How young is too Young

[Scotty]

I have always had bulls two or older. A friend of mine wants to buy a bull that is 13 months old. He is registered Angus. I tell him he will breed but not to many too fast. He is a New Design 036 son out of a GAR 522 cow. Same as a bull I own. Anyway what do ya'll think. I say buy him. $1900.00

 

[certherfbeef]

I will not guarentee a bull until he is 18 months. But all bulls leave here with a Breeding Soundness Exam. Maybe have the vet do a BSE and then sell him.

 

[Dave]

I always buy young bulls because the same bull will generally cost a lot less as a yearling than it would as a two year old. They will breed a few cows if that is what you want them to do. The calves will generally be spread over a longer time than most people want. What I do is turn a young bull out with 4 or 5 heifers. They seem to be able to handle that many easily. It works well if you have some small pastures.

Dave

 

[Craig-TX]

I always buy young bulls because the same bull will generally cost a lot less as a yearling than it would as a two year old.... It works well if you have some small pastures.

Dave

Or if you run multiple bulls. We buy them young for the same reason, they are much cheaper. Just because you put a youngster out there doesn't mean he has to pull all the weight himself from day one. When he builds up to 100% you can sell the older boy.

Craig-TX

 

[polledbull]

I sell a few limi bulls . seems everybody wants them at 12 months old .They want him as cheap as possible ($800 or less ) they think . They swear they wont use him for atleast six months and feed him all the grain he will eat. However in six months or so they call you back wanting a new bull because thiers hadnt grown enough . You told them there was no gaurantee on a 12 month old bull for anything ,including the ability to grow. They actually took him home and turned him into ( guote " a few heifers" )25 on a 6 acre pasture of of burmuda in late summer . Then you are stuck having to replace the bull or be talked about like the town drunk . I personally am thinking about not selling any bull any more until they are 18 months. You have to charge more but you dont have to worry bout the above situation. As a buyer I seems smarter to me to go ahead and pay more for the 18-24 month old bull and not have to worry about the bull not panning out . It is one less place to put risk on the line for your bull money. Dont just assume the the breeder will always replace him no matter how you treated the bull as a yearling. As always , just my opinion

 

[cattle_gal]

Yearling is a norm up here. All ours go to work as a yearling and breed 20-25 cows depending on who's in what pasture. The bigger outfits hold over and sell x amount of 18-24 month olds for the producers that don't think a yearling is worth it. Pay the same price as a yearling. Depends also on various breed structuring and vigor.

 

[TheBullLady]

Selling breeding bulls as yearlings is pretty normal (for Continental or British breeds) in this part of the country as well. Yearling bulls are lower priced, obviously because of their age, and the possibility that they won't be able to cover as many cows as an older bull.

2+ year old bulls are higher, primarily because they may have progeny on the ground.

 

[Scotty]

While I was typing my first message he was getting tested. 95% good, 5% slow and 5% dead. No white blood cells. My friend bought him. Really looks good. I think he will do fine. Thanks for your help.

Scotty

 

[mtnman]

If he won't breed and settle 40-50 cows in a 45 day season as a yearling(15months), and gain weight, I won't have him. If they can't do this for me, they are gone from my place. If your bulls are not capable of doing this, then you are buying them from the wrong place.

mtnman

 

[MR3]

If he won't breed and settle 40-50 cows in a 45 day season as a yearling(15months), and gain weight, I won't have him. If they can't do this for me, they are gone from my place. If your bulls are not capable of doing this, then you are buying them from the wrong place.

mtnman

Just curious what breed of bulls you use that can perform like that, at that age and still be on the gain. :?:

Rod

 

[Vicky the vet]

If he won't breed and settle 40-50 cows in a 45 day season as a yearling(15months), and gain weight, I won't have him.

mtnman

In my experience, that yearlling bull would be nuts, guts and half a memory at the end of that breeding season. It would take a LOT of grain to get him back into breeding condition. And that is across every breed I have experience with.

V

 

[Running Arrow Bill]

If he won't breed and settle 40-50 cows in a 45 day season as a yearling(15months), and gain weight, I won't have him.

mtnman

In my experience, that yearlling bull would be nuts, guts and half a memory at the end of that breeding season. It would take a LOT of grain to get him back into breeding condition. And that is across every breed I have experience with.

V

I totally agree! Once a bull reaches breeding age, figure maximum of one female to breed for each month of his age. At maturity I wouldn't have him try to service more than 25-35 females.

 

[Ellie May]

I agree too same w/ any animal. We tend to buy our bulls young not just b/c they are cheaper but they can grow up around you and he hasn't had much of a background on an older bull you don't know his past besides what the breeder can tell you but a good thing w/ an older bull he can be consider proven and most of the time see his offspring.
Ellie May

 

[mtnman]

It's been with Angus, Herefords, Gelbvieh, mostly, but we had some Tarentaise that did it too. We didn't need to feed any grain because they gained weight all season, why would I feed grain when they gained weight? If your bulls can't do it, their is something wrong with their genetics, or their management prior to coming to your ranch.

mtnman

 

[MR3]

It's been with Angus, Herefords, Gelbvieh, mostly, but we had some Tarentaise that did it too. We didn't need to feed any grain because they gained weight all season, why would I feed grain when they gained weight? If your bulls can't do it, their is something wrong with their genetics, or their management prior to coming to your ranch.

mtnman

Thanks for taking the time to answer my Question. My skepticism is based on my own experience. I raise my own replacement bulls. Last spring I watch as a yearling bull with 15 cows would repeatedly run 350 yards up the hill to check a cow coming into heat and then back down the hill to an other cow. This bull settled all 15 and leaned out some in the process. I don't think this was cause of poor genetics or management but rather his libido over riding his brain. If I had put him with 45 to 50 cows, it would have been like what Vicky V said.

Rod

 

[dun]

I think both pasture size and forage quality and quantity may skew the results on the condition and abilities of a young bull. But since we don't raise or use bulls I can't have more then a semi-educated guess.

dun

 

[Scotty]

I have in in a two acre pasture with dead(dormant) coastal. He has free choice mineral and I feed 25 lbs. daily peanut cake.(36% protien, 3-4%fat). HE has 9 heifers with him sinces OCT. 31.


Scotty

 

[Copenhagen & Shiner B]

My Hereford bull was tryin' to breed as a yearling, but my Angus bull wouldnt let him.

 

[Texan]

My Hereford bull was tryin' to breed as a yearling, but my Angus bull wouldnt let him.

Shoulda put him with some cows to try to stop that c.rap. :shock: You know, you'll never get a black baldy like that.......

 

[Copenhagen & Shiner B]

My Hereford bull was tryin' to breed as a yearling, but my Angus bull wouldnt let him.

Shoulda put him with some cows to try to stop that c.rap. :shock: You know, you'll never get a black baldy like that.......

Well I sold my Angus bull a few months later and my Hereford bull went to work then.