Galloways1
Well-known member
3waycross":67hy3v2x said:
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Bull Decisions
- Thread starter randiliana
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skeeter swatter
Well-known member
Sell the red bull and get a new heifer bull. Keeping a bull out of your own feeder calves is usually NOT a great idea.
randiliana
Well-known member
Why would I need to get a new heifer bull? I have 2 already, and only about 50 heifers. They should be well covered. Curious why you think keeping a bull out of your own calves isn't a good idea?
skeeter swatter
Well-known member
You said you had bought the red bull for heifers and now he is to big, so I just assumed you needed a heifer bull. Keeping your own bull, unless you purposely breed bulls cannot advance your genetics, probably won't help uniformity, and most cow/calf people arn't set up to develop young bulls. (and I said MOST)
SRBeef
Well-known member
skeeter swatter":3phkn1iw said:
If you choose a bull calf out of your best cow, a cow that has the traits you are looking for, sired by your best bull, a bull that has the traits you are looking for, then the bull calf IS likely to be superior to most of your herd. This retained bull calf will then have the genes you are looking for and is then useful to spread these genes around to other cow families. You still have to keep an eye on them to make sure they show these traits, at least up to weaning time when I make my last decision to cut or not.
Most bull calves are cut in the spring at 6-8 weeks old. A future bull prospect may get cut at weaning in the fall if he falls apart but I hate to cut any calves that old so try to make the decision to keep or not earlier.
In my experience there really is not that much to "developing" a bull. They are in a separate pasture over the winter with either an older bull or a steer for company. They get the same hay mineral salt and occasional grain treat to gentle them as the rest of the herd. Come June bull-in day, the bulls are separated and either herded to a paddock with their breeding group of cows or the cows are herded into the bull pasture, depending on the grass and rotation at the time. Only one bull in a pasture at a time. I try to keep the bull groups separated so they are never on opposite sides of a fence from each other.
Not a big deal to select and raise your own bull in my experience with a few of them so far. I do also have a bought in registered Hereford bull every year to bring new genetics into the herd but always on the bull side. I don't buy any more females.
Jim
randiliana
Well-known member
The red bull was for the heifers, he has been replaced.
And I am with Jim on this one. I don't see how keeping a bull out of one of my proven cows (and I use purebred or as close to it as I can get to try for a bull) is any different than buying a bull from someone else. This way, if he doesn't work out, I can only blame me for not culling him. I figure out of 180 head of cows, I should have a couple cows that can raise a decent quality bull calf...
As far as developing one, I'd almost prefer to develop him myself, too many of the bulls on offer every spring are ready for the slaughter plant, not the pasture! So I can't see how my development program is any worse than that. I want him grown out and in good condition, not slaughterhouse fat...
And I am with Jim on this one. I don't see how keeping a bull out of one of my proven cows (and I use purebred or as close to it as I can get to try for a bull) is any different than buying a bull from someone else. This way, if he doesn't work out, I can only blame me for not culling him. I figure out of 180 head of cows, I should have a couple cows that can raise a decent quality bull calf...
As far as developing one, I'd almost prefer to develop him myself, too many of the bulls on offer every spring are ready for the slaughter plant, not the pasture! So I can't see how my development program is any worse than that. I want him grown out and in good condition, not slaughterhouse fat...
randiliana":307gamkv said:
Be prepared to "keep" at least 3 and preferably 5. Then when they are 205 days old cull them down to 3 and then when you have fed them a good grow ration(assuming you are going to use them that year) cull down to two at 365 days, after rating them for ADG and testicle size and all other factors you want in a bull. Then in the spring before turnout cull them down to 1. At that point all you need to do is segregrate him from his mother her sisters and all of his full and 1/2 sisters.
Other than that it should be a piece of cake!
randiliana
Well-known member
I kept 5 this year. At 205 days or so, we cut them back to 2. At about 300 days we still have one going. He will get tested this spring and if he passes, he will work if not, oh well...I am not too worried about ADG, but when we weighed them he was over 800 lbs on Jan 4.
We keep our bulls separated as much as possible, and I have the records to know who he is related to, so that shouldn't be a problem either. We run the bulls in separate pastures and a bit of thought goes into which cows go where so that isn't a problem either. Besides, I've known people to buy related bulls before and even full brothers at times. And know that a lot of them sure don't worry about whether the bulls are closely related to the cows either...
We keep our bulls separated as much as possible, and I have the records to know who he is related to, so that shouldn't be a problem either. We run the bulls in separate pastures and a bit of thought goes into which cows go where so that isn't a problem either. Besides, I've known people to buy related bulls before and even full brothers at times. And know that a lot of them sure don't worry about whether the bulls are closely related to the cows either...
randiliana
Well-known member
Nope! lol
randiliana
Well-known member
Well, Thank you!! Your advice/comments are spot on though!
