Friendly bull

[DaleK]

I'm not about to tell anybody they can't have a pet bull, but someday you'll be running late and won't have time to pet him or scratch him as much as he likes and when he presses the issue he can grind you into jam without knowing he's doing anything but playing.

 

[Craig-TX]

...some people have snakes,bears,wild cats for pets. I'll take my chances with my bulls.

This exactly illustrates the difference between the two schools of thought in this thread. Rod asked an intelligent question and he's getting answers from two types of respondents. Some are ranchers. Others are pet owners.

Craig-TX

 

[plbcattle]

craig, this may be news to you but one can be both.just because my cattle are tame makes them no different than yours. why should you judge where one gets his entertainment from. I prefer to pet my cattle,you don't[/quote]

 

[Craig-TX]

craig, this may be news to you but one can be both.just because my cattle are tame makes them no different than yours.

Might be news to you but no you can't be both. I'm not knocking people who have a gentle show animal and I'm not knocking folks who keep a few old cows around and have them gentle as lambs. But you've stated before that you have about 100 momma cows. You've also mentioned recently that your bulls are fighting. And now you're stating that your stock are all "tame." I call BS on that.

why should you judge where one gets his entertainment from. I prefer to pet my cattle,you don't

I'm not judging anything about where you get your entertainment. I am judging some of the advice dispensed here. At best it is ill conceived. At worst it is irresponsible. If a person wants to rub on their stock and take chances with their own life and limb that's one thing. If they encourage others, sight unseen, to do it that's another thing.

Craig-TX

 

[Texan]

Craig, I see nothing but opportunity here for the breed associations that want to stay on the cutting edge of breed improvement. A new Petability EPD for the cattleman who is really serious about a "hands on" relationship with his stock.

 

[Dave]

I don't get concern about an animal who will allow me to walk up to it and pet it. But I don't like to have any animal (other than my dog) that will walk up to me. I have one cow that will allow me to pet it any where in the field, but I am always aware of the arch that its head can move in and stand outside that area. As has been stated here even a friendly cow (or bull) can hurt you bad just by swinging its head around. And never never allow yourself to be between an animal and something solid. Being bumped in the ribs hurts. Being pinned against a tree, barn, or fence can easily be fatal.
Dave

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

Here is an interesting little tidbit about a real tame, petting bull and what can happen without any apparent provocation:

http://amarillo.com/stories/033102/tex_lovett.shtml

 

[hillbilly]

My bosses father in law was killed in march of this year by a bull that was
gentle.
He drove his truck into the field with two of his grandsons, got out and was head butted by his bull. Crushed his skull. It knocked him under the truck.
The boys said the bull wasn't mad, just walked away.
They got grandpas phone and called home.
He died in the helicopter.

Carry a 6 ft cattle prod when you are amongst your cattle.
Teach them not to get within 10 ft of you or your kids.
They don't have to be wild, most cattle have a built in 10 to 15 ft comfort
zone built in.
The only thing more dangerous than a pet bull is a friendly ex-wife.

Hillbilly

 

[Alan]

Arnold,

I deal with lots of animals, mostly horses and dogs, some cats. It's always the ones with name like "Cotton" or "peaches" or "Sweetpie" that you have to watch. They maybe pissed about their names.




A year or two ago a guy was taking his pet bull to the sale yard, older bull, raised from a calf. the bull wouldn't move up th isle, the man wouldn't have anyone use a hot shot on his long time "friend". He led the bull into the holding pen himself, got between the bull and fence. In the words of Paul Harvey... He was 64 and will be missed by his family and friends.

Alan

 

[eric]

Here is an interesting little tidbit about a real tame, petting bull and what can happen without any apparent provocation:

http://amarillo.com/stories/033102/tex_lovett.shtml

Bad bull..but now maybe his uncle will stick to making dresses and such!!

 

[TxCoUnTrYbOy]

Im nowhere near as experienced as most people here, but I am raising a show bull right now so I have some stuff to add. My bull is gentle as a dog. Of course, he has his days when he doesnt want to be bothered, and Ive learned those signs and know to just throw some feed in and go. Other days he comes up, sticks his head through the pen and as long as someone is scratching him he wont move for hours. You just have to learn the signs they give off. Other than that, I guess I agree with most of the other people here. Something so big may not be trying to hurt you, but could still kill you.

