Bull behavior

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Jim62

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I'm not exactly a beginner, but I am new to having a registered brahma bull on the place. In spite of being supersized (compared to the angus cows), he seems very calm and peaceful. When I put out hay and such, he just stands about 5 feet away and stares at me with a curious look on his face, usually chewing very slowly. If I try to shoo him away, he just stands about 5 feet away and stares at me with a curious look on his face, usually chewing very slowly. He's been here about 9 months now, and this is about all the interaction I've had with him so far.

What I'm wondering is this. Are there any signs or signals I should be looking for that would be a good indicator of his disposition and/or what he's got on his mind? Like how does a bull usually act right before he tries to kill you? I've always used angus bulls in the past and never gave this too much thought, because they were sort of a known quantity and had been handled quite a bit before I got them. But, I don't know very much about ol' Bubba's early years, except for the fact that he had not been handled very much. He's right at 4 years old now.

Maybe some of the oldtimers on here have seen things to watch for in this situation??
 
right now you have good calm quiet bull,an thats what you want.if he starts bellowing at the sight of you things are changing.if he starts shaking his head an pawing the ground look out.an if starts getting in your way look out.an never take your eye off of him.
 
It will be hard to tell you in words what to look for. Don't ever turn you back on them and 5' is a little close for my taste. :D

When the Brahma cattle usually show their bad side is when you try to pressure or push them. If at all possible you want to lead them, not push them. Take you time, show them the gates opening, that sort of stuff. Once they shut down and/ or get spooked is when some one gets hurt or stuff get tore up.

That is all I got... I am sure some one else has some better advise.
 
Does he give you this look?:
brahman.jpg




Seriously, you said you were experienced, so here goes. This is what I do, but I do not recommend it for anyone who can't read cattle good:

I start walking right at the bull with my eyes staring directly at his. I walk as if I were 6'6" (I'm actually 5'7") going straight torward him. I want the bull to know I am coming at him. This is where the bull should balk; as in step to the side, or walk away, or back away. I do this to my bulls occasionally just so they know who is boss. If I ever have a bull challenge me (walk in my direction in the above case, or put his head down) he is gone. There is no bull in this world worth my life or my kids (my kids ride the mule through all of our pastures) If I do the above with an unknown bull I usually carry a stick or something with me - the added confidence is picked up by the bull.

Now to the picture above: This is a 16 month old bull that belongs to my neighbor. I stepped off my mule to take a picture of him. He actually jumped back scared when I stepped off the mule. I walked away from the mule to get a better picture and the big 'ol baby walked to the back of the mule and started eating from a 5 gallon bucket. I had to pop him in the head to get him off. He has a really good demeanor, but to look at him, you might think he's about to pulverize something. Looks can be deceiving. Their movement, or lack of it, is the key; at least that's my 2 cents worth.
 
I find the Brahman act very regal, which sounds like what yours is doing. I have only had brahman cows though.

The same as Cypressfarms. All our cattle MUST take a step back if I take an assertive step towards them. They must never come forward or they are gone. Cows with newborn calves I am respectful of and don't test them.
 
"Can you make him turn away from you?"

I can't say that I've seriously tried to make him turn away or step away from me. But he never has come toward me either. That was the one thing that stuck in my head from when I went and picked him up. When they tried to pressure him to load up, he really was not impressed at all with their attempts. Never did show any signs of being aggressive or even teed off, but at the same time, was not frightened or intimidated either. Mostly just stood there...... Out in the pasture, if I move the group of cows that he's with, he just goes along with them with no problem.

I guess that I'm going to have to take the bull by the horns as they say, and try a little tap with a stick and see what he does. As luck would have it, he has NO horns.

One method that works real well for moving him is water. I have a sprayer set up in the mule for fly spraying, and getting sprayed is one thing he will retreat from. Never have tried it one on one from the ground. The vet told me that brahmas, as a whole, don't like water. Don't know about all that, but it works with this boy.

I do all my moving and penning with a bucket of cubes, or with just the mule, now that they know that that's where cubes come from. The whole bunch, including Bubba will follow wherever I need them to go.

Cypress, the look on that bulls face seems a little menacing to me. My bull looks much more serene than that--regal is probably a good description.
 
So long has this bull would fall in with the herd when I moved them from pasture to pasture, I'd have no problem with him. On the trip when I hold them up and work them, I could always move him with a cut gate, then medina and on in to the chute to the squeeze.

