mean dairy bulls
- Thread starter tuck
- Start date
Help Support CattleToday:
EIEIO
Well-known member
I've always been told it's cause they are all hand raised (bottle fed) and never gain any fear/respect towards humans and when they get older they see you as one of "theirs" and will want to boss you around.
J
J
fojokin
Member
loads of bulls are mean if provoked. Our long horn bulls are usually mad when we put them up in the barn just beacuse they are used to the pasture, just be nice move slow talk to them in a normal voice, perhapse even give him a little extra feed or some cubes so that he works with you a little better. Hope I helped.
warpaint
Well-known member
Testosterone!!
Saltydawg
Well-known member
tuck":3kgai4x4 said:
I'd be mean too if I was only allowed to play with them boney and ugly Holstein cows.
They need a nice fat Hereford Cow to sweeten them up a bit :lol:
jkwilson
Well-known member
tuck":2titrqmm said:
I always figured that the single trait selection for milk ignored temperment. All of them are bottle raised, so even the spookiest aren't afraid of people.
I'm guessing it's a combination of the fact that dairy breeds aren't specifically bred for temperament, the fact that the calves are all raised by hand, and that the bulls are around people on a regular basis.
Your beef bulls get put out to pasture and you aren't working around - or walking among them - on a daily basis. Our dairy bulls run with the milking herd, get locked in the holding pen, come through the barn, etc. I'm always walking next to them, giving them a slap on the rump to move over, working in close proximity to them - they're used to people and it takes away some of the natural fear. Sure, they're still not completely comfortable being nearby, but they have lost most of that natural inhibition and fear of being close to and being touched by a person.
Your beef bulls get put out to pasture and you aren't working around - or walking among them - on a daily basis. Our dairy bulls run with the milking herd, get locked in the holding pen, come through the barn, etc. I'm always walking next to them, giving them a slap on the rump to move over, working in close proximity to them - they're used to people and it takes away some of the natural fear. Sure, they're still not completely comfortable being nearby, but they have lost most of that natural inhibition and fear of being close to and being touched by a person.
Bullbuyer
Well-known member
As the name implies, I have bought my fair share of bulls, a lot of times it's the ones that have gotten older (and meaner) that nobody wants to tangle with. I have to say that I would rather load anything than a dairy bull - we wrestled a stinkin' llama one evening for over an hour in the rain and I'd still take it over a dairy bull.
its is becasue they are rasied by them selves all when they were young i a seperate pen for along time which makes them agressive and eager to go at anything they see for us we raise our bulls along with the heifers then we put them in a stantion
Bottle raised animals always want to nudge and push around on you when they are little. They don't realize they have put on 700 or 800 lbs. The same actions he made when he was 150 or 200lbs gives a much different result. Some of them just don't realize he's too big to play with you anymore. Some people don't realize they will hurt you now if you allow that nudgeing and pushing to continue after about 200lbs. Then some of them are just more agressive from the start. Most of them you can tell within 3 months who is trying to be boss.
I am so glad this thread got started. My husband grew up dairying. When others started talking about Holstein bulls being so mean, I asked him about it. His answer was no their not. There can be mean ones just like any other breed but he didn't think Holsteins had more than any other breed. I'm thinking ctlbaron has it right. I have a bunch of Holstein steers in the fat yard close to being ready to go. They all started as bottle babies. One in particular thinks he is still a little one that can play with me. I DO NOT turn my back in that yard. He doesn't have a mean bone in him but doesn't realize how bad he could still hurt me. I would imagine a bull raised the same could have that same playful idea as my steers do.
Keep in mind the heifer calves are also raised on a bottle - same as the steers or bulls - and I don't hear stories about someone being attacked by a mean milk cow. :lol:
The mean bulls aren't playful...they're downright mean. I've had one following me - "stalking" me might be more accurate - up and down the barn while I cleaned and restrawed stalls with a pitchfork. In the end I had to whack him across the nose before he'd let me leave the barn...and even then he only retreated a few feet and continued bellowing and pawing.
Oh...and I've decided even though a lot of those bottle calves might be friendly and pushy as calves, once they're branded, vaccinated, and had their horns chopped off, any friendliness is gone. LOL.
The mean bulls aren't playful...they're downright mean. I've had one following me - "stalking" me might be more accurate - up and down the barn while I cleaned and restrawed stalls with a pitchfork. In the end I had to whack him across the nose before he'd let me leave the barn...and even then he only retreated a few feet and continued bellowing and pawing.
Oh...and I've decided even though a lot of those bottle calves might be friendly and pushy as calves, once they're branded, vaccinated, and had their horns chopped off, any friendliness is gone. LOL.
born2run
Well-known member
I raised a heifer calf one time that was downright mean. She'd "attack" me, I kid you not. Perhaps she was a rarity.
bigbull338
Well-known member
oh boy a fun hot subject.ive had holstein bulls off an on for 28yrs.an not all holstein bulls are mean.an some are mean as snott an killers.those bulls are shipped fast.b/c no dairyman wants his workers killed or hurt.bottle raising has nothing todo with how mean they are.if you handle a bull roughlt an badly he can an will get mean.alot of it is bred into them.
Susie David
Well-known member
Nobody has mentioned the lovable Jersey bulls. Wouldn't have one on the place if it was given to me.
We'll be looking for a new bull this spring, angus or herