Question about highland bulls

lasergrl · #1 10/09/10, 09:54 PM

At what age are Highland bull calves generally fertile? I am looking to get one next month. I would like it to be able to breed in a few months. At the same time, I am feeding it through winter so younger means eating less hay and I want to butcher it end of the summer, so would want a younger one. I would just get one in the spring but I can get a young one for around $200 right now due to winter coming.

lakeportfarms · #2 10/10/10, 05:46 AM

Highland bulls quite often lag 6 months or so behind other breeds in being capable of breeding. Much depends on their size...the larger ones typically mature earlier.
Cheap is not the best solution for a bull. He is 50 percent of the genetics of your calf, and can pass on bad traits such as feet, etc... which in your heifers then pass from generation to generation. You would be better off doing AI with a higher quality bull with better genetics.

RosewoodfarmVA · #3 10/10/10, 08:56 AM

I also question the logic of getting a bull to breed for one season, then butchering him. If he's a good quality bull, I would not butcher him but keep him for future use or re-sell. If he's not a good enough quality bull, I would not breed with him but just butcher him. A good bull is worth keeping IMO.

lasergrl · #4 10/10/10, 10:16 AM

I only have two heifers to breed and they are meat breeds so If the feet are bad, then they get butchered.
AI is too cost prohibitive and there is no way I can get these two AI unless they are tranqued I dont have the facilities to restrain them.
We want to butcher an animal by end of summer anyways, I only have a small pasture so anything that is eating the pasture is going to have double duty. I understand that in many peoples situation this is not ideal but for me it is, and is what has worked well in the past. I just havent used a highland yet. I had a zebu this year and he wasnt breeding untill 1 1/2 years old. I thought I read Highlands were breedable earlier then other breeds. The cost is less because its an exotic livestock auction and while full grown animals go for a premium, the younger stock doesnt. I have never gotten a bad animal there and I have been buying their for 9 years. But, I can tell a bad animal when I see it.

Trisha in WA · #5 10/10/10, 02:59 PM

I don't know how young you are looking at, but we used an 18 month old highland this year and he seemed to know his job. We'll know for sure come spring....actually I will probably biotrack in the next month or so to be sure.

lasergrl · #6 10/10/10, 03:43 PM

wow i guess a calf isnt going to work. I think i will shoot to bring home a yearling. I was hoping for a 3-6 month old calf but i dont want to chance it. My cows should calve in the next 3-6 months and want him to be ready no later then may/june. I was reading on a highland site that they could breed by 8 months. Maybe they just had a fluke.

lonelyfarmgirl · #7 10/10/10, 06:28 PM

dont count on it. highlands are slow to mature.