Help please BOY'S misbehaving.

[hillsdown]

My bulls are driving me nuts they are fighting constantly. The other night they were fighting in my driveway at 3:45 in the morning.I was not impressed .
Will they stop eventually and develop a pecking order or is this going to continue.I a afraid they are going to go through the fence which will be disastrous.
I have never had this problem before and these two used to be best buds but the last three days if they are not eating they are fighting.

Should I just kick their buts out to pasture with the horses and the "camels" until spring.I do not need this crap during calving.

 

[randiliana]

That depends on the bulls. They may get it figured out in the next little while, or they may not. Likely the guy on the low end is trying to oust the other one from top spot. And of course the boss doesn't want to give it up. How big of a pasture/pen are they in, and how many bulls? Just the 2 or are there more. Usually the bigger the area, the better things are, especially if they have developed a hate for each other. It also helps if you can get them away from the cows, that gives them less to argue over. Ours are in about a 2-3 acre paddock, but they are 1/4 mile from any cows. Unless my uncle puts his in the pasture that is just across the road. Right now all that is there is about 20 bulls. The weather may also be playing a part in it. If it has warmed up, or if a storm is coming that may be the problem.

 

[hillsdown]

They never had a pecking order they grew up together and are the same age.They each had their own group to breed last year and then after two months the groups were combined.They even tag teamed the stragglers it was quite disgusting. I don't know why they are fighting now out of the blue. Maybe because the cows started calving and they are close enough to see and smell what's going on.

They are in a small area about half acre, a corral with two young bulls.These guys are both two.

I think I should just put them in the pasture by the house with the grazers.

 

[Susie David]

Sure sounds like you are getting ready to loose some fence with thoes two. IMO some just never work things out and will always challange each other and destroy everything that isn't stronger than a 1800# + bull pushing his rival around. Glad that we're small enough to only keep one bull on the payroll.
The yearling steeers are bad enough when the weather warms up.
DMc

 

[cypressfarms]

They will have to establish a pecking order. That's what being a bull is all about - being the alpha and in control of the breeding "rights" to the cows he thinks are his. Do you have any cows close by that may be cycling that these guys are smelling? That could definitely spark things.

I have seen groups of 20 bulls run together without problems. They usually settle things quickly, but if they are both the same size, they may fight longer. This is one of the biggest reasons that some cattlemen use odd numbered bulls on their cows - that way at least one is free to breed while the others are fighting.

Seperate them with a hot wire if you think they are going to tear you out of house and home. Even the biggest bull doesn't like to get shocked.

Or you could just go to a Dun bull (out of the bottle) :lol:

 

[Hippie Rancher]

They are teenagers and the days are now getting longer. It's SPRING!
They should work it out pretty fast, hopefully before they tear your fences up. I'd give them more space if possible or separate them.

 

[grannysoo]

I've got a youngster trying to show out against the "big man", but they are knocking heads thru some stiff fence. Little does he know that he has an appointment with my freezer in a few weeks.

As to your problem, if it doesn't work out, put a set of wheels under one or the other.

 

[CKC1586]

I had three bulls here that had been together since weaning. In August my bull decided he was going to fight and would not give up, went thru an interior fence (thank goodness not exterior) and were busting up gates. Since two were my brothers and were going to be sent home for show season anyway they just got sent home a couple weeks early. Sometimes they will sort things out and sometimes you just have to separate them. Depends on how much patience you have and how much you like fixing fences and gates.

 

[ALX.]

2 of the same experience, size and temperment? Likely work it out when one is dead.

If they are not in a properly designed bull pen you have a week or 2 to get them scent wise out of range of your herd.

Otherwise, Good Luck!

 

[hillsdown]

2 of the same experience, size and temperment? Likely work it out when one is dead.

If they are not in a properly designed bull pen you have a week or 2 to get them scent wise out of range of your herd.

Otherwise, Good Luck!

Always the optimist ALX. They in an electric very HOT corral .Isn't it amazing what one little itty bit of electricity will stop yet a 6 foot high pen won't.All our animals have been used to power at day one.

BUT I am going to move one out with the horses.I just found out today from his DNA results that he is not who he is supposed to be. :frowns:

So I am in the market for a new clean up bull for April/May.Must be pure bred registered Gelbvieh,DNA on file and be a calving ease bull.Not related to Freedom,Boo Boo ,Moderator,Leachman's New Day,Summit or Independance to name a few.Feel free to contact me if you have some that may interest me.Do not want a long haul so please note the location. :tiphat:

Actually thinking of a homozygous black bull.

I wish I hadn't sold Lexington yet .

