Bull or Steer

[lancemart]

The Vet told us that if we want to keep our bull once we are done breeding him we should castrate him and make him a steer. She said that he will not be very gentle as time goes on and if we want to keep him around we should make him a steer or someone might get hurt. Is this good advice. We have had the bull since he was 3 months old, he is now 1 1/2 years old. He still is very gentle and wants to be handled all the time. He is a polled Hereford.

 

[greenwillowherefords]

How long do you intend to use him as a breeder?

 

[lancemart]

About 5 years

 

[TheBullLady]

I suspect the vet meant if you wanted to keep the bull as a "pet" after his breeding life was over, you should castrate him. If you're going to keep any of his heifers as replacements, you don't want to keep him as a breeding bull anyway. As far as his temperment changing, sometimes it happens, sometimes they stay gentle. Depends on the animal and how he's handled.

 

[greenwillowherefords]

Maybe by that time, you'll have enough cattle to keep two bulls?

 

[Susie David]

I think that it all depends on what you want him for...when it's time to breed his daughters then you need to look at another bull. Of course he may get to big for the heifers and if you cut him and finish him for market you will have steaks the size of platters or whole alot of ground beef. Still slaughter bull prices are looklin good up here, could get most or all of your money back at the sale.
Just bought a sweet little red Angus bull and his daddy (5yrs)was a gentle as could be...the size of a pick-up but gentle and a well mannered bull that liked to be handled.

 

[flbullrider]

5 years sounds a little late to clip 'em. I always thought ya had to do it no later than 2 years, preferably earlier, due to complications that can occur?

Am I misinformed? (Sure wouldn't be the first time)

Mike Bishop - http://www.flbullrider.com

 

[bigbull338]

ive heard it all now a vet telling you to cut a bull after he breeds the cows herefords are generally nice bulls but some do get mean in time but since your using him for breeding i wouldnt dare cut him just dont breed his daughters back to him scott

 

[lancemart]

ive heard it all now a vet telling you to cut a bull after he breeds the cows herefords are generally nice bulls but some do get mean in time but since your using him for breeding i wouldnt dare cut him just dont breed his daughters back to him scott

Scott--Why is it bad to breed his daughters back to him?
I am new at this
How do you build a herd with one bull?
What about his 1/2 sister?

 

[bigbull338]

when you breed his daughters back to him its called inbreeding.
and thats not good for the cattle.when they get breeding age you can buy a bull to breed them. then take their daughters an breed back to the herd bull. since your keeping his heifers you need to change bulls every 3yrs scott

 

[Rookie]

5 years sounds a little late to clip 'em. I always thought ya had to do it no later than 2 years, preferably earlier, due to complications that can occur?

Am I misinformed? (Sure wouldn't be the first time)

Mike Bishop - http://www.flbullrider.com

I be in the same boat with Mike here. I be thinkin and hearin the same thing, 2 years or younger.What say ye all?

george

 

[lancemart]

when you breed his daughters back to him its called inbreeding.
and thats not good for the cattle.when they get breeding age you can buy a bull to breed them. then take their daughters an breed back to the herd bull. since your keeping his heifers you need to change bulls every 3yrs scott

So it is OK to breed him to his grandaughters?
That is not inbreeding?
How do you keep two bulls? I heard they are apt to fight.
When is breeding age 8 months???

 

[bigbull338]

yes its ok to keep 2 bulls. as long as your not running a reg herd b/c you have to know who the sire to the calves are. breeding age is 800lbs or 16 to 18 months old. scott

 

[lancemart]

yes its ok to keep 2 bulls. as long as your not running a reg herd b/c you have to know who the sire to the calves are. breeding age is 800lbs or 16 to 18 months old. scott

Sorry I worder the question wrong. When do I have to worry when the heifers turn 8 months?

 

[bigbull338]

when heifers or 7 or 8 months old you wean them. at that time they dont see the bull again till breeding age. scott

 

[Ryder]

Inbreeding "concentrates" undesirable (as well as desirable) genes. Has to do with a greater degree of genetic homozygosity which brings out 'hidden' traits which are often detrimental.
The closer the relationship, the greater the effect. Same as incest in humans. This can be discussed in more detail if you need to.
Some will breed a bull to his daughters. Depends on how much risk you want to take.

Heifers will breed at less than 800 lbs. but they need to grow and mature more before calving. Don't think that a bull with younger heifers want breed-they will.

Castrate a 5 year old bull??? No. Sell the bull when you are through with him.

 

[lancemart]

when heifers or 7 or 8 months old you wean them. at that time they dont see the bull again till breeding age. scott

Thanks for the info.
Why do some people wean at 3 months? Do you prefer them being on their mother until they are 7-8 months old? Is it better for them? I am learning an awful lot on this site.

 

[bigbull338]

some ppl wean at 3 or 4 months old to get what they think is top dollar. i say let the cow grow an wean calf. i wean at 8 or so months . getting 600 to 800lb calves. scott

 

[Bama]

We all have our differant ideals on weining weights. I shoot for somewhere around 200-225 pounds. I don't worry if I go over this. If I have one that is not quit there yet I will hold off on others until the smaller one catches up. I guess I should say I start thinking about weaning at 200 pounds. I would rather wean sever at a time than to have just a couple by themselves. They usually go into a pen beside on of the main pastures. Then after the crying, biT$$ing, and moaning they go into the heifer pen for a while. The young bulls and steers come out of the heifer pen at around 500 pounds and back into the main pastures until about 700 - 800 pounds then to the sale.

 

[Hill 70]

Bama, 200 ilbs.??? I'm not putting down your ideas or anything, and im not telling you im right and your wrong or anything, but isn't that just a wee bit small??? In Canada (not trying to put down you ideas) most calves are weaned at 600 ilbs. , and the performance packers wean at close to 900 ilbs. lots of yearling bulls (i.e. we calve in say mid march thru till middle to late may, wean in mid october, and sell the bulls in our bull sale in february the next year) will have a yearling weight of 1000 to 1100 ilbs. , lots of times at fall shows there will be yearling bulls over 2000 ilbs.

Just what i thought, not saying that your doing it wrong or anything, but those are just my thots. P.S., when do you calve and wean???[/quote]