Bulls and Fences...

[Wisteria Farms]

Hi all... just curious...when you pull your bulls off your girls after breeding season, where do you contain them? I'm wanting to make as safe a bull pen as I can... one he won't go over and I'm in this big debate over fencing... If I had my say I'd do panel gates mounted to posts in concrete. Due to cost, husband says NO (we've got about a 2 acre spot to put him during the off season)...If I have 5 strand wire with 1,3,and 5 HOT will that be sufficient? I've got a little while before he comes but its this weeks project so I'd appreciate your input. Thanks.

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

Unless you have a particular reason for removing a bull from "his" harem, the bull will be most contented, calm, and manageable left with his girls. Once they're bred, he can't do them any harm.

If, however, you feel you must put a bull in a pen by himself (remember cattle are "herd" animals), then the most secure "bull pen" would be a 6 foot high welded pipe fence. A barb wire fence, hot wires, etc., will NOT keep any bull contained if he decides to travel.

At Running Arrow, we manage 3 herd sires. Each is put with his females that year and stays with them until any given female is removed to our "maternity pen" in anticipation of calving. With 3 sires (always separated by either a vacant pasture or alleyway), we do not have any incidents.

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

Bill is right about running the bull with bred cows won't hurt any thing. Once he figures out what the hot wire is it should work, i works for me. Some chargers are alot better than others. I did some dozer work for some folks a while back had a gallger don't no the model but any thing they put behind it stayed behind it.

 

[iowafarmer]

We pull the bulls out every spring for a few months while the cows calve and that way the bulls don't injure any calves and that way you know when the cows are going to calve. We move the bulls 2 miles away from the cows to a different farm place andwe keep them in with one elctric wire but there aren't any cows coming inot heat within over a mile from where they are kept. I would go with the barbed wire and electric and it should hold him if its jsut one bull so there wont be any bull fights that hit the fence. I would go with 2 and 4 hot and 1, 3, and 5 barded wire. I would use the longer insulators that put the electric 6" away from the poles and make sure the fence is really tihgt and that the electric is hot. Cattle panels are the cheapest and most worhtless things ever when it comes to keeping cattle in and can't be used in high, medium pressure areas. You talked about puttign the poles in cement but i have found that poles in cement have atendency to rot off alot faster than poles put in p-gravel and packed tightly. The cement seems to chanel the water and moisture towards the pole. gravel on the other had seems to let the water get away except in water holes adn the poles seem to last longer. The best bull fence i have ever seen was a 3 guard rails with 2x6 inbetween the guard rails with electric wires on the 2x6s. then it was all put on rail road ties for poles. expensive and time consuming but highly efective. Good luck keeping him in. oh adn we put the bulls in a pen made of cattle panels one year with 2x6s mounted on the top and the middle on poles every 4ft with and electric wire on the middle 2x4s. the bulls turned 4 pens made out of fence jsut like what i described into one big pen within a month. 12 bulls is way to much testosterone in a smaller pen made of cattle panels. They also got in with some cows that were going to be culled shich wasn't a big deal but it was a pain for feeding.

 

[Wisteria Farms]

Here's our problem...we don't have a large herd... we work with our girls a lot due to summer showing. We call them up to feed, throw halters on whoever needs washed, curried, etc. I'm worried about my own safety if I just let him run with the girls. I was going to do a fall calving season, putting him in with the girls in November... by that time we're done showing and they can all just go out to pasture and do their "thing". I've read that bulls will become quite protective of their harem so I was wanting to limit him being with them to 60 days (so they can calve together). I know he'd be happiest running with them but I'll be happiest knowing he's not in there when my kids are feeding the others.

I also know no fence will hold him if he truly wants OUT but I was just curious as to (for those who do remove their bulls) how you contain them. We have an Angus farm across the road (temptation when the breeze blows the right way). Even though I've got a good bull I doubt the neighbor will be pleased with me to see him amidst his black girls. Thanks for all your input... he's not a nutcase by the way... I'm just trying to be as responsible as possible and avoid mistakes that can be avoided.

 

[S&S Farms]

5 or 6 wire high tensile should keep him in too. Just make sure with any fencer you have a good ground so it works well.

Jeff

 

[dun]

5 or 6 wire high tensile should keep him in too. Just make sure with any fencer you have a good ground so it works well.

Jeff

That plus a companion for him will work wonders for his attitude.

 

[KNERSIE]

5 or 6 wire high tensile should keep him in too. Just make sure with any fencer you have a good ground so it works well.

Jeff

That plus a companion for him will work wonders for his attitude.

Dun is 100% correct, a bull kept on his own is much more likely to develope an attitude. Keep one of the bred cows that won't be shown and her bullcalf/steercalf with the bull while he is not working and you won't have any problems.

I run my bulls together in the off season and they are very content and calm. Just a normal barb wire fence.

