bull strategy

[callmefence]

I run bulls year round.
Here's my question.

Two bulls. Registered black Angus. Very similar in breeding.

One is 5 . Good smooth operator, keeps everything knocked up but the horses. Had to pull a few of his calves. But only on heifers and easy pulls.

Two is yearling bull just turned out. Maybe virgin. Although I believe he's seen a little action.

One needs to be moved to another group of cattle. Pasture is 30 miles away, and cattle are pretty much left to themselves.
There's 23 bred cows. Calving from right now through early summer. These are all older proven reliable cows.

At home is around the same number, but mostly heifers, first calf pairs, and new cattle.


Which bull where?

 

[TCRanch]

Do you know the EPD's? I'd keep the one with the highest calving ease in the pasture with more heifers. Plan B: you already know how the 5 year old operates; personally I'd feel more comfortable putting him with the older proven cows that is 30 miles away. If you don't have much of an idea what kind of calves the younger bull will throw, I'd want his herd closer to keep an eye on them.

 

[farmerjan]

Do you know the EPD's? I'd keep the one with the highest calving ease in the pasture with more heifers. Plan B: you already know how the 5 year old operates; personally I'd feel more comfortable putting him with the older proven cows that is 30 miles away. If you don't have much of an idea what kind of calves the younger bull will throw, I'd want his herd closer to keep an eye on them.

X2

 

[dieselbeef]

yea tc nailed it

 

[1982vett]

All things equal.... I'm thinking older bull on older cows. But then, my experience, sometimes older bulls that don't understand where "home" is tend to wander some. I just brought my 5 year old back home to remind him perimeter fencing isn't to be messed with....

 

[wbvs58]

Does the yearlings EPD's suggest he will be suitable for heifers?

Ken

 

[TCRanch]

One other thing I thought of: we pulled one of the best heifer bulls we've ever had because he was just too darn big for the heifers. Fortunately we never had an injury but saw a couple go down & that was his last year on heifers. Some bulls act like gentlemen; this one did not. :2cents:

 

[callmefence]

Do you know the EPD's? I'd keep the one with the highest calving ease in the pasture with more heifers. Plan B: you already know how the 5 year old operates; personally I'd feel more comfortable putting him with the older proven cows that is 30 miles away. If you don't have much of an idea what kind of calves the younger bull will throw, I'd want his herd closer to keep an eye on them.

Does the yearlings EPD's suggest he will be suitable for heifers?

Ken

https://www.angus.org/Animal/EpdPedDtl. ... 3Gyg%3d%3d


https://www.angus.org/Animal/EpdPedDtl. ... F8Kg%3d%3d

 

[TCRanch]

Do you know the EPD's? I'd keep the one with the highest calving ease in the pasture with more heifers. Plan B: you already know how the 5 year old operates; personally I'd feel more comfortable putting him with the older proven cows that is 30 miles away. If you don't have much of an idea what kind of calves the younger bull will throw, I'd want his herd closer to keep an eye on them.

Does the yearlings EPD's suggest he will be suitable for heifers?

Ken

https://www.angus.org/Animal/EpdPedDtl. ... 3Gyg%3d%3d


https://www.angus.org/Animal/EpdPedDtl. ... F8Kg%3d%3d

Oooooh. That's a game changer. Personally, I wouldn't use either of those bulls on a heifer but CED +3 is better than 0.

 

[ez14.]

Do you know the EPD's? I'd keep the one with the highest calving ease in the pasture with more heifers. Plan B: you already know how the 5 year old operates; personally I'd feel more comfortable putting him with the older proven cows that is 30 miles away. If you don't have much of an idea what kind of calves the younger bull will throw, I'd want his herd closer to keep an eye on them.

Does the yearlings EPD's suggest he will be suitable for heifers?

Ken

https://www.angus.org/Animal/EpdPedDtl. ... 3Gyg%3d%3d


https://www.angus.org/Animal/EpdPedDtl. ... F8Kg%3d%3d

Oooooh. That's a game changer. Personally, I wouldn't use either of those bulls on a heifer but CED +3 is better than 0.

true! but i would still want the bull that i didn't know about close to home!

if it were me i would try and find a way to have a small sample batch of cows bred by the new bull first (close to home) then put him on the older cows (assuming things went well with the sample batch)

 

[wbvs58]

I'd let the young bull loose on the old cows, they grow into the job. I use nothing but yearling bulls to clean up on my cows. The only time I have had any problems is when I have been late putting them in and all the young bull calves are tailing the cow in heat and trying to jump her and they get a bit peed off about and then won't stand for the bigger bull to do his job, older bulls will be more dominant. If they are all steers then no problem.

Ken

 

[HDRider]

Do you know the EPD's? I'd keep the one with the highest calving ease in the pasture with more heifers. Plan B: you already know how the 5 year old operates; personally I'd feel more comfortable putting him with the older proven cows that is 30 miles away. If you don't have much of an idea what kind of calves the younger bull will throw, I'd want his herd closer to keep an eye on them.

Does the yearlings EPD's suggest he will be suitable for heifers?

Ken

https://www.angus.org/Animal/EpdPedDtl. ... 3Gyg%3d%3d


https://www.angus.org/Animal/EpdPedDtl. ... F8Kg%3d%3d

K&B Tomahawk 408

 

[bird dog]

You calve year round and thats where you will stay if you put that young bull on the older cows in my opinion. He will get them bred but it will take time. Thats quite a few animals for a youngster.