Crazy to buy?
 

I am pretty broke right now, but I would really like to get this guy to breed to my full sized heifer:

http://lexington.craigslist.org/grd/1836293324.html

I probably will not, but since I'm entertaining the idea. . . would it be crazy to get him when I have a very large lot fenced in corral panels?

I wouldn't dream of getting a full sized bull, but I do wonder if we couldn't
deal with - for awhile - a mini.

I have children, but they aren't outside out me - other than the oldest, and he knows better than to mess with our stallion, so. . .

I just wonder what the feedback would be from those who have dealt with mini bulls - he is a young bull.

if i were closer i would get him

Tim

You need to compare the cost of AI vs what you can buy and sell the bull for.

Buy the bull, let him do his job, and sell him either private party or for kill. That, less feed, would be your true cost.

AI is easy to figure out after a few calls.

I use a bull, but also have alot more cows, I hate the idea of horns on him. All it takes is a quick jerk of the head, and someone got gored. This is your call, but don`t write on here in a few weeks to a month saying he got one of your kids. That just isn`t worth it.>Thanks Marc

i had bulls with horns just gotta watch them and yes there more of a pain when they have horns they beat up sides of the buildings fences and that kinda stuff

but id get him IF you have the know how to handle him dont just get him to breed

never delt with a mini bull but i have delt with alot of full size bulls and when raised right they can be pretty nice (id never fully trust them but we had a couple 1800lb bulls a couple years ago that would come up to you and most people wouldnt know it was a bull till we told them) but i have also seen some bulls that i would never go around they were crazy all the time and would always just give you the look like they wanted to kill you

so when thinking of getting a bull know what your getting in to before you even check it out

make sure your fence is bull proof (jerseys are the worst i ever had for finding weak spots in the fence and getting out) make sure you have electric and its working and not getting shorted out

make sure your building can withstand a bull if he happens to headbutt it

make sure you can afford to feed him would be the first thing

I think I would just AI the heifer and forget the bull.

deineria,

I think you should AI your girl to a nice registered bull, especially for this first time.
I would even spring for the sexed semen, if I was you.
Even if it takes a couple tries to get her settled, you would be spending less and have a nicer outcome.
& w/o the worries of keeping that little bully.


In my opinion only. :)

the really great thing about AI is that the bull will have had hundreds of daughters to prove what he can do.
Even a couple of trips by a tech and a coupe of straws of semen won't set you back what a bull would cost.

I want to AI her - would MUCH prefer to, but I can't find anyone to do it. I've called cattlemen, vets and select sires and am just not in a location I can find anyone to do it.

If anyone knows someone - I'm in Huntington, WV - 2 hours from Lexington, 30 minutes from Gallipolis, Oh.

I want to AI with sexed semen, too - but I need to breed her this fall and don't want to miss breeding her because I can't find an AI person.

Now, as far as the kids - I have two under 2, so they aren't a concern because he'd be gone before they can even open a door and go outside ;0

My 9 yr old has grown up with horses and has never tried to get around our stallion, who can, I have to say, do as much damage as a mini bull. . .

I have brand new, solid metal corral panels and a run in there - and it would take a full grown bull in a frenzy to get out of them. . .

Still - I am inclined to agree and would like to just find someone to AI - what I can't do is keep this cow unbred - lol. I must either get a bull, drive her hours away to another guy who has a full grown bull OR find someone to AI her.

Finding an AI tech in my area is a pain as well. There are several ranchers that have taken the class themselves and do their own work. But finding someone in the phone book or from the vet's office that will come to your place to do it is near impossible.

With the exception of the bull danger, I'd prefer live cover all day long simply due to the number of times he will cover the cow during optimum heat and the volume of semen he will use versus a straw of semen. $350 doesn't sound like a bad price but as others have said, make sure you take the "kid safety" factor under heavy consideration.

I'd never consider him for a moment if I had a doubt about my older son messing with him - he doesn't even go around the gentle animals - he just has no interest. He is scared of his 20 yr old pony ;) Won't even go up to him in the lot more than through the panels to pet him on a rare occassion.

Have you tried contacting ABS Global, Bulls Eve Genetics or Semex to see if they have any representatives/technicians in your area?

Do you want the bull to breed a milking heifer? What will you do with the offspring? If you want to sell a mini jersey, they need to have the background/genetics to get any money from them. I would check this guy's background first.

Did you ask around the local feed store for someone that does AI? Check for milk shares in your area - smaller dairies don't usually have an inhouse AI tech - they might have the name and number for one. I contacted the big AI names (like linn listed) online to ask about local technicians.

I would buy him. I had to settle on a zebu for this year, all I could find in my price range. My cows couldnt be AI as I dont have any equiptment to keep them still. They are mini so a very small bull for the first time wont hurt. I will be taking him to the exotic livestock auction in the fall and expect to get more then my money back for him there. If you can trailer him up this way you can send him to the Mt Hope auction in November or september when you are done with him.

I just put my heifer in a stall with a halter and snubbed her nose around a post. It wasn't necessary. She stood still wasn't bothered at all - and she had never been in a halter before.

I agree that they usually stand really still for AI.
I think that's why they call it "standing heat". ;)

I dont have a barn. I just have a pasture and a run in shed. I do have a catch pen but it isnt small enough to squeeze them. The bull was $300
A farm call is $100 (can you say horse country) plus any fees to bring them into heat, then the seman fees for minis are quite expensive, usually around $30 for just one straw. For me it is less expensive to get a bull on the cheap and send him to auction after a calf has hit the ground and they are bred back. I got this bull before he had a hump and horn development. After the growth he has done I should get $450 for him this fall.

I don't know much about cattle, but to me he already looks like he is a little bit "up on his toes" so to speak, frisky, fractious. Maybe there was someone outside the frame trying to get his attention, but he seems kinda "focused" in that pic. He sure is cute though.

Don't get him. Jersey bulls are the most dangerous bulls there are and they often attack without warning.
If you want to buy a bull I suggest a Dexter.

I've considered a Dexter, too.
I opted to just wait and see if I can find an AI person.

If you can't find someone to AI, you'd be far wiser to lease a yearling bull or talk nice to one of your neighbors and see if they would let you run your heifer with their herd and bull for a couple cycles for a fairly nominal fee (I used to charge $25/month).

The good news is that if you do decide to buy a bull to breed one cow, you're going to get lots of exercise and meet your neighbors.

Would a miniature bull really be likely to get out of this type of fence/panels?
http://www.behlencountry.com/products/heavy_duty

They are joined with chains, not pins, in our case.

Again, I suppose we will try a bit longer to find an AI person. . .that is what I would rather do.
I would have to drive her 2 1/2 hours away to a get to a reg. Jersey bull.