Got our bull!
 

Went and picked up the Jersey bull calf yesterday. Was a little mistaken on the age. He'll BE 2 this spring, but he's as big as our cow and should have no problems fulfilling his studdly duties. I was really nervous getting a Jersey bull as I've heard such horrid stories about them. This guy, SO FAR, is really really sweet, but we're not taking him for granted and not taking any chances. So far he is really gentle with the cow too....I would say she pushes him around more than he her. So, hopefully next fall we have a new calf and a freshened cow!! :bouncy:

Best of luck with your new bull. Please keep an eye on him and don't ever be caught off guard. One minute he may be OK and the next in attack mode.

Yes definitely!! We're not taking any chances with him! :)

Best of luck, NEVER turn your back on him and NEVER allow your kids in the corral with him , if you have kids. Some bulls never have problems, it`s that one odd ball that spoils it for all bulls. > Thanks Marc

Yep. The kids already know that this bull is off limits as long as he's with us. I HOPE we never have a problem with him, but I'm not going to take that for granted. I was really hoping for a Dexter bull and found a beautiful one, but he was also quite a bit more expensive than this bull and that ended up being the deciding factor. This one will be here long enough to breed the cow he's with now and another one next fall and then I don't know if we'll keep him or send him to the freezer. All depends on his temperament. If he stays relatively calm, he might get to stick around.

The people we got him from said they have boys around 7 or 8 years old and they hang around on his horns and play with him and I had to just raise an eyebrow. They trust him a whole lot more than I will. I don't plan on trusting him that much.

One question, when he's not being used for breeding, can he live by himself and be happy? Should we keep him totally separate from the cows?

There is nothing wrong with separating him from cows. But,... a bull is very strong and many times are hard to keep in when they are not with cows. There is absolutely nothing wrong with leaving him with the cow. If she is bred, what would it hurt? The only time you would need to separate them is when she is "open" and you don't want her bred.

Most bulls can be as gentle as any cow and are usually not a problem. However, of all beef and dairy breeds, the Jersey breed usually has the most docile cow but, the Jersey bulls can be the meanest and most unpredictable. They may be fine for a long time and suddenly one day, you're scratching their head and they suddenly turn on you. Just be aware at all times. With most breeds of bulls, it isn't a problem.

For some reason people have the perception that all bulls are bad.. mean... etc. This is normally not true.

Will bulls respect a hot wire? We have a "mini pasture" he could stay in that we could run a hot wire around the top to keep him in if you think that would hold him. Or we could build a pipe pen, but it wouldn't be near as big as the mini pasture would. I have another cow I'm picking up that is due in May, but I don't want her bred back till August, so he'll have to stay separated. Just exploring options.

Oh my GOODNESS !! you need to explain yourself a little more. I didn`t know you were not breeding back till August. I keep my bull in a bull pen when not with the cows, six foot fences and no way out but the four foot walk in gate. DO NOT let your kids play with this bull, NEVER ever make a pet out of a bull, he will be a time bomb waiting to go off. And horns to boot, those are like two deadly weapons waiting to be used. Have you ever watched the bull riding at the rodeos? He could be that bad or worse, man I wish I hadn`t told you to get the bull. Now I`m telling you to make a tight pen, breed your cow and send him to the butcher the next day. I don`t want you to write and tell us one of your kids got hurt or worse. And NO< NO , a hot wire won`t hold him in if he gets ticked off. He will walk or run right threw it and won`t look back. Please what ever you do keep both eyes on him and make a bull tight pen to keep him in till you need him. Your cow will go to the pen when she is in heat. Put her in with him , breed her and get rid of him as soon as you know she is bred. PLEASE do as I reccomend. This ain`t a test. > Thanks Marc

He's being bred to a cow right now, but the other cow isn't to be bred till next fall. I would have preferred a different bull, but money was a big deciding factor in it. We don't have any intentions on making a pet out of him nor do our kids go in with him or mess with him. :) We're far more cautious than that. Just deciding what to do with him between cows. We may let him stay with the one cow, then when we're ready to breed the other one in July/August, bring him over and put him with her, let them breed, then get rid of him. We can put him in a pipe corral, but he'll have very little roaming room.

I didn`t say you made a pet out of him the other people allready have, PLEASE put him in the pipe corral, he doesn`t need alot of room to roam. My pen is 20x20 not at all big, but it is bull tight, if you have never had a bull you have no idea what they can do. We had a neighbor that almost got killed from holstein bull years ago, and I have been chased by a very nice bull. Maybe nothing will happen, but what if it does, are you prepared for that. A mean bull is like L unleashed, they can do so much so quick. Be carefull > Marc

I've never been around bulls here per se, but I have been around bulls. Beef bulls. They're usually really calm. I have never been around dairy bulls, except calves. We are being very careful. I don't know that we're going to keep him. As soon as he's done with this cow, we may sell him and go ahead and get a Dexter bull to breed with.

Look yall, I dont' care if its a jersey, or a holstein, or a dexter. They can be mean at any given moment. I've seen my cow go on a frisky rampage and tear the heck out of a hay bale. For goodness sake their animals and act the part.

I've been around jersey bulls a lot, and have never had a close encounter or even a slight encounter. I DON'T trust any 600 pound animal period. Just have to learn how to handle them at all times.

This bull is very docile and has been breeding cows. And You don't go in the field when the cow is in heat. Thats a recipe to get hurt. The bull is running on hormones at that point.

IF ya use some common sense you won't get hurt. Also carry a big stick.

It's ok. :)
I'm letting him breed this cow and then off to the freezer with him and I'm picking up an extremely docile Dexter bull that has been breeding cows already and has maintained his docile nature. Besides, I hear Dexter/Jersey crosses are a pretty good cross for homesteads. :)

I'd go for the artificial insemination for the next cow.

I'd love to, but there's no one around here to do it. Called the vet and he won't do it for just a few cows. Can't find a bull anywhere. And our one cow is quite old and we were told by her former owner that they do much better under live cover than AI.

I agree, AI would be easier if it was available to us. Believe me when I say we've looked. The older cow has been dry for over 6 months and we've been looking and looking for a bull, but none of these ranchers will let you use their beef bulls for a Jersey cow.

Also with a bull you don't have to time it to get them bred. and Entirely too expensive to AI two cows too.

Best of luck! Sounds like you have a plan. Just be careful.

Our local vet will AI for $15.00. I would have imagine that it would be about the same in KS. We do have to pay a $30.00 farm call if the vet comes to the farm, or we can take the cow to the vet and he'll do it for the $15.00. (We pay extra for semen, but not THAT much extra. It depends on the bull we want semen from)

Now, that being said, we just use the dairy farm up the road. They'll AI for us, or they'll let us bring our cow down and run it with their bull for the day when she's in heat.

You can' t find a local rancher that would let you run your cow with his bull when she's in heat, or who will come AI for you?

my local vets also will not AI..a tech will come out and do it from the semen bank, but it has to be at least 10 cows..I have three..:(..

I personally plan to take an AI course in the future..

Ive heard Jersey bulls are the nastiest creatures known to man..just be careful, congrats on your new bull!

Nope. Our vet won't do it unless it's over a certain number of cows and told us that for he cost, it'd be cheaper for us to buy a bull. No one around us AI's. They all run bulls. We called one lady we know and she referred us to someone else, but he never answered his phone and no answering machine. And no, we asked the ranchers out here and they all had one excuse or another for not letting us use their bull. Like I said, this has been an ongoing thing for months trying to find something. That's why we finally just said to heck with it and bought one.

I bet you could get a semen tank, sleeves, and straws of semen for about the same price you paid for your bull. Plus you wouldn't have to feed it everyday.

I attended Grad School at Kansas State and know that there are a ton of people that attend the breeding school at the former KABSU.

Good luck with your bull.

Jim

I'm sure there are. They just don't live around us. LOL It's all good. We'll use the bull and then turn him into steaks and hamburger. :) We didn't pay much for the bull at all. He's not a prize breeding bull.

No Dona we can't. Literally i have been trying to find anyone that would let pauline breed with one of their bulls and no one will even bother with it. The Vet told me min charge to AI is 100 dollars plus whatever the going rate for the semen is... i think 25.00 per straw.
Also she needs to be inseminated at least 2 times to take.

Well feeding the bull isn't that expensive. Grass is free 2/3 of the year. :P
PLus after so long you get steaks....

On top of that the bull has a better delivery method than my arm.

Lots of good information and opinions on this thread.
Horns are dangerous on any cattle. If it works out that you eventually have to sell a horned cow, you don't get as much money. The effort of de-budding a calf is well worth it, many times over.
Never heard of anyone getting gored, kicked or trampled by an insemination tank. A cheap, non-show type bull sounds like a poor quality bull. Right? Why raise lower quality calves?
As I have attempted to be a more self-sufficient farmer, I've had to learn many skills, carpentry, welding, fencing, farrier, Vet tech, etc. Add AI Tech to your business card. Not so hard to learn, plus you are right there when she comes into heat. Stick with Jersey on your Jersey and with quality semen, you may be able to sell a bull calf as a quality breeder.

I don't think a bull, especially a horned, bull has a place on a small farm.

Wow...I guess my image of Ks is a bit warped. I always think of wide opens spaces and lots of beef cattle, lots of vets, lots of ranchers who are helpful, etc. Guess not...

I know there's always an advertisement up at our local auction barn for an AI school here in South Central Ohio. I think it runs twice a year. My husband wants to attend it next time. Its about $150.00 but seems like it would be money well spent. In the meantime, our dairy neighbors just let us use their bull, or we can take her to be AI'd if we choose.

Guess I need to do a little research on KS...

The Graham School for Cattlemen and Women is in Garnett, KS, which is SE Kansas.
That is where I went to learn AI and preg checking.
Some of the semen companies offer classes and part of the money you sink in you get back in the form of straws from their catalogue once you complete the course.
Sometimes a bull is really the best option for some homesteaders. Nice thing about Jersey bulls is they can be had fairly inexpensively as calves, raised up on the cow they are to breed, breed the cow at 7-9 months, then be steered or butchered for meat all before they would turn mean. Gotta love that young age of breeding. You could always pick up a young calf from a dairy farm where they are using AI and breeding for the best.

There is an AI school in SE KS, but it's $370 or so for the class. We bought the bull for $350. LOL So, it was easier just to get him and honestly, he's been very quiet with us, but very busy with the cow. So hopefully she'll be bred here shortly. We'll hang onto him for a couple months and if she doesn't come into heat again, we'll steer him out and eat him. So, really, for the same price as the AI class we not only get a bred cow...and in a superior means than us sticking our arm up her, but we get beef to boot. Besides that, we're not out just the class, but the tank, the equipment for delivery and cow handling equipment which we also don't have. The bull was much easier.

It is tons of wide open spaces and tons of beef cattle and tons of beef bulls......but no ranchers willing to help. At least not around us. shrug. I guess, for them, it's a matter of them protecting their very expensive bulls.

I'm glad/sad to back you up on this. I 'm not sure what it is about KS, or at least round here, but that is the story. Example.... I asked my neighbor if they wanted to sell their tractor (had sat in the field for 4 years not touched or moved since the hydraulics went out). One week after I asked, they fixed it and I never saw it again.

True. I think for the ranchers it's a liability issue and they only loan bulls between family or very close friends. For them, if they loan out their bull then what if something happens to their bull? What if he's not fed right? If they allow the cows to come to their place, then what if the cow gets hurt? Being totally responsible for her care while she's there and so forth. Then there's disease and such. There's so many things that I think cross their mind and most of them do pay very high dollar for their bulls as most of these people run purebred Angus. I don't fault them, but it is frustrating when you need help. shrug.

Really no need to steer him, just added stress for all involved, and nothing to be gained.

Our Jersey bull will respect a hot wire. We have had him for 5 years and he has never challenged it. He will run through a nice 5 strand barbed wire fence. He will not cross an electric fence, even if it is off. If you do try it with a hot wire, make sure you break him in on it. You need a good charger with 10,000 volts and at least 2 joule output. Put him in a small electric fenced pen and let him get shocked a few times. Flag the lines really good so he knows where the wire is. Then after he respects it and figures out what hurts so bad, let him in a larger pen. I have never had a problem, but it all depends on your particular bull.

If he is a good bull, I wouldn't be in such a hurry to get rid of him. You are going to have the same problems next year - or this fall actually if you are breeding another cow then. Seems to me it would make sense to keep him until you can find something else you are looking for. Maybe buy a baby dexter bull calf and raise that calf up if that is what you want. I just don't see the logic in getting a new bull every year to breed your cows and then eat. Not that it is a terrible plan, just seems like a lot of work to keep the cows bred. JMHO