2014 6:22:06 GMT -5
Hi Tony, Your bull is up there in height, but I think maybe it is his weight that could be the problem. He certainly has some condition on for a working bull  . He sounds like he would be a perfect bull for a large commercial herd, he would certainly get his cows in calf, and with plenty of them he would have to move around, lose some weight, and not spend too much time with any one cow, if several were in heat at once.
I think if he was my bull, I would first get some weight off, then if he was halter trained and good temperament, I would walk him in on a halter to the in heat (standing heat) cow, let him serve her, then walk him out. If not halter trained, maybe you could put him in the yards and bring the cow to him, one mating, then get her out.
People tend to keep their bulls too fat, they keep them in with their cows and calves on the best feed when they don't need it. Bulls have very low feed requirements compared to other classes of cattle. They are doing their bulls no favours by having them too fat, breeding cows is very hard on a bull's joints if he is carrying too much weight, they come down off the cow with quite a jar. If you keep your bulls weight's down they will last longer before breaking down, though most people don't expect bulls to live a long life, they go for slaughter after they are past their use by date. However, if you are like me and like to keep their favourite bull into their old age, keep them on the thin side, then there is no reason that they shouldn't last well into their teens with good joints and injury free.
I hope your cow is OK, and she hasn't sustained any major damage to her hip.
regards Louise
PS. We try and keep a yearling bull for heifers if not AI'ing them for this reason, a mature bull is way to heavy for a heifer.
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zephyrhillsusan
member
Caught Dexteritis in Dec. 2009. Member of this forum since Oct. 2013.
Posts: 1,502 
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Post by zephyrhillsusan on Jan 12, 2014 12:11:12 GMT -5
As a soon-to-be-bull-owner, I just want to thank you all for your tips on bull management, weight, feed requirements, etc. Just keep the advice coming--you never know who you might be helping in addition to the person that asked the question!
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Post by copperhead on Jan 12, 2014 22:39:21 GMT -5
An aggressive bull is a good thing, but, sometimes a cow can turn wrong and his mounting can cause a hip or leg to get hurt. He is in really good shape, and probably is a little heavy, but a bull shouldn't hurt a grown cow. Nature has taken care of that, she can avoid him, but sometimes they will wear a cow out. He's not going to pester her once she goes out of heat.
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Post by wagradexters on Jan 17, 2014 23:42:21 GMT -5
Hi Copperhead, perhaps a better word might be persistent.
An aggressive bull is never a good thing in any breed, let alone in a "family" breed. The "courting" should appear as if gentlemanly bovine persistence has convinced the female that he really is a nice bloke after all. Persistence may stimulate hormones but basically she is either in standing heat or she is not in standing heat.
We use heifer-bulls on maidens. The current small heifer-bull is 30 months old, non-dwarf. He is old for a heifer-bull.
Margaret
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Post by carragheendexters on Jan 18, 2014 5:57:37 GMT -5
Yes Margaret, I love the way they sort of say please. The little flick of their head and the little grunt, like they're saying come on, come on, please , please! Just trying the cow out to see her reaction.
Is that Gremlin? He's a wonderful size for heifers, such a little fellow.
regards Louise
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Post by wagradexters on Jan 18, 2014 21:30:59 GMT -5
Gremlin or Griffin Louise. Griffin has the better wedge shape, flatter shoulders; finer fronted calves.
Margaret
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. He sounds like he would be a perfect bull for a large commercial herd, he would certainly get his cows in calf, and with plenty of them he would have to move around, lose some weight, and not spend too much time with any one cow, if several were in heat at once.