He does not look agressive from the pic and based on your description, he is not acting agressive.

I have seen this breed with limited experience. It seems if they are mistreated, the respond. He does not seem to be in that category. Touch him with a paddle and see if you can move him. Don't mistreat him.

I never pet a cow, calf, or bull in the first place.
 
Well here goes. I'm going to completely disagree with a couple of you guys.
Cattle are animals of prey. They stem from animals that used them as food. When animals were going to attack them they progressed forward to attack. Maybe looking them straight in the eye. When people stair into my eyes for to long a time it becomes intimidating. Cattle may feel the same. I would never walk directly toward a bull I was not familiar with. I walk past the bull, turn and walk past again, getting closer with each pass. Show the bull you are not being aggressive. The bull eventually figures out you are not going to hurt him. A more direct approach may be taken. This is the same technique I use in gentling down calves at weaning.
Genetically Brahman have not seemed to have lost this trait for survival. They watch every move you make even when you don't think they are.
 
What we do is kind of the same as Novatech. We feed round bales and I move to the bales and unwind the netting, roll them out or whatever, so we are walking past them. If we throw square bale biscuits over the fence the same things is happening. We are walking past them and with food and walking past them, they soon get used to you.

The taking a step thing, that is a positive step. If I walk they won't move. If I run they will. If I let's call the step a stamp, then they go back. That is for say taking a tractor through a gate, and moving them back so as they don't come through the gate. Or for getting them to move away from me.

They will also follow me if I walk and call them. I can then open a gate to put them in a new paddock. To get them out of that paddock I walk behind them and call, "OUT".
 
Jim62":3lxbdpmb said:
Cypress, the look on that bulls face seems a little menacing to me. My bull looks much more serene than that--regal is probably a good description.

That's why I put the picture up. If you go by the look on the bulls face, you would think he's about to rip something apart, but he's actually a big baby - scared of everything. That's why I think it's much more important to see how the bull acts(or re-acts) instead of relying on how he looks.

One thing I always try to do with any bull is work them first. Backhoe may have been eluding to this; but I find it easier (when working the cows) to run the bull through first and get him out. You don't want a 2,000 pound nervous/mad bull coming in the chute that's had to wait for 30 or 45 minutes to be worked, all the while pacing back and forth.
 
Personally, I think evaluating when the bull will kill you is something you need to do at each visit to the herd. Bulls can change in temperment over time and sometimes very quickly. Might be that a coyote/wolf/bear or whatever has been harassing them and he feels like he is on the menu. Probably not a good time to walk right at him. Just keep an eye on him and make sure you know where he is. He doesn't sound mean to me. If he were mean, you would $hit yourself if he got within 5 feet of you :lol: The kind that don't need a reason to kill you, just for you to stand still long enough.
 
I have a brahman and nelore herd and a Nelore bull. IF he is acting quiet then there is nothing wrong with him. Do what every one else said and Walk around him, DO NOT walk directly towards his front . Let him know that you are the boss, by making him move away from you when you walk towards him.
NEVER push him into something that he does not ant to do.
Patience is they key when handling a brahman bull. Gentle brahman bulls are quiet just like you stated.
BRahman take a little time to get use to new people. You said you have had him 9 months and he is quiet then you should be fine.
When you work your cattle and you want to do something like deworm him or something, let him be one of the first you work. The longer you have him in a pen when working your cattle the greater the chance that he could get mad.

To sum it up:
BE PATIENT and Handle him with kindness an he will be fine. All cattle respond to the way you handle them but Brahman are a little more sensative.
 
novatech":3ex5okmn said:
Well here goes. I'm going to completely disagree with a couple of you guys.
Cattle are animals of prey. They stem from animals that used them as food. When animals were going to attack them they progressed forward to attack. Maybe looking them straight in the eye. When people stair into my eyes for to long a time it becomes intimidating. Cattle may feel the same. I would never walk directly toward a bull I was not familiar with. I walk past the bull, turn and walk past again, getting closer with each pass. Show the bull you are not being aggressive. The bull eventually figures out you are not going to hurt him. A more direct approach may be taken. This is the same technique I use in gentling down calves at weaning.
Genetically Brahman have not seemed to have lost this trait for survival. They watch every move you make even when you don't think they are.
Yup, agree with you here. Always approach on a diagonal and am careful with the eye contact. AND laugh if you must but chewing gum while working them makes you less intimidating.
 

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