5 Rules for Living with Bulls

rancher1913 · #21 04/30/10, 08:57 PM

if you have spooky cows you will have spooky bulls. I have neighbors with cows so mad all the time you are scared to be around them and I have neighbors with calm cows that you have to yell to get them to even notice you. when I started my heard I swore I would not tolerate a spooky heard and any cow that was spooky went down the road quickly. I buy bulls and inspect them before I take delivery, once got one that was witchy when I got him home and he stayed that way for a week---he was in the freezer the next week. as a result my cows are not pets but I don't have to worry that someone will get hurt just for crossing their path. there are mean dogs and calm dogs--breeding and handling work both ways.

DaleK · #22 04/30/10, 09:06 PM

My neighbour was killed by a 3300lb R&W Holstein bull. It was starting to make him nervous and was going out the door that night but he let it out that morning with the cows and near as they could figure out when he was trying to close the barn door it came back through the door at him, rattled him around inside the barn for a while, eventually got him back out then played with his body for three hours before anyone knew he was missing.

Another neighbour got there with his .308 the same time the first cops showed up. First arrogant cop decided he was going out into the pasture and thought he'd be safe because he had his 9mm sidearm. His older wiser partner held him back and they went with the .308 rifle. After being hit 7 times the bull ran off into the bush and they could still hear him trying to get up for another 10 minutes while they went to get the body and the neighbour guarded them with his rifle. They found out later this bull that was still trying to get back up and come after them had taken three shots in the brain and one through his heart and one lung and was still fighting.

bigmudder77 · #23 05/01/10, 05:19 PM

jersey bulls are crazy ever one we had acted like it had a 1/8 of a brain and 100% power and will to do what it wanted when it wanted

my last steer was crazy it was a jersey mix it would always go through fences kick buildings head but every thing act nice when you were on the out side of the pen but get in there he was head down going back and forth and when he was younger he came after me and i grabbed his head and took him down to the ground and some how he didnt land on me my friend that was there helping me herd them in the building to get there horns down said he was all the way off the ground when i took him down and he was 300-350lbs with some little pointy horns that gave me a bruse on my side

but the bull was a holstin that we left a bull cause we were gonna breed him but then later got a better one and made him a steer at 8 months old and he was the nicest bull we ever had he would stand there you could mess with him be in the pen with him and he was just chill i even sat on top of him when he was laying down and he just turned his head and looked at me didnt get up or any thing

i trusted the bull more than i trusted the steer but still didnt trust them enough to turn my back on them even when they were laying down and putting round bales in the pasture was fun cause as soon as they were off the truck the jersey would come out of no where and head but them and lift them up almost flipping them back over that only happened once every other time i had to put a bale in id give them a 50lb bag of grain and get in and get out as fast as i could cause 1 i didnt wanna have him after me like that and 2 i didnt want the jersey to dent my truck all up and 3 i didnt want him to try to follow the truck back out of the pen

and these rules go with any animal that is still intact goats, pigs, horses, dogs, sheep, deer ANY ANIMAL cause there all the same and with cows i know if a heifer is in heat and you have alot of them in the same area NEVER turn your back on them they will try to mount you when your not looking seen it happen at a sale barn when i guy was trying to get another one up once came from behind him and right up she went and right on top of him people were there and got her away and got him out he was ok but scared

Apryl in ND · #24 05/01/10, 06:42 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bigmudder77

and these rules go with any animal that is still intact goats, pigs, horses, dogs, sheep, deer ANY ANIMAL cause there all the same

My buck goat and intact dog are the gentlest, most even tempered animals on this farm.

bigmudder77 · #25 05/01/10, 07:09 PM

ya its not all animals cause like i said in the post my bull holstein was super nice when my steer jersey was crazy

i also have have all the other aminals but deer but know a guy down the road with them and he says his bucks are crazy when the girls come in heat and some of them are crazy all the time and they will rip you up

another one i forgot to say is every RIR rooster (rhode island red) i have had was the meanest rooster ever and had to go fast and we had one leghorn rooster that was really mean but the others do fine

im just saying NEVER trust any INTACK MALE animal not saying that all are gonna attack you just saying they seem to have a higher agression rate when there still intact but again some are just mean i have a pitbull mix dog that we found on the side of the road he is an intack male and is the nicest dog we ever had but he needs to learn stuff faster than he is doing cause he is also the strongest dog i ever had and we have a mutt girl dog that we also found on the side of the road and she is the meanest dog ever she hates every one she hates the pit bull mix dog she hates cats she hates every one and she is a girl that we got fixed thinking it would calm her down NO it didnt work so she has to be in the cage when any one comes over cause i dont trust her at all but the male can be out and plays with every one that comes over brings them his ball and toy and fire logs (yes he gets firewood out of the pile and trys to get the people that come over to throw that)

so dont take it the wrong way or any thing im just saying fact wise that intact males are more pron to attack than not intact males dont mean there all bad as im sure that almost any one with male animals has had one super nice animal that was still intact

deineria · #26 05/01/10, 07:56 PM

Quote:

im just saying fact wise that intact males are more pron to attack than not intact males

Does this go for humans, too

bigmudder77 · #27 05/01/10, 09:02 PM

lol im sure

hippygirl · #28 05/02/10, 12:26 AM

Wow! I started a thread earlier asking about how to get started with cattle and was told not to get a bull (we know NOTHING about cattle yet).

I think I'll take the advice!

Yep. Most definitely.

tyusclan · #29 05/02/10, 10:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Madsaw

There is a few misconceptions in this thread.
First off AI came about due to the abillity to increase ones gentic base in the herd with out have to wait yrs to try differnt bulls. The dairy cattle we have today are a good indicator of that. Just think of all the different bulls you would have to have on a farm to try to get different traits to come out in different cows.
Secondly I beleive bulls raised on a cow that is worked with will be a calmer less aggressive bull. This is also proven by some UV study indicateing bulls raised that way.
We sell any bulls at a young age if they have much of a attitude when we enter the pasture or pens. By this I mean even before they are yearlings. Also raiseing bulls out of docile cows helps too.
Does it work? Yes, we have raised and sold and used many bulls over the yrs. The worst bull we had was a bull from a AI'ed cow. He was plumb nasty by the time he was 5. Right now we have a young bull with the heifers and a young er one waiting to take over the cow herd. Our old one is getting ready to retire this yr. Our oldest bull we had we keep with the dry cows in his last yrs. He was 15 when he died. He saved my skin twice from the nasty AI bull twice in a few months before he shipped out to freezer camp.
What I have learned over the yrs is the way they are raised and handled is how they react to human interaction in the herd. Our bulls now could careless if your working around the cows. But, never forget a bull is in the pasture and keep that in mind.
As to beef being calmer then dairy. The worst bulls I have every seen are black angus, jersey and a brown swiss. I have yet to see a calm angus, for the most part they are always tearing at the fence trying like mad to get to you. Jerseys I just refuse to raise. They are too high strung. Brown swiss are just like a old switzer. Slow to anger but when they do watch out.
Bob

I think the main thing you're saying here is that temperament is part genetics, and part how they're handled. I will agree with that, BUT it's still not wise to let your guard down with bulls, stallions, boars or bucks. Or even roosters for that matter.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Apryl in ND

My buck goat and intact dog are the gentlest, most even tempered animals on this farm.

Famous last words. No offense intended, but see above.

tailwagging · #30 05/03/10, 05:39 PM

My mini-bull is maybe 250 to 300 lbs but would kill you if you gave him a chance.

willow_girl · #31 05/05/10, 07:08 AM

Good bulls come in a straw, AFAIC.

If it's got tires or testicles, it's gonna give you problems!

jerzeygurl · #32 05/05/10, 08:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by francismilker

Yes they do. In some cases worse. I think they have "little man" or "napolean" syndrome.

not to mention the littler boogers can turn on a dime,