Bull Trying to Hurt Calf.....Little Help, Please

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Well, the momma cow is definitely cycling or at least is having a calving cycle. I let her out (kept the calf locked up) and the cow mounted another bred cow (well, mounted the cows head anyway :lol: ). Guess that the bull pulled that crap yesterday. He has also been hovering around the pen. Guess I will be keeping momma and calf locked up until I get rid of the bull.
 
Merry X-Mas to all.

So here we are 2 weeks later and after building a large panel corral for the Cow/Calf in which the calf can run around, this morning all the rest of the herd were in another pasture. I closed that gate and allowed the momma and calf out of the corral and into the small pasture to eat/run around.

After a bit, the calf decided to hop through the barb wire separating the pastures (4 lines instead of 5) and I go in to try and grab her. Of course, the bull goes straight for the momma, who turns and flees, kicking at the bull. Chase is on, blah, blah, blah and I finally was able to grab up the calf and get her and momma back in the corral.

So the big question now is, since the bull obviously still wants to mount the momma, I would assume she is still in heat. But how can that be? I thought they only stay in heat for a very short time, no? We are talking about this bull trying to get at the cow for a solid 2 weeks. They all got along just fine until the calf came.

I can't ship the bull until Jan 4th as the yards are closed until then. I really don't like the idea of keeping them locked up for another almost 2 weeks as the calf is not going to know boundries and the herd may treat the cow and/or calf as outcasts.

Any ideas?
 
Have bred and raised cows many years. Bulls do occasionally attack calves. Just yesterday my mini zebu bull was trying to drill a heifer's newborn calf into the ground. Got them separated before he did any serious damage. Will try to reunite today under observation. Calf is vigorous now and can hopefully better deal with cantankerous dad. Mom is also stronger after first calf and will (hopefully also) be attentive to any potential over-zealousness from him as well. It happens.
 
talkincowsnsechlike":1hvik8rc said:
Have bred and raised cows many years. Bulls do occasionally attack calves. Just yesterday my mini zebu bull was trying to drill a heifer's newborn calf into the ground. Got them separated before he did any serious damage. Will try to reunite today under observation. Calf is vigorous now and can hopefully better deal with cantankerous dad. Mom is also stronger after first calf and will (hopefully also) be attentive to any potential over-zealousness from him as well. It happens.

Ummmmmm, welcome to the site. But you dragged up a 2 yr old thread because?
 
Our bull is currently penned up on 1/4 acre with a 4 strand "knock you on your butt" electric fence. He was putting too much pressure on the old perimeter fence when neighbor brought in a load of heifers across the road. Cows that have just calved must put off a similar scent to those in heat; he goes after them same as for breeding. Yesterday a 3 day old bull calf ran through the fence into the bull pen. The bull went blowing, bucking and running toward it, but stopped; and the calf ran back through the fence and got out. I had never seen him "charge" anything before; pretty scary.
 
A cow that has recently calved has lots of hormone smells - same with the newborn. So, yes, it can get the bull excited.
This is an ancient thread, but I did want to point out that it doesn't make any difference if the calf is sired by the bull or not - he does not "recognize" his offspring by scent or sight.
 

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