Dairy bull question

Karen in Alabam · #1 11/12/11, 07:32 PM

Why are dairy bulls the worst kind of bull to have?
Why are they so aggressive?
Are there dairy bulls that are less aggressive?

Are Randall bulls less aggressive?

myersfarm · #2 11/12/11, 07:43 PM

I feel this is just my thoughts....the dairy bulls are raised by humans so they are never afraid of humans like a cow raised bull would be.....dairy bulls are aggressive because .... people bred there cows to the bull by AI to the bull that gave the most milk no matter how mean the bull was......since they did not have to mess with the bull just AI them......plus one of my other thoughts....cows are milked twice a day ...and if they ran a clean up bull...the bull would be seperated from the herd twice each time a cow came in heat...this is just my thoughts i have a 6 year old jersey bull...he goes in to the milk parlor with the cows...never showed any signs YET OF GETTING MEAN ... BUT HE DOES BOW HIS NECK EVERY ONCE IN A WHILE

myersfarm · #3 11/12/11, 07:44 PM

plus people raise the dairy bulls and TRUST THEM....by letting bull into there space..so the bull gets closer and closer and thinks it is time to show humans who is boss

Farmer2B · #4 11/12/11, 07:46 PM

Dairy bulls are awful because they are aggressive and overconfident.

Dairy bulls have nothing to fear, may are hand raised. This makes them unafraid of humans. Many bulls are also in constant contact with humans which just helps this.

Really you should forget dairy bulls. If a neighbor has one that would be preferable. If you must venture into dairy bulls, I would start with an older bull.
My experience shows me young Jerseys are your worst possible combination.

Randalls cost plenty, but I think they are better. All bulls are pretty bad though.
The only upside of a Randall Bull I can think of would be you could charge a good stud fee.

Ken Scharabok · #5 11/12/11, 08:15 PM

Is this Randall's Linebackers?

If so, the only trait he was interested in was the strip down the back. He didn't care what the breed was as long as the stripe was passed on.

Karen in Alabam · #6 11/13/11, 12:15 AM

Randalls look like the lineback cattle, but are a very old dairy everything cow. Not too many of them out there.

http://www.randallcattleregistry.org/

I have a Holstein bull that I am raising, he is going on 5 months now, and is already kind of nuts, he gets so excited about his bottle.

He is not mean, but gets so excited. We have an angus bull that is about a year and half and I don't trust him either. He was raised by his mother. He puts his head down to me--he does back off when I start yelling at him. I have never pet him or anything. He has been slated for the freezer for some time, and he isn't doing his job anyway.

There was a post not long ago about bulls and dangerous cows, and someone said, if the bull is a Holstein, make sure you have a gun handy--not a direct quote.

I have heard of the dairy breeds, Holsteins are the worst of the worst. Are they that mean, or is it because they are huge?

farmgirl6 · #7 11/13/11, 09:37 AM

It seems so odd doesnt it, the more gentle the cow of the breed, seems the more aggressive the bull. I have hand raised both my steer and milking heifer, and I think that might be it, they do seem to lose a healthy respect for people; I think maybe they are both fight and flight creaturs (unlike horses most of the time) because of the horns so they are more trickey to handle? I have heard a Jersey is the worse myself...Norman is clearly affectionate and likes people. but with his huge size even playful or a little grumpy can be dangerous...I am a firm believer in a ring in the nose if you have to handle a bull or pet steer...

springvalley · #8 11/13/11, 11:04 AM

I think what Myersfarm has said pretty much covers it, I agree, I just got rid of my Jersey bull last week. He would have been four this Jan. and was starting to show some very bad behavior. It just isn`t worth getting hurt so it was time for him to go to freezer camp. Next year I am going to buy a red angus bull to bred my cows, until then I am going to AI some of the best cows so we still have some heifers to put back into the heard as the cows get old and retired. Never trust a Bull period, dairy , beef or otherwise, it just isn`t worth getting hurt over. > Thanks Marc

myersfarm · #9 11/13/11, 06:24 PM

Springvalley with the price of dairy heifers...I will be raising beef /dairy cross calfs next year...seen 28 of them sale at one sale cheap

birdman1 · #10 11/13/11, 07:34 PM

All good advice never trust a bull ram or stallon i'm thinkin its just there nature to try to be top dog every now n then dairy bulls have erned there bad rep ; beef bulls are much calmer BUT I'v seen a few bad ones as well as bad cows ;;Rember they even the loving Gentle family cow( Like my brown swiss ) weighs well over 1500 lbs. and a casuhal swing of the head at a fly can floor you let alone steping on your foot ' Just keep your wits sharp when working with them try to hold to a set routine as best you can .when a bull is invilved espically one who dosient want to do what you want at that moment they can be dangerious . diary bulls were not bred for even temperment going for milk n looks most beef breeds an even temprement is a trait which is admired besides a young bull that start acting up dosent last long and is usally beefed .people tend to keep dairy bull due to some sentementl attachments after all the costly time n trouble hand raising them

springvalley · #11 11/13/11, 07:49 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by myersfarm

Springvalley with the price of dairy heifers...I will be raising beef /dairy cross calfs next year...seen 28 of them sale at one sale cheap

We have decided to cross our registered cows because we sell all our steers as beef, and crossing them with a beef bull will add some more size to the steers. And we figure if the heifers are nice they would still make good enough family cows if kept for milking. I am so tired of this up and down dairy business, comparitively speaking you made a whole lot more milking cows a hundred years ago. > Thanks Marc

haypoint · #12 11/14/11, 01:23 PM

Dairy bulls are not selected for good temperment, they are selected for producing cows that milk.
Just like most race horses make poor pleasure horses, they are bred for running. Watch as they get ready to race. Friendly or easy to handle takes a distand second to speed.

tyusclan · #13 11/14/11, 02:48 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by haypoint

Dairy bulls are not selected for good temperment, they are selected for producing cows that milk.

I agree. In beef cattle temperament is a trait that is considered in the breeding stock, while not so much in dairy cattle.

lonelyfarmgirl · #14 11/14/11, 03:22 PM

hay point is the most accurate. In dairy, the milk is all that matters and everything else goes by the wayside. When you breed for only one trait, you lose others, such as mothering instinct, good feet, and docility.