Questions on containing a bull...

[Dirtslinger]

I've heard and read a bull can be tough to keep fenced. In this case the breed is dexter. But a bull is a bull from what I can tell.

1-Would this still be an issue if he has a herd of 4 heifers and cows sharing the pasture at all times?

2-Will anything change once they are all bred?

3-The closest cattle will be about 1/4 mile away and they also keep a bull running with the herd at all times. So hoping they keep OUT of heat. Any worries here?

4-And- if I need to contain him in a small corral (30' across), will a dexter bull bust out (the aprox 5' steel cattle panels that 'lock' together) He'd be well fed and watered- I'm thinking about instict for breeding/aggressiveness...

Thanks everybody.

[KSALguy]

male animals when kept alone and not given a herd to run with or at the very least a companion can be VERY hard on fence, but if he is kept with his own herd for company and breeding rights and if he is well fed there shouldnt be any problem, i suppose there is a slim chance that if he doesnt have any cows in heat in his herd but there is one in heat down the way that their bull isnt getting too right away then there might be an attempted break out but i doubt it,

[bricned]

I have had some bull that was easy to contain with a few cows. I have also
had some that would go through a fence for hardly any reason at all. The best
way to contain a bull is with a 4000 volt electric fence. It has always worked
at my place.

[randiliana]

Bulls are, well bulls, and beyond food, they really have only 1 other interest. Some bulls are good, and will respect a fence. And some don't. It is much easier to practice preventative medicine than to try and cure a bull from fence crawling/wrecking. If you don't have cows in heat, and the neighbours do, he will be interested. Whether he will actually do anything about it, depends on the bull. The fact, that your neighbours cattle are 1/4 mile away will certainly help matters. We have rarely had problems with our bulls unless they were directly accross a fence from other cows.

A 5' corral fence should keep him in. Dexters are smaller than 'regular' cattle and we don't have trouble keeping our bulls in a corral fence. And with steel, he will be much less likely to break something.

If he does turn out to be a fence crawler, really nothing will stop him. Once they get started they are very difficult, if not impossible to stop. Do as suggested and keep him in a 'hot' fence. Teach him right from the start to respect a fence, and chances are he will remember that.

[6ncounting]

I ran 2 Dexter bulls with my 2 cows and 2 heifers and there are several farms around and we have not had a problem containing him except that he is curious. We hadn't realised that the front of our pasture was not very secure fence and he would get out (with the cows) and walk the fence line. He only needed to see me to come back home though, lol.

[genebo]

My Dexter bull has been content to stay with his own cows, even though I share a fence line with my neighbor, who has Angus cows and a bull.

We share a 47" field fence.

Genebo
Paradise Farm

[Dirtslinger]

Thanks everyone. I think it'll be ok then, but will be watching for attempts. He is very young and as far as I know hasn't developed tricks for escaping which helps.

[translplant]

If you can run even 1 or 2 lines of hot wire along the inside of fence they will treat it with more respect. Our Dexter bulls won't touch the fences or even come too close when I'm handing treats through if it's where the electric is. T