How Much Bull Power?

[Devin]

I am curently finalizing a lease on a farm that will carry about 200 cows with calves. I am planning on starting out with 100 momma cows and growing to the 200 mark. My question is, in your opinion, what is the bull to cow ratio I should run ( if we don't AI) for a 60 day calving season. I currently only have 50 cows 25 spring and 25 fall and rotate the bull I was thinking one bull for 25 cows or could a mature bull handle more in 60 days on fescue clover pasture. Breeding season will be April 15 -June 15. Average temperature is 75-85 degrees. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

 

[randiliana]

I am curently finalizing a lease on a farm that will carry about 200 cows with calves. I am planning on starting out with 100 momma cows and growing to the 200 mark. My question is, in your opinion, what is the bull to cow ratio I should run ( if we don't AI) for a 60 day calving season. I currently only have 50 cows 25 spring and 25 fall and rotate the bull I was thinking one bull for 25 cows or could a mature bull handle more in 60 days on fescue clover pasture. Breeding season will be April 15 -June 15. Average temperature is 75-85 degrees. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

If we are using mature bulls, we will run 25-40 head to a bull. 30-35 head per bull should work well. If they are yearlings we try to run less than 25 head with them. Our breeding season is also about 60 days, and the temps for us range from 75*- over 100*.

 

[DiamondSCattleCo]

I run 40 cows to a mature bull. I've always felt that if a bull couldn't handle at least that many cows in 60 days, he should be hamburger.

Rod

 

[Roadapple]

I to have always practiced the 40 to 1 ratio myself. I have never had any not turn up bred. I try and buy bulls that have high motility on breeding soundness exams. They usually have a really good libido and get it done in 60 days.

Never? Not even one?

 

[1848]

Minimum age bulls should be 2 year olds which are simular in size and I would use 30 per bull as a good figure. This should keep your bulls in decent shape and get everything settled easily while still keeping the number managable and not at the upper end limit. Especially, if the bulls need to spend some valuable breeding time trying to get to know one another in the process, and end up ignoring the ladies. ;-) (either all hornless, or all horned may help prevent some injuries) Make sure the bulls are semen tested good, prior too placing them with the herd, and that they are current on all their vacs (especially lepto)

Remember, min age of two will help with them not needing to maintain their own growth as they will have 80% of it done. This will keep them from stressing as much. Plus you will have animals the size needed to get the job done on your mature animals and be able to easily travel all over the size land you are putting them on.

 

[Devin]

Thanks for all of the advice. I think I'll go with the thirty to one rate. They will have time to "get aquainted" in the bull pen prior to breeding. This is a pretty big jump forward for us and I didn't want 20-25 open cows because of not having enough bulls. Enough can go wrong without starting out with a mistake! Thanks again and take care.
Devin