herd bull opinions

[rockridgecattle]

So here are our herd bulls. I still have to go and get a pic of the heifer bull but here are some
This is Mr Poopoo head. HE has been a breeder on the farm for several years and in the last two limited because he is a pain in the butt. You know fences fighting etc. Pretty much his job has been relief and fill for sick bulls

This is 18. He is home grown from bred heifers we bought. He has been working these last 8 weeks less one week for foot rot. He serviced 80 cows with 2 other bulls

This is Merlin (our name to identify him). He is a traveller bull. He was with 18. He is three yrs and second year breeding

this is Tatton Howler 4 years old. He is on his way out after withdrawl due to complications but her has been here for several years. He has started to put weight on again.

This is the rent a bull. I know he has a 90+ under 100 birhtweight. Guys up here do not like to rent bulls so he is a rental with perfered option to buy if we like him. He's two and was on 80 cows this year with four other younger bulls in the owners herd...really want opinions seens how he will be a purchase

When i find the heifer bull i will add him to the list. I know where he is just need to find him in the brush.
Opinions would be greatly appreciated, honest is good, brutal i can take it...with in reason

 

[Keren]

To be honest, none of these bulls really caught my eye. 18 and Merlin lack muscle, particularly in the hindquarter, but they have decent bone and depth. Mr Poopoo Head has the muscle that the others lack, but he's too leggy and fine boned for my liking. They all appear to be slightly unbalanced - thick in the front end but not carrying that through to the rear end. In my opinion the rentabull is the best, he appears to have more thickness in the rear than the other bulls, as well as being long and deep with good bone. Not sure but he may be a bit heavy in the shoulders, it could just be the picture. I also like the Howler bull, I would just like to see more red meat in the rump.

 

[*Cowgirl*]

They are all pretty average. I agree that rentabull is the best.

Poopoo is pretty coarse in his makeup with not enough bone; slopes from hooks to pins.

18 slopes from hooks to pins, pretty narrow from the rear, lays in much nicer in shoulder than pph

Merlin needs a lot more muscle, he doesn't look to be naturally thick. He has a long enough hip, but not level. No stifle muscle TINY nuts

Howler has more muscle than the 2 previous bulls, but I'd like to see more in hindquarters (he's a funnel butt) Awfully straight in the shoulder

Rentabull has a nice top. He seems to have plenty of depth to him. Decent muscle. Pretty good for a 2 year old.

I'd place them : rental - pooboy - howler - 18 - merlin
I think they could all get the job done.

 

[Santas and Duhram Reds]

I would buy the red bull and sell merlin. Again, none of them caught my eye. I DO NOT like merlin though

 

[rockridgecattle]

HOwler had more muscle, he's just spent the last 6 weeks sick and recovery.
would 18 and merlin's hind quarters be thin from servicing 80 cows, this summer basically on their own with the third bull being so sick and just gettin the rent a bull last week?

I don't remember them being so thin in the back end in the beginning but I can't remember. They will have to stay over because 18 and pph are out. Can't afford to replace all. But for next year we will have to buy one more and hopefully we will chose better.

 

[oakcreekfarms]

I kinda like the rent bull, the others didn't do anything for me.

 

[mnmtranching]

The rented bull looks the best to me too. However he's in the best flesh. The bulls all look kind of like they been out working, maybe not the best pasture. It's like always on these boards people are confusing quality with conditioning.

 

[oakcreekfarms]

I knew that he was in better condition, however he looks to have a better rear, and overall better depth. That can be seen regardless of conditioning.

 

[mnmtranching]

I knew that he was in better condition, however he looks to have a better rear, and overall better depth. That can be seen regardless of conditioning.

Yes I agree he's the best bull. Also look at his hide and overall health. I bet his off season feeding, minerals, vitamins, parasite and over all care was different than the other bulls. And it really has nothing to do with genetics and the offspring the bulls sire. That's why I say so often condition is confused with quality.

On photos of my own bulls. same bulls from 1 year to the next. Early in the season the critics like him, two months into a hot dry Summer, after breeding 40 cows or so he's funnel butt and lacking depth blah blah blah.

 

[rockridgecattle]

funny


Just to let you know we vacinate for everything but footrot and we de worm 2x a year on calves, breeding heifers( gotta give them the best while still growing) and the bulls. Cows get de wormed in the fall only unless she looks like she needs it in the spring plus we have working oilers in each pasture.

Our bulls this past winter were given wild (mostly)and tame hay, plus mineral. But we did not use the loose stuff. We used these min blocks from feed rite. They did not have as much as loose but thought it might be cheaper than the mineral feeder always getting tipped over. Might not have been the best way to go.
Next winter, oh my in a few months we will feed better hay. Grain or pellets we will see.