 

[randiliana]

5 or 6 wire high tensile should keep him in too. Just make sure with any fencer you have a good ground so it works well.

Jeff

That plus a companion for him will work wonders for his attitude.

Dun is 100% correct, a bull kept on his own is much more likely to develope an attitude. Keep one of the bred cows that won't be shown and her bullcalf/steercalf with the bull while he is not working and you won't have any problems.

I run my bulls together in the off season and they are very content and calm. Just a normal barb wire fence.

These guys know what they are talking about. Our bulls run together for the off season. The main bull pasture (where they go while we are feeding for the winter) is about 3 acres in size. They are behind a 3 wire, barbed wire fence. The biggest thing is that they are not kept alone. If you have only 1 bull, he needs some sort of a companion. Whether it is a cow or a steer or another bull. We have even used a horse at one point.

 

[Wisteria Farms]

I'm going to see if that charger we have hanging in the old barn is a Gallagher... that sucker is HOT. Its really old but it works. Thanks everyone... we have a boy that works around here (when he needs some $$) and he said his brother uses guard rail... just out of curiosity I'm going to take a drive and see what he's talking about...the only guard rail I see is only about 3' off the ground so Im anxious to see what he did there.

 

[dyates]

I guess it also depends on the bull. I only have a single strand of hot wire supported by plastic step in posts. I opened the gap to move the bull to fresh grass and he wouldn't come out. He just stood at the fenceline and looked at it. I hope he never gets wise.

 

[Wisteria Farms]

I guess it also depends on the bull. I only have a single strand of hot wire supported by plastic step in posts. I opened the gap to move the bull to fresh grass and he wouldn't come out. He just stood at the fenceline and looked at it. I hope he never gets wise.

I think you're right... but I'm inexperienced so I've got to plan for worst-case-scenario. If I expect the worst then hopefully I'll avoid some problems (not that there won't be others)

 

[1982vett]

Several years ago, neighbors corriente bull decided he liked my pastures better than theirs. I put him in a 3 acre barb wire pen with 1 strand electric fence. He stayed their several months till they could move him. I had a hereford that started pushing through and old fence to another neighbors heifers. Single strand stopped that too.

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

I agree with pulling the bull after 60 day breeding season. And I especially agree with your rational not wanting a bull among the girls when you are working with them.
Generally, if you have a real good hot wire - most any fence with the hot wire inside will keep him in. A companion is a great idea, if possible

 

[Wisteria Farms]

I agree with pulling the bull after 60 day breeding season. And I especially agree with your rational not wanting a bull among the girls when you are working with them.
Generally, if you have a real good hot wire - most any fence with the hot wire inside will keep him in. A companion is a great idea, if possible

Jeanne, THANKS! I know leaving the boys with the girls works for a lot of people but my situation is a little different in that we handle them more and I don't want to handle him at all... husband wants to put a nosering in but I feel like if he's close enough for me to grab the thing I'm done dead. Anyone care to comment on noserings (aka emergency breaks?)

 

[dun]

The only time I've seen nose rings work in a pasture situation was when it was dragging 12 foot of chain.

 

[Ryder]

I agree with pulling the bull after 60 day breeding season. And I especially agree with your rational not wanting a bull among the girls when you are working with them.
Generally, if you have a real good hot wire - most any fence with the hot wire inside will keep him in. A companion is a great idea, if possible

Jeanne, THANKS! I know leaving the boys with the girls works for a lot of people but my situation is a little different in that we handle them more and I don't want to handle him at all... husband wants to put a nosering in but I feel like if he's close enough for me to grab the thing I'm done dead. Anyone care to comment on noserings (aka emergency breaks?)

If you depend on controlling a bull by grabing that nose ring, your feelings are right.

 

[jfranseen]

If you do use a electric fence make sure all the wires have current. Otherwise you may have them pushing a dead wire into a live one making them all useless. If the bulls aren't familar with an electric fence put one strand in a corral with them. Curiosity will take care of the rest.

 

[iowafarmer]

nose rings are useless we have several bulls that came with them and they get them caught in brush in pastures. Had one bull get his caught and ripped it out and now he jsut has one large nostril. I know that i don't want to be in front of a bull controlling him by a ring in his nose. What if he goes forward what is the nose ring going to do about that. Just my thoughts on it though.

 

[therehegoes]

5 or 6 wire high tensile should keep him in too. Just make sure with any fencer you have a good ground so it works well.

Jeff

That plus a companion for him will work wonders for his attitude.

Completely agree...a companion is critical...no cow, bull or brood is content alone. After preg checks we always have one or two that bred late but we still hold onto. I typically leave one of those with the bull...

Some have suggested leaving them with the cows...aren't you working with a traditional calving period? I have cows that would breed back 30-40 days after calving..not what I want.

As long as the bull has a companion I wouldn't feel the need for panels, but would still have at minimum 3-4 smooth or barbed wires and one of those wires HOT.