ill mannered bull

[puzzled in oregon]

I have been around cattle my whole life, during that time I have had two young(yearling bulls) at different times that were mean to calves. The young bull I have now tries to keep the calves away from their mothers even when the cow is not going through her cycle. The other evening he was harassing one cow that had cycled a couple days ago. He would just keep shoving her in small circles, wouldn't let calf close to her or let her graze. It is a small group of cows and he keeps them stirred up all the time. I separated him from all the cows with calves and left a yearling heifer with him. What is his problem? Will he out grow this or is he best used for hamburger? That's what I did with the other bull. All of the other bulls I have owned, young or mature, were kind to calves and conducted themselves as they should with cows. I raised him and he was an easy going youngster all winter, he had a steer calf for company and never showed any obnoxious behavior till I turned him in with the cows.

 

[Rafter S]

Welcome to the forum. I had one some years ago that would occasionally herd the cows into a bunch and not let them leave, or block a gate and not let them go through it. I didn't keep him very long. In your case separating him might help, and it might get better when he gets older. I'd be curious to see what the others here say.

 

[Buck Randall]

I've never had any experience with a bull doing that, but I wonder if it has to do with the socialization of the bull. It's pretty well documented in horses that stallions raised in isolation after weaning are often inappropriately aggressive toward mares. People will put yearlings in with bigger, bossier animals to teach them some manners.

I'd guess your bull needs to get whooped by a big, stubborn old cow.

 

[Nesikep]

I probably wouldn't keep him long if he does that.. but perhaps if there was another bull around he'd have other things to worry about

 

[SBMF 2015]

I think Buck is right. It's just like a stallion with a band of mares.
I had a hfr bull act the way you describe. He only ran with yearling hfrs so no calves to worry about. He would herd the hfrs around their lot, keep them bunched together. He could get pretty rough if they got out of line.
We keep between 8 -12 bulls around and he is the only one I've seen act this way.

 

[Ebenezer]

I've had herder bulls and that is OK but a pain at times. But the one you've described is more aggressive than herding in type and needs to go.

 

[76 Bar]

Agree with Ebenezer. Often as not high libido bulls tend to be "herders" but aside from being a PITA, they don't single out calves and abuse them. IMO Puzzled, your bull is demonstrating intolerable aberrant behavior. Good riddance and the sooner the better.

 

[regolith]

He's a gone bull.

Not that unusual in bulls run with dairy herds for them to try and control the cows, I had a yearling two years ago that took it to the extremes described in the first post, he was culled before the end of the mating period. Have video of it as well, just like a good herding dog he was. It got to the point that if I wanted to shift the group I ran at the bull and pushed him out the gate and the whole herd followed, otherwise he wouldn't let them move up towards the gate.

 

[puzzled in oregon]

Thanks to all of you who took time to respond to my post concerning the "ill
mannered bull".

Puzzled in Oregon