Bull on the rampage

[Bright Raven]

That bull needed to be gone yesterday. Neighbor here had a 3.5 year old bull that he raised on a bottle. 2 weeks ago today he never came home from feeding. His girlfriend and a neighbor went looking for him and instead found a bull that had gone mad. They were able to escape injury but another guy found the farmer later on. The bull had crushed his chest. It was the first time that the bull had ever acted up. Its sad to see somebody that devoted their whole life to these animals be killed by one

ringer, didn't hear about that and you are close. Has there been any investigation? Or determination of what caused the bull to go mad?

 

[Bright Raven]

I think there are distinct traits that are NOT mutually inclusive by default.. tameness, docility, non-aggression, and halter leadable.. just beacuse an animal has one or two of the traits doesn't mean he has the others, and this is particularly true of bulls... Just because he comes up to you to get scratched in no way means he's docile.
My homeraised bull is now 3 years old and has never snorted, pawed, or looked at me wrong.. he doesn't fear me, he has no reason to, and I think that can work both ways depending on the temperament of the animal.. an aggressive animal with no fear of you is bad news, while a docile one that doesn't fear you is alright.
I've had lots of pet cows that are perfectly docile, but there's just something about them that I don't quite trust at calving time.. they were never aggressive to me, but there was *something* there.. meanwhile others I don't feel my hair standing up around them

BrightRaven, you have to start running yours through the chute daily to get some treats, at least try and undo some of her bad experiences... If you can, make it so her feed is on one side of it and water on the other, and she has to go down it back and forth a few time a day.

I agree with your assessment on behavior. You and I both have common practices of making pets out of them. It is my experience also that tameness, docility, non-aggression, and halter leadability don't come in the same package. I will add another observation. I have had a couple that are puppy dogs around me but let a stranger step on the place are they are shy and flighty.

 

[Son of Butch]

2) It is NEVER wise to keep a herd bull that you raised on a bottle. It is not because they are inferior animals,
it is because they lose their fear of man. Bulls should never be made into pets.

I agree 100% I don't want a bottle fed or halter broke bull. Most dangerous cow or bull raised as a pet IMO.
There is only one alpha male here.

An old time dairyman (passed away 20 yrs ago) told me his secret to raising a bottle fed bull calf for breeding was
when they got to be a couple months old and came to him wanting to play, he would scoop them off their feet lifting
them at least chest high and throw him into into a pile of straw.
He said it would only take a time or 2 and claimed they remembered it and respected him as the boss for life.

Sort of like circuses chaining an elephant as a baby, then when he's full grown an elephant can still be chained by
one foot to a little stake in the ground because the elephant still believes he can't get away.
He claimed the full grown bull remembered and would still believe he can be lifted off his feet and thrown by a man.

 

[Workinonit Farm]

This bull bears watching at all times. I never take my eyes off him when I am in the pen with him.He right now is not good company, meaning he snorts, paws dirt, digs with his horns and will empty his water trough by turning it over. He groans, moans and will pay a whip no attention. Yesterday when I went in to check and clean his tub, I carried my hot stick. I have never used it on him but if I get in a tight I will. I don't want to use it on any of my cows but they better not push me. I raised him on a bottle and as he grew I was never scared of him. Now is a different story. I keep a close watch on him.

This bull needs to leave before someone gets hurt. He needs to leave while its still possible to get him into a trailer and drive him away.

I got rid of a decent bull I had here for a few years about 5 years ago. I decided it was best that my spouse didn't find me squashed, out in the field or working area.