Bull Calf Heat Detector
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Ebenezer
Well-known member
Don't think I would do that.
I think I misphrased this...at what age is a young bull calf likely to follow a heifer or cow in heat? If you are expecting a heifer to be in heat but she only shows mucus....and the young bull is not following her...what do you think?
jscunn
Well-known member
preweaned bull calves (5 to 7 months) as a group make a really good heat detector. They will worry a cow to death that is in heat in my experience.
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Some bull calves don't follow cows in heat. Some start as young as 3 months. Some can be very active. Have one 3months old bull calf, which is limping with his front leg, but still follows cows all the time.
Nesikep
Well-known member
my 4 month old follows them as much as the big bull will let him
76 Bar
Well-known member
One of the requirements for keeping their nuts here is a pronounced devotion to heat seeking (pun intended) at the tender age of 3 ~ 4 months. YMMV.
76 Bar
Well-known member
Yup. And extra points if they attempt to intervene when the herd bulls are on duty. 8)
Ebenezer
Well-known member
You would have a longer breeding season than here. Most would be bred by the calves hitting 4 months old except for those few headed to be culled for missing. I see bull calves riding cows that the bull has no interest in when the bulls are out. It seems to be a hobby and a gang mentality. Some are accurate, no doubt. But I'd just as soon let the calves grow instead of lose weight and having rectal prolapse.Nesikep said:
Nesikep
Well-known member
Ebenezer said:
Little over 9 months gestation makes the older calves about 3 months at bull turnout... started the 3rd cycle not long ago, one first timer has been back in heat.. she's in pretty poor condition, not sure if she'll stick around.
Backbone Ranch
Well-known member
We have a number of fall calves from first calf heifers that we used as heat detectors on our spring calving group. This was the first year that we AIed on a natural heat. We used the heat detection patches, but the cows were in a heavily wooded pasture and the heat detection stickers quickly became scratched up. Despite the rain that we had during the 21 day AI season, the 7 month old bull calves helped us catch 7 or 8 of the 12 individuals that we had picked out to AI this year. I am sure that the other 5 came in to heat during the 4-5 day rainy period when they were constantly bedded down. During the dry spell, if a cow came into heat, she would have at least 4 or 5 bull calves around her for at least 6-12 hours. We were quite happy with using them as heat detectors.
Aaron
Well-known member
Usually by 3 months. Can have quite the hoard trailing a cow. About 10 is the most I have had in one bunch at one time on one cow. Mature bulls sit back and wait till night to breed.
Jeanne - Simme Valley
Well-known member
I would be a little concerned about who the daddy was with 7 month old bull calves running around. Yes, they are a little short, but where there is a will, there is a way.Backbone Ranch said:
lithuanian farmer
Well-known member
Saw a bull calf almost a month old following a cow in heat and trying to jump one her... Sure a very interesting view 
Those smaller bull calves have a tendency to follow any cows close or showing heats. I do not know that I'd breed based on the little fellas, but it'd sure be an indicator to look for some action from herdmates. The younger calves get "love struck" too easily and for too long from my experience, seem to start following at first sweet thing that passes by. Like the story goes about the old bull and young bull up on a hill watching a meadow full of cows. Young bull says to older bull, "Lets run down there and breed one!" Older bull replies, "Lets walk down there and breed them all."