We will also take pics pre breeding at vet exams. Oh yeah we always do breeding soundness evaluations on all our bulls each year.
With pph and tatton going this year, Merlin and 18 might have to wait a year unless someone really likes him and will buy him.
But I think rent a bull is here to stay.
CowGirl, I checked the bull test on Merlin. 3 year old 39" circumfrence. Is that to small?

Thank you all for your advice and help. We will look for better for next year. Thanks again

 

[*Cowgirl*]

funny


Just to let you know we vacinate for everything but footrot and we de worm 2x a year on calves, breeding heifers( gotta give them the best while still growing) and the bulls. Cows get de wormed in the fall only unless she looks like she needs it in the spring plus we have working oilers in each pasture.

Our bulls this past winter were given wild (mostly)and tame hay, plus mineral. But we did not use the loose stuff. We used these min blocks from feed rite. They did not have as much as loose but thought it might be cheaper than the mineral feeder always getting tipped over. Might not have been the best way to go.
Next winter, oh my in a few months we will feed better hay. Grain or pellets we will see.

We will also take pics pre breeding at vet exams. Oh yeah we always do breeding soundness evaluations on all our bulls each year.
With pph and tatton going this year, Merlin and 18 might have to wait a year unless someone really likes him and will buy him.
But I think rent a bull is here to stay.
CowGirl, I checked the bull test on Merlin. 3 year old 39" circumfrence. Is that to small?

Thank you all for your advice and help. We will look for better for next year. Thanks again

Kind of, but not too bad. Maybe he was cold when the picture was taken?

 

[rockridgecattle]

I don't think it was too cold. About 22 C in the shade. It was about 10 am, they were in the bush because it was starting to get hot out in the open 29 C in the sun and the bugs were bothering them.
.

 

[SEC]

Rent a bull looks the best because he has actually a little feed in him. With as many bulls as you run with your cows the condition of the bulls is a little on the thin side.

Then it doesn't matter what the bulls look like but the calves have more importance.

 

[Brute 23]

None of them caught my eye either... especially the first one.. Mr Poopoo head. Nothing worse than an average bull who is a pain in the azz. Would have gotten rid of him long time ago.

How do the calves look from them?

 

[rockridgecattle]

i have some posted in the photo galary but not many as my internet connection is giving me grief. I will post some soon. Some are nice. Some seem small but they are from heifers and were late abit. I will post some soon.
I will say this, there is a marked differnce in PPH and 18 and merlin. PPH are long legged and long but the others are filling out nice. What we have of tattons we are happy with.

 

[Alan]

I have to ask.... how did Poopoo head get his name, did he earn it?

Alan

 

[Brandonm2]

I knew that he was in better condition, however he looks to have a better rear, and overall better depth. That can be seen regardless of conditioning.

Yes I agree he's the best bull. Also look at his hide and overall health. I bet his off season feeding, minerals, vitamins, parasite and over all care was different than the other bulls. And it really has nothing to do with genetics and the offspring the bulls sire. That's why I say so often condition is confused with quality.

On photos of my own bulls. same bulls from 1 year to the next. Early in the season the critics like him, two months into a hot dry Summer, after breeding 40 cows or so he's funnel butt and lacking depth blah blah blah.

EXACTLY, that is what makes it hard to evaluate herd bulls that have been out on range. EVERY bull will look better than he is when doing nothing and eating a complete mixed ration for the last six months. It is really hard to tell from one photo whether a bull is lite muscled or just overworked. Old bulls also typically start to get somewhat heavy fronted and unbalanced as they age.

 

[Aero]

so how many bulls do you have breeding how many cows?

 

[Brute 23]

I think when a bull is being worked hard it is an exellent time to judge them.... shows what they are really made of. ;-)

Wish I had that chance with every bull I buy. :lol:

 

[rockridgecattle]

Alan, Poopoo Head Got his name because it was more polite than the one i should not use. S...and so on.
When he first arrived he as a yearling looked good. We named him Del, after the farm we bought him from. Tadition here.
When he came of pasture after the first bredding season his name changed to Cull short for culvert. Becasue he looked like a culvert on legs. but the guys weren't ready to give up on him. So he stayed. He was even tempered. When he beat up the king herd bull and injured him, he became a butt head. Beat up bulls, had to show his dominance, took out fences, squashed pannels bust corrals and would not get into the chute for breeding soundness with out a few curses.
Last year he tried to take out 18 in a dugout. It looked like two hippos fighting for their lives.
BAD bull bad bull.
This is why we kept him in reserve just in case a bull went down like last spring.
Bad move we kept him at our own peril.

Areo,
We have 5 bulls
1 yearling breeding 17 replacements
3 bulls breeding 80 cow 2 older one younger.
Usually we put 1 bull with 20 - 30 cow in separate pastures. But this year we changed because we thought it was going to be a drought so we were going to do roatrional grazing.

1 bull Mr Poopoo head with the culls and their calves as well as the late calvers. Our culls stayed home due to age (coming off the Ark age unknown) and injuried or poor doer cows.