Angus temperment

[Rob30]

I have recently started direct marketing our grass fed beef. Since we are grass finishing we are keeping British type cows with an black angus bull. We also bought a few black angus steers. The problem we are having is the angus are a little higher strung then our other cattle. The bull seems to think it is fun to go under the page wire instead of through the gates. The steers are also harder to handle.
Some have said the red angus are better tempered.
I have thought about changing to a different breeder as well.
Switching to a different breed is not really an option, because angus has already been well marketed in the area as a premium meat. And so far I would have to agree. The steaks are very good.
Anyone with experience on these issues?

 

[Angus Cowman]

I have recently started direct marketing our grass fed beef. Since we are grass finishing we are keeping British type cows with an black angus bull. We also bought a few black angus steers. The problem we are having is the angus are a little higher strung then our other cattle. The bull seems to think it is fun to go under the page wire instead of through the gates. The steers are also harder to handle.
Some have said the red angus are better tempered.
I have thought about changing to a different breeder as well.
Switching to a different breed is not really an option, because angus has already been well marketed in the area as a premium meat. And so far I would have to agree. The steaks are very good.
Anyone with experience on these issues?

It has been hashed and re hashed on here and talked and discussed to death
If you have any animal in this case a bull with undesirable attitude then SHIP THE SOB!!!!!!!!!!!!

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Crazy angus!

 

[Idaman]

There are a few Angus breeders that offer a temperament score much like BW scores on all their sale bulls. I know for sure that Pharo does and maybe Diamond D. We have some Pharo females and they are very calm and gentle.

 

[dun]

Didn;t they recently start an EPD for disposition?
Either way, I would look to a different supplier

 

[bishopcattleco]

guys i am not trying to be a smart...but u have to be calm around cattle. i have brought home some brahman cows and bulls that would really hurt somebody.i guarantee u they will be pets within a month after i turn them out.i know there r some people out there that cattle just do not like .i worked for a guy that had some nice cows easy to be around but when he came around u better be ready to find a fence.if ur cattle r scared pen there ass up for a week feed em some feed sit there every day for 15 minutes while they eat.dont just sell em cause they r a little skiddish give em a year.

 

[3waycross]

As much as I have railed against the CAB program, I like angus in general. My current bull(ANGUS) is one of the most gentle even disposition bulls I have ever seen. I don't try to make a pet of him but his flight zone is about 5 feet and sometimes I have to push him out of the way to see a cow or calf I want to evaluate.

BUT that is one of the things I select heavily for. There are very few bull buyers that will say please sell me your nastiest bull.

 

[novaman]

It seems to me that temperment has 2 parts. The first determinent of an animals temperment is genetic. There are some animals that are always high strung from birth on, no matter what you do, they can't be calmed. When we are looking for a beef bull the EPD's and looks of the bull are always scrutinized heavily, but if that bull is at all flighty he doesn't have a chance of coming home on our trailer. I think selection makes for a good start on the road to calmer cattle. The second determinent is how the animals are raised. There are many operations where the cattle barely know what a human is. Those are the ones who seem to be very flighty. I believe these are also the type that CAN be calmed by changing the way they are handled and approached. By the way if you want a calm animal go out and buy yourself a Holstein . Just kidding don't want to get this thread turned into another huge debate over the black and whites. I would get rid of the bull and find a seedstock producer who strives for good disposition cattle.

 

[alacattleman]

guys i am not trying to be a smart...but u have to be calm around cattle. i have brought home some brahman cows and bulls that would really hurt somebody.i guarantee u they will be pets within a month after i turn them out.i know there r some people out there that cattle just do not like .i worked for a guy that had some nice cows easy to be around but when he came around u better be ready to find a fence.if ur cattle r scared pen there ass up for a week feed em some feed sit there every day for 15 minutes while they eat.dont just sell em cause they r a little skiddish give em a year.

ypu'r right to a point,, but some of that is still in them no matter how calm you handle them... brahman got a hel# of a flight zone, they'll let you get in it.....as long as they see and feel their able to get out

 

[makemfat]

I think it's like people, there are crazies of all colors, religions, denominations, etc! And, by the same token, I think there are good ones of all of the above. I currently have two Black Angus bulls. One is a complete nut job, and will be leaving this fall. The other is the most gentle, docile bull you could ever hope to have. I don't make pets out of bulls, but the gentle one, you can walk up to him and touch his nose before he starts backing away. Or, he realizes the bucket is empty! The wild one, you can't get within 30 feet of. Over the years, we've had some of both types, with the same upbringing, on the same farm, same everything. Some are just born to be nutjobs! Just like people!

