Capabilities of a Mature Bull

[tdarden3k]

Talking about 3-5 year old bull.
Should such an animal in good condition be able to settle 2 cows per day........ each day ..... for a 2 week period ?
Or would that be a little too much wear and tear on him ?

Thoughts please ?
Thanks

 

[Beef Man]

Any beef bull that we would use should easily settle14-15 cows a week and darn well be able to continue for at least the first 21 days. I would put a 2yr old with30-40 cows and be expecting them to calve in 30 days.

 

[HOSS]

Just have to get all the cows to cooperate and all come in within the two week period :mrgreen:

 

[Dega Moo]

Just have to get all the cows to cooperate and all come in within the two week period :mrgreen:

Amen to that. And if they've all been synch'd before ya might have them all stand within a day or two. Makes for a tuckered out bull. In larger pastures our herds appear to break into two or three distinct groups. Makes it harder on the cleanup bull so we like to move everyone to a smaller pasture when we put the cleanup bulls in. And I don't like putting even numbers of bulls in.

 

[js1234]

Depends on the country he's in. If in a few acre irrigated trap, no problem. Outside in truly tough country, he might not cover more than 18-20 head in a 90 day season. Not sure where you are and what your ground is like.

 

[Ozhorse]

Do you think my new big fat 2 yo bull is going to be able to do the following job for me?

Usually I put just one bull in with each mob of cows, usually 20 - 40 cows, and then 3 to 4 weeks later swap the bulls around in case one bull is not working. This has worked for me in the past.

All angus cattle.

I have 41 first calving cows away on agistment about an hours drive away. I just purchased a 2yr old bull for them. He is about 800+ kg and a bit too fat perhaps. He looks pretty. He will probably loose weight before he gets put out with the cows.

Would you trust putting him out with the cows and not backing him up with another bull?
I dont feel good about doing that.
The one time I just used one bull on 10 cows and didnt swap around he didnt work - Murphys Law.
I can swap him after a month with one of the following:
a) a 7 yr old bull that has had a super hard year on low feed and will have been with 40 cows himself (& looks tired)
b) a 2 yr old bull that has never had good feed but worked last year as a yearling and did his job
c) a yearling bull that is untried and not in good condition either.

Choices get short when the farm gets 90% burnt out by wildfire.

One of the reasons I purchased the new bull when I cant really afford it is that it is so embarassing to send to someone elses property my worn out old bulls or underfed young ones. (Not good for the reputation as a seller of replacement females locally.)

I could take a younger or smaller bull to the cows in the same trailer as the new 2 yo bull but I figured that the big 2yo would not let the younger/smaller bull work if they were together with the cows and I would rather the 2 yo new pretty bull got the cows in calf.

Should I try to put the new bull with some cows to see if he will serve before taking him away (sensible but it takes time when I am struggling to get the farm/life back together after the fire - I am also running 3500 sheep). It would be a full day job to bring in a mob of cows close to home where there is no feed anyway to put with him and then watch.

So who is brave enough to expose 41 cows to only one bull?

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Put 3 bulls on them.

 

[Fire Sweep Ranch]

If he is BSE tested, and passed, he should be able to do his job. After 4 weeks, add another bull in there to clean up what he might have missed if you are worried, but want most of the calves to be from the new bull.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Neighbor put a mature hatchet ass bull on 30 cows. After a couple weeks he tore down 3 fences to breed my 45 cows, so I would say about 75 cows per bull while doing MIG.

 

[TennesseeTuxedo]

Neighbor put a mature hatchet ass bull on 30 cows. After a couple weeks he tore down 3 fences to breed my 45 cows, so I would say about 75 cows per bull while doing MIG.

Sounds like he was a breeding machine.

 

[Stocker Steve]

Neighbor put a mature hatchet ass bull on 30 cows. After a couple weeks he tore down 3 fences to breed my 45 cows, so I would say about 75 cows per bull while doing MIG.

Sounds like he was a breeding machine.

Yea, he tried to get to my heifers also. I got tired of the excuses for not keeping him home so I just shipped my bull to make the best of the situation. :nod: