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Author Topic: Thinking of getting a young bull next year  (Read 10676 times)

trish.farm

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • hampshire
Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« on: October 08, 2014, 02:05:26 pm »
After 2 years of expense and hard work trying to AI my Jersey girls, with not overly impressive results due to one reason or another, i have decided i need a bull!!  Thinking at the moment about getting a young Angus next year, running him with my girls for 3 months July to Sept, then selling him.  Obviously will take advice from local cattlemen when buying one but; if it is a young bull, how will i know he can do the business?  Are cattle at markets or privately sold garanteed  to be BVD etc free if they say they are?  (i have a closed, clean small herd).  How easily will i be able to sell him on?  Sorry, probly very silly questions but never dealt with a bull before!  He will be turned out in our watermeadows with the girls and hopefully a few calves at foot, also worried how he will react with me walking around them everyday with the dogs to check them.  My girls are all tame and friendly!!  Any comments would be appreciated!!

Factotum

  • Joined Jun 2012
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #1 on: October 08, 2014, 05:29:23 pm »
Up here I think it's usual for the BVD status of breeding animals to be listed in the catalogue at the Mart - also whether the farm is in a High Health Scheme - you should consider Johnes and IBR as well as BVD. Not sure how you could get a guarantee - if the herd has a record of negative results going back a few years that should give re-assurance.

We've used young Shetland bulls - age about 13 months - our current bull was purchased at 13 months and went to work with gusto as soon as he was let into the females. We let him loose on the cows first, then gave him a wee break before the heifers. All the calves arrived within 1 month - so I think he got all the females at the first attempt.

We walk amongst the herd when the bull is with them - the females and their offspring are used to us and will accept hand feeding (carrots, hay). Mostly the bull ignores us, but is interested in carrots. We NEVER try to hand feed the bull - he get's his carrots tossed onto the ground. Although our bull is very placid, we always keep any eye out for him and watch his behaviour - though to be honest we're more likely to be accidentally  damaged by an over-enthusiastic cow wanting another carrot and barging her herd mates out of the way.

I would not walk a dog in with our herd - the females are very conscious of dogs - we get walkers along the road
beside the fields, and the cattle walk alongside the dog-walkers shadowing them over the fence until they pass out of range.

Sue

trish.farm

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • hampshire
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #2 on: October 08, 2014, 06:02:48 pm »
Thank you Sue, really helpful comments.  My Jerseys have grown up with my dogs and totally ignore them, but i think i might go dog-free for the months i have a bull out!  I reckon that if i get a young angus around 13 months, he wont be too big and scary, will be fine with my jerseys as they are quite small, and would sell on ok after about 3 months so i dont have to house a bull on its own all year. 

Factotum

  • Joined Jun 2012
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #3 on: October 08, 2014, 06:41:20 pm »
Even bulls need company - ours is happily living with some steers (born 2013) in a field away from the cows and this years calves as the young heifers are bulling already.

One started bulling at 4 months -  Shetlands can be a bit precocious.

Good luck with finding a nice bull.

Sue

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #4 on: October 08, 2014, 06:59:45 pm »
I agree with Sue. We bought a seven month old bull in March 2013, used him two weeks short of his first birthday on our three cows and he got them all in calf within three days. We ran him with the bullocks over winter then ran him with the cows and calves August to early October this year; I hope he's got the four in calf (they seem settled but won't know until they are PD'd in a few weeks. )Today he went off to the abattoir - a short life but a happy one, I think.

We're collecting an April born bull in a few weeks and plan to do the same again. Although I wouldn't have turned my back on Storm, he was pretty placid and at that age, they haven't become seriously territorial (so I've read).

I was advised to check his testicles to make sure they were OK. I confess, I never did that but they seemed to work OK  ;D

trish.farm

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • hampshire
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #5 on: October 08, 2014, 09:02:35 pm »
oooh, feeling a bit more confident about this now!! My search for a young Angus will start in the spring!!  And i will check his balls!!  Anyone know any Angus breeders in Hampshire?? 

Do you reckon i would be able to sell him easy enough after using him for 3 months? I dont have any boys he can run with as my calves are weaned and then wintered indoors. 

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #6 on: October 09, 2014, 10:07:58 am »
Depending on how much you pay for him, it might be more economic to put him in the freezer  :eyelashes:

farmvet

  • Joined Feb 2014
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #7 on: October 11, 2014, 11:12:50 pm »
Have you considered hiring a bull instead? You can often get a much better bull than you would buy without the hassles of selling again etc. They are usually good health status, screened clear of major disease & vaccinated, plus good temperament & easy calvers.

trish.farm

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • hampshire
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #8 on: October 12, 2014, 12:05:35 pm »
My problem is that I only have 3 cows, so the cost of hiring a bull is huge!!  I also would prefer a small, young animal so I dont have to deal with a big mature bull, I dont have the handling equipment for anything big and strong!  I will obviously need to TB before they leave my farm and the thought of containing a mature bull leaves me cold!!  Know anyone who hires out nice friendly small AA ??

shygirl

  • Joined May 2013
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #9 on: October 12, 2014, 06:19:51 pm »
we got our shetland bull at 6 mths and he was working by 10 mths old. we were complete novices and he taught us well. he grew up with us and is now a very placid bull and hopefully we will keep him long term as he is so quiet and chilled.
have you considered a Shetland? they mature quickly so can be used and in the freezer in their 2nd year if you don't want them - or want to change breeds when you have more experience with bulls. you could get a decent weaned Shetland bull calf for £500.

trish.farm

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • hampshire
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #10 on: October 12, 2014, 06:48:24 pm »
I did look at shetland bulls as they are smaller, but an AA x Jersey is very easy to sell and prices hold very well as stores, even a 7/8 month old calf fetches a good price at the moment, i dont know how that would compare to a Shetland x Jersey.  I also have the problem in that i dont keep on any bullocks etc to run with a bull when he is not in with the girlies, and i dont want to keep a bull on its own.  Calves are weaned in nov at about 7 months, and winter indoors or are sold straight away.

farmvet

  • Joined Feb 2014
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #11 on: October 13, 2014, 10:49:27 pm »
Just leave the bull running with the girls! Lots of farmers just leave them running, or put them back in after all pd in calf. It keeps the bulls much saner & fitter than penning them up for months. It can also alert you to problems of reabsorbing calves as the bull detects any cows that were settled in calf coming back bulling.

trish.farm

  • Joined Feb 2014
  • hampshire
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #12 on: October 14, 2014, 08:52:12 am »
hmm hadnt thought of that! Love this Forum!!  God knows where i would be without it!!  I will do some investigation as to demand and prices for Shetland x Jersey weaned calves and stores.  I need to know that i can sell what i produce! 

I move my girls around the farm on headcollars, do you reckon a Shetland Bull, (if i got it young enough) would follow the girls about?

Rosemary

  • Joined Oct 2007
  • Barry, Angus, Scotland
    • The Accidental Smallholder
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #13 on: October 14, 2014, 09:45:33 am »
Shetlands are great if you are plannng to finish the offspring yourself but if you are going to sell weaned calves or stores, then I would go for a "commercial" cross. A Shetland x Jersey will make less money than an AAx or Limousinx or Hereford x even if it's very similar looking because buyers like to have some expectation of what  they're buying - generally dealers don't like anything unfamiliar.

I agree that the bull will be happier running with the cows all the time but you'll have less control of calving and you'll need to have any heifer calves out before they are sexually mature - as young as four months in Shetlands but may be later in other breeds.



Marches Farmer

  • Joined Dec 2012
  • Herefordshire
Re: Thinking of getting a young bull next year
« Reply #14 on: October 14, 2014, 10:23:18 am »
Herefords (traditional type) have the reputation of being the most docile breed.  Would also give white-faced calves so folks would know what they were getting.  Have you considered AI?

 

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