 

[rockridgecattle]

Get a donkey. This will solve the problem real fast. Only one though. donkeys do not like bulls fighting, they will pull them apart. Then you will see one donkey has 1/2 the bale ring and the other bulls will get the other half.
When we go bull shopping it amazes me the difference in temperment when there is a donkey in the bulls and when there is not

 

[hillsdown]

Get a donkey. This will solve the problem real fast. Only one though. donkeys do not like bulls fighting, they will pull them apart. Then you will see one donkey has 1/2 the bale ring and the other bulls will get the other half.
When we go bull shopping it amazes me the difference in temperment when there is a donkey in the bulls and when there is not

:lol2: :lol2: :lol2: Yeah that just what I need add more to my zoo.My husband would strangle me if he came home to that.
Thanks RR but I am trying to solve a problem not create a bigger one.He already threatened to shoot them when he came home last night and I hadn't told him how badly I got hurt that night they got out .

I think moving one to the pasture with all the other varmints will stop the problem.

But, thanks RR that is good to know in the future about bull discipline I have heard of donkeys as predator control but not as bull control.

 

[rockridgecattle]

be careful. I got mowed down by a bull. Thankfully the dog was there to stop him from stepping on me allowing me to roll away.
Another thought, I know you said something about electric fence. Dunno how you do yours. My hubby just used to nail the wire on the treated post. One day i used insulators on the bull pen cause of fixing fence. i asked him to check the fence job to see if i did it right. told him the fencer was on. He was checking it and well in his word yeow. He is now a firm believer in insulators. Stronger crack.

donkey idea was just that.

 

[hillsdown]

First my dad is a master electrician so we have the best electric fences around, so that is not an issue .I have gotten a jolt just standing by them not even touching them.

Secondly I must clarify the boys did not charge or show any aggression to me at all believe me they are scared sh@tless of me.There that gives you all something to think about when I go off the deep end. It was other circumstances that were really my fault.But lets just say I have angels looking out for me and am lucky to be alive,he does not know how close he was to getting that big insurance check ; a sprained knee and ripped ligaments is a blessing at this point.I could actually bend it today and can probably get back to running at the end of the week.

FWIW, so no one thinks these bulls are aggressive to people.

RR I liked the donkey idea and if I ever want to get back at Mr. Ed for something I just might get one.

 

[Hippie Rancher]

2 of the same experience, size and temperment? Likely work it out when one is dead.

I have never seen a kill. A few injuries (a blinding, ruptured penis - the rest minor) and plenty of broken brickabrack but never seen one kill another.

 

[Victoria]

hillsdown, it's the same age thing that is the problem. Sometimes they will find a pecking order but more often than not two bulls that grew up together will just fight every year. Had a couple of bulls once that took turns all breeding season winning top spot ended with quite a few injuries and one bull most times coudln't move. Thought maybe it was just those two, tried it again and the first year they bred together no problems. Last year we had fights and only one bull pretty much living with the herd at a time. So shipped one and will get one younger this year. Then there is usually a solid boss and things go better.

 

[Beef11]

Did someone say it was spring? It was -6 this morning. I haven't seen the lawn since before thanksgiving. I'm sure its not spring here.

As for the bulls i would explain the added tensions are due to cattle calving near by. Right before a cow calves her progesterone levels drop and her estrogen levels spike, estrogen levels also spike during heat. Bulls being bulls and subject to pheromones they likely have a hard time distinguishing between the two hence the excitement.

Do you have a camel?

If the Donkey idea is something you like ask Joeghee about his Donkey.

 

[ALX.]

2 of the same experience, size and temperment? Likely work it out when one is dead.

I have never seen a kill. A few injuries (a blinding, ruptured penis - the rest minor) and plenty of broken brickabrack but never seen one kill another.

2 local in the last 5 years I know of Hippie.

The one I almost saw happen as the pasture is beside the main road. Neighbour is a drover, put a strange bull in with about 20 cows that already had a herd bull with them. They fought for 3 days and while driving by one day I noticed th stranger was down. Asked the neighbour about it and he said the other bull "busted his heart up, dropped like a rock".

The other was a mentor of mine who just told me about putting a docile one in with 2 fighters. Docile didn't last long, less than a week. Never said what killed him.

If you have good money in a bull even the injuries that lame them up are costly.

 

[Brute 23]

I get worried if bulls don't fight over cows... makes me question if one is not doing his job.

 

[bigbull338]

hopefully they will workout the pecking order without hurting or killing eachother.you hate to see a good bull get hurt regardless of how much he costs.an losing a bull to injuries can be very costly.because youll have to replace a bull.