How Long?

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

Just curious. How long do people usually keep their herd sires?

 

[jkwilson]

I keep mine longer than most. I will start AI on cows that don't seem to produce well after a couple of years with the bull and on his daughters.

 

[ALACOWMAN]

i keep a maternal bull for two calf crops. when his first set of replacements are ready to breed and the second on the ground i change. i keep a terminal sire till my older cows are starting to play out. and i need some more replacements

 

[warpaint]

Depends on how good the bull is, and what my plans are for his offspring.

 

[sidney411]

We currently have 4 bulls so I have no issue with breeding retained heifers. In the past, and in the future, we keep a bull as long as he is doing his job. We have never sold a bull do to age. Factors in the past have been injury and not staying home.

 

[Dave]

About 4 years is my max. It depends on a lot of things. His attitude, room, how well I like his calves. Often I sell a bull mid summer when he is done with breeding just because it cost a lot to feed him until next spring when I need a bull again.

 

[bigbull338]

with comm cows i keep a bull pretty much as long as he works.with reg 3yrs.then move the bull to comm cows or sale him.im planning on having 2 bulls.both will be reg.an i can move the heifers from bull to bull.without inbreeding.

 

[badroute]

Run angus and polled hereford bulls. I am lucky if I keep an angus bull until he is 6 years of age due to injury or just getting plain awnry. Herford bulls on the other hand regularly hang around until 8 or 9 years of age.

 

[randiliana]

We keep them for as long as we can. 4 years seems to be the magic # though. They almost always seem to develop some sort of a problem by then. Either attitude, they turn into fence crawlers, they just don't test one spring, their feet go or they get sick. With 6 bulls we have no problems with father/daughter stuff regardless of how long we would keep the bull. We also run our bulls in separate pastures at breeding so it lessens the chance of injury, but even with that we are lucky it seems to get 4 years out of them.

 

[BlackBaldyMan]

6-8yrs

 

[Limomike]

6-7 years ...

 

[Cattle Rack Rancher]

So, from what I'm seeing most people retain their bulls for four years or more. That's what I thought. I guess the reason I asked is that I saw an article on how to manage a commercial cow herd and they recommended changing your bull every three years. From my own perspective, I've had 3 bulls in the last 5 years. Two only stayed one summer as they were a little to evil minded for my liking and I just got tired of having to constantly look over my shoulder every time I went into the cattle pen. The other one decided after three years that no fence was going to hold him so I sent him on his way. The bull I have now has a nice temperament and throws decent calves. I alos paid a pretty penny for him and so I was hoping that most folks would agree that I should keep him until something goes wrong with him rather than ship him just for the sake of spending money on a new bull. Thanks.

 

[TheBullLady]

We keep one for two years, primarily because they are good bulls and we usually end up keeping a heifer or two from him. It's too much of a pain the &#%* for me to keep more than one bull. Plus, they are still young enough I can sell them to another producer instead of the auction barn.. if he's a good one of course. And I have progeny to show a potential buyer.