Bull Trying to Hurt Calf.....Little Help, Please

[robertwhite]

Heifer had a calf 2 days ago, calf was out in the pasture for a few hours with the herd, no problem. Calf got to close to the pond and it was raining hard and cold, so I put momma and calf up in the barn. They have been there since. About an hour ago I open the stall gate and allow momma to roam and feed. Calf came out of barn and my wife came running inside yelling that the bull was chasing the momma away and pushing the calf, knocking her around. I ran out and see the bull chasing the momma, who was kicking at him. He was trying to separate the momma from the calf.

I went after the bull who was highly pissed off and blowing snot. I got him out into another pasture for now. Problem is that the calf can easily get between the barbed wire if she wanted to and will then be with the bull away from momma.

The bull IS the calfs sire.

He is going to auction in a couple weeks anyway, but I need to figure out what the heck is going on before he kills the calf. He was NOT acting like this the other day when she was just born. He has not done this to other calves (not his) before.

Short of shooting the bull, what needs to be done and why is he doing this?

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

I have no clue but since the bull is leaving soon anyway is it feasible to keep the mom and calf away from him until he goes to the sale? Seems like an awful waste if you shoot him.

Good luck.

 

[Anonymous]

The calf isnt going to go thu the wire with to be with the bull unless the mom is in there too.
Is there any reason to not bring the bull in earlier

 

[robertwhite]

I have no clue but since the bull is leaving soon anyway is it feasible to keep the mom and calf away from him until he goes to the sale? Seems like an awful waste if you shoot him.

Good luck.

I can not bring the bull earlier as there is no sale due to the holidays.

Keeping them apart is going to be a huge problem. The bull is now out in a pasture with no hay (easy enough to throw it over the fence) and only pond water to drink. There is also another momma and her 7 month old calf that got trapped out there with him, and I really would like to get them back in.

Biggest issue is the no auction next week (and maybe the following week). There is no way I am going to shoot him (although I would love to) as I am then out $1200+ he would bring at the sale.

I just can't imagine why a bull (or cow) would try to hurt its own baby.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Can you move the other pair away from him?

 

[HomePlaceAngus]

Rather then trying to keep the cow and calf away from the bull can you reverse it and pen up the bull? Have no idea what is going on with him. Never had that happen.

 

[highgrit]

I don't know if you want to keep the bull by himself. He can tear some stuff up if he wants company.

 

[dun]

He's got no idea it's his calf. Having been penned away from him and the herd for a couple of days and he may see them as interlopers. May have to get the cow and calf back in the barn until you can ship the bull. Not a real good solution, but you gotta do what you gotta do

 

[robertwhite]

Rather then trying to keep the cow and calf away from the bull can you reverse it and pen up the bull? Have no idea what is going on with him. Never had that happen.

I don't know if you want to keep the bull by himself.
He can tear some stuff up if he wants company

I wouldn't pen this bull up. He would absolutely destroy the stall. One of the reasons he is going to be a Big Mac is because of his past behavior.

He's got no idea it's his calf. Having been penned away from him and the herd for a couple of days and he may see them as interlopers. May have to get the cow and calf back in the barn until you can ship the bull. Not a real good solution, but you gotta do what you gotta do

What I did was throw some grain out so the momma would leave the calf, then scooped up the calf and got her back in the stall. Then just lured momma into the stall with more grain. :lol:

I spoke with a buddy who has been around cows for a long time. He said that the bull probably is sensing a "calving cycle" from the momma. He said it was kind of like a false cycle (but the bull wouldn't know that) and the bull will do anything to get at the cow, including going right through the calf. Makes sense because that bull sure was going nuts to get in between them and the cow wasn't having any part of it. Little calf just couldn't do anything but get run over.

I am just going to have to keep cow/calf in the barn until the bull goes to the sale. I just hate doing that because in my mind, it will stunt the calves growth. Buddy says it won't so I gotta go with his experience. I am trying to buy some panels and make a weaning pen and if I can get them and get it built, I will just let the cow/calf run in there until I get rid of the dumb azz bull. When I let him back in with the herd, he gave me a WIDE berth. Only reason he is still breathing is because he is worth money.

 

[piedmontese]

i dont c y penning the calf/mom would stunt the calves growth.he aint gonna b eating anything but milk for the next week or 2 anyway at least.

 

[dun]

Rather then stunting it I would be more concerned with respritory issues. I hate keeping anythign closed up much.

 

[robertwhite]

Rather then stunting it I would be more concerned with respritory issues. I hate keeping anythign closed up much.

That's another reason I want to get that pen built. Waiting on the guy to give me a price on the panels The stall they are in is open to the air and wind, just not the rain.

 

[JSCATTLE]

I bet it's like dun said they were away from the herd a few days and he thinks they are strangers. My cows do the same thing to each other when I cut one or two out in a separate pasture for a few days. I had 2 dOing the same thing yesterday . I put 2 cows on some Rye grass for about 2 weeks and when I put them back with the herd the other cows chased them for a while.

 

[robertwhite]

I had 2 dOing the same thing yesterday . I put 2 cows on some Rye grass for about 2 weeks and when I put them back with the herd the other cows chased them for a while.

I could see that if it was more than a couple days and if the bull wasn't literally trying to kill the calf. He knocked her down so hard that the calf rolled a ways down the hill from what my wife told me. I just saw the momma getting butted and chased with her kicking at him. Screw that, as soon as the sale barn opens, his azz is going to be a Big Mac.

 

[hillrancher]

Put the calf up turn the cow and bull together for a few hours and turn the calf out with mother and the heard. This will stop in a hour or so. Has always for me. If not mother will come back to barn for calf. Yes, the mother may be in heat( Not good) will happen.

 

[GMN]

Herd bulls do this stuff all the time-I've had calves born ut in the herd, and for some reason the bul has knocked the calf down, picked on it, I think its the smell-just separate them, out of sight and all is well

 

[Gale Seddon]

I agree with those who say keep cow and calf penned separately until the bull leaves. It's not worth the risk, especially when you have only a few...each calf is important. They will be fine with hay, water, etc. The bull has company (other cow and 7 month calf) that he's not bothering, correct? Hopefully, that 7 mo. calf is not a heifer?

Sorry that you have to deal with this. Hard enough to protect them without worrying about their SOB sire doing them in. Sometimes I think they believe small things are predators (including children). I like a bull that does his job, lies around the hay ring, and babysits calves. But I guess they all get stupid once in a while. Mine gets stupid with mineral feeders.

 

[dun]

Mine gets stupid with mineral feeders.

Don;t you mean "bashing toys"?

 

[Gale Seddon]

Well, yeah, I guess so. I cured him of messing with the hay ring by zapping him with a water pistol right on the nose (I hid on the other side of the bale) so he didn't know it was me (yeah, right!). I'm thinking about digging a hole to put the mineral feeder in.

I'm beginning to think that bulls are just a necessary evil.

 

[dun]

Well, yeah, I guess so. I cured him of messing with the hay ring by zapping him with a water pistol right on the nose (I hid on the other side of the bale) so he didn't know it was me (yeah, right!). I'm thinking about digging a hole to put the mineral feeder in.

I'm beginning to think that bulls are just a necessary evil.

I don;t know about necessary but I'll go along with the EVIL part