 

[cowchew]

My Angus cows and bull are gentle and very calm. The females are especicialy friendly, they will eat range cubes right out of our hands, and they are easy to work. :heart: retty:
Now, the Brangus cows, well, that's a different story. :devil2:

 

[TexasBred]

My Angus cows and bull are gentle and very calm. The females are especicialy friendly, they will eat range cubes right out of our hands, and they are easy to work. :heart: retty:
Now, the Brangus cows, well, that's a different story. :devil2:

Those brangus as just po'd that they have angus for pasture partners. ;-)

 

[HOSS]

While some breeds are known for questionable dispositions as a broad brush view point my experience has shown me that allot depends on the individual animal and the breeding / environment. My most gentle cows are 1/2 red angus and 1/2 limousine. Conventional wisdom says that the limi's have disposition problems. These dont. My mostly black angus cows are not mean but not overly friendly either. Most have a 5 to 10 ft. flight zone and then they just walk away. My Balancer bull does not like to be touched but doesn't get worked up about passing by him 5 feet away. I have culled the few crazy cows that I have had. I work cattle slow and consistant. They know my intentions and I am the same way everytime. My neighbor asked me to help him load a 600 pound heifer calf awhile back. His idea of loading was yelling, arm waving and stick whacking. This heifer was as wild as a buck deer within a minute or less. I managed to get him to do another task while I loaded the heifer. Calm voice, slow movement and little pressure was all it took to make her step right up into the trailor.

 

[angus9259]

Didn;t they recently start an EPD for disposition?
Either way, I would look to a different supplier

Yes - they have a disposition EPD now.

No - don't look for a different supplier - give the supplier you have a chance to make it right. As has been mentioned, cattle get weird for different reasons. I never sell a psychologically impaired bull or steers, but things can happen so I have my customers swear an oath that they will call me if there are any issues and I'll make it right. It's livestock, there are not guarantees.

I can't tell you how many people come to buy bulls from be because "they bought one from so and so - and he was a nut job". Yet, they never gave the other guy a chance to make it right.

If they won't make it right after you bringing it to their attention - find another supplier.

There are bad eggs in every breed - as there are great cattle in every breed. Decide what breed fits your program the best and find good cattle in that breed. Regardless, life's too short and cull prices are too high to run a problem bull.

 

[bishopcattleco]

its pretty bad tho when the cattle r smarter than their owners.often i haul cattle for people to the salebarn.backup to where the cattle r to be loaded and those people stand right at the back of the trailer on the other side of the fence telling me how to load them.when if they would just backup they would load like dogs.there r people out there that own thousands of cattle and have no clue how to work around them.

 

[Idaman]

I had a customer some time ago that bought all of his bulls from me for many years that specified that he would buy only the highest headed bulls we had in each years crop. He ran in very rugged country and wanted bulls that would "climb the mountains". In those days we had just a few! :tiphat:

 

[alacattleman]

I had a customer some time ago that bought all of his bulls from me for many years that specified that he would buy only the highest headed bulls we had in each years crop. He ran in very rugged country and wanted bulls that would "climb the mountains". In those days we had just a few! :tiphat:

well least you had a outlet for em :cowboy: here to high a head will get sawn off

 

[Rob30]

Well,
I think he will end up in the freezer. He is purebred, but not registered. I am hoping to find a registered red angus bull.

My comments about his temperament are probably not fair. I have not wintered this bull yet. I find we work much closer with the cattle winter. In the summer, even the cows become more leary of us.

 

[tel]

we had a angus bull on a property for 7 years that was as mean as they come,he was never or wormed or anything as he would get in a gully and ram anyone on a horse or motorbike .we also had a polled santa bull just as bad.The owner wouldnt let us shoot either of them because they were well bred and sired good calves.thankfully they were used mainley on crosses but I shudder to think of the couple of santa purebreds we kept out of the santa bull .lucky that the angus was just for crossin only .I met a few limo's the same way.people keeping cattle cause they paid a big price or they produce nice are a bad idea if they are producing dangerous cattle. If the bull is just new and flighty he can settle down .If he is flighty and mean get rid of him as do with any breed ,there is enough people out there producing bad temperments to add to the collection

 

[danbrady]

It's no doubt I'd rather a bull go away from me than to me. People skills for all cattle can be honed easier during the weaning process. If all these came from the same ranch, I'd figure they haven't been handled the way you want. I give the crazy ones a chance if I've raised them. I split them from their herdmate in a large lot with a docile one. I won't keep one that puts me on a fence though. Cull em if you can't get happy.