 

[Fleckvieh DPB]

i dont believe you should have pet bulls!!

bulls are unpredictable

one time he might not be satisfied and deside to get your attention.
you might be dead now...........

my dad has been charged by a bull
thankfully there was a fence post lying there.
hit him on the head with it and the bull left.

one of my friends dad got pined by a bull
broke a couple of ribs
a couple weeks of recovery
sold that one

my uncle in a dairy barn got knoked down by the bull.
he yelled at the top of his lungs the bull backed off for a second.
just enuf time for my uncle to pull himself over the feedbunk.


why increase the risk of getting attacked?
this will not only affect you but also family close friends
think bout how hard it would be.


just my thoughts.
let me know if you think its all balonie
but this is what im sticking to
"dont trust em,
if checking on cows in pasture locate him and then a posible escape route."

the other day i checked up on the cattle in the pasture.
i didn't know that herford bull had that much energy and can be very suprising to se what he can do when he's burn'n it up.
heels up in the air and able to run un expectedly fast.

play it safe!!!



al

 

[RockenG]

We only pet our show animals. When messing with cows they are much larger than us and you just never know. My Dad was charged and ran over by a cow that he had owned for years. She had never shown any aggression before not even when she had a new calf. This time was different she didnt like something and thank god for the dogs or he could have had more than broken ribs. That is the time we quite feeding cubs out of our hands and make them stay a safe distance. Made me think about my kids who were young at the time and its just not worth the risk.

 

[Craig-TX]

Here is an interesting little tidbit about a real tame, petting bull and what can happen without any apparent provocation:

http://amarillo.com/stories/033102/tex_lovett.shtml

AZ, in this one instance are we sure we can blame the bull? I wouldn't know about the uncle. For all we know the uncle might have hauled off and done something that didn't agree with sweet Cotton's sensibilities. But I'm not sure we can blame the bull when it comes to Lovett. The bull might have figured he was just too danged ugly and needed a good thrashing. Let's face it, that boy is hard to look at. He couldn't sneak up on a glass of water. Ha.

Craig-TX

 

[frenchie]

TxCoUnTrYbOy...........Just the kind of bull that can kill you.......the gentle ones.

 

[Campground Cattle]

This goes back to what Craig said the ranchers on the board are not playing with the bulls as they know what can happen. I never enter the pasture, pen, or feedlot that I dont have the bull located. A bull of mine that has never shown aggression decide to fight the tractor earlier this year. I won but he went to two strikes right then, one more time of showing his butt he's gone. Watch that gentle bull they all seem to go through a personality change around 4 years old.

 

[Arnold Ziffle]

I think you may be right, Craig. Lyle has the sort of look that might drive any beast crazy, and his uncle might be about the same. But to Lyle's credit ( I guess), at least he was able to attract Julia Roberts for a short time.

The Amarillo paper's write-up on the attack did not include one possibly significant item that, as I recall, was reported in the Houston papers --- Lyle's uncle admitted to "smacking" the bull Cotton on the face when Cotton did something the uncle disapproved of, and that is apparently when the bull got into his rage. "Smacking" a grown bull up side his face is not a real smart thing to do, no matter how tame the bull is! :lol:

 

[TheBullLady]

This is always a topic that brings a big swing as far as opinions!

I know there are people that get hurt or killed by bulls, but there are also people that get killed in car wrecks, by horses, etc. etc. For the ones that get hurt that we all hear about because they are sensational stories, there are thousands more that have never been hurt.

How you handle your bull is going to impact how he treats you. I'm sorry but I can't agree with those who say "don't ever pet him or touch him.." and I can't agree with anyone who would routinely smack a bull with anything for no reason besides he's too close to you. As I mentioned earlier, don't get between him and ANYTHING, and that will greatly reduce the risk.

IMO of course..

 

[Campground Cattle]

This is always a topic that brings a big swing as far as opinions!



How you handle your bull is going to impact how he treats you. I'm sorry but I can't agree with those who say "don't ever pet him or touch him.." .

IMO of course..

I call BS on this one .

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

I know there are people that get hurt or killed by bulls

Actually the statistic I heard that your chances of surviving a bull attack once he gets ahold of you are 1 in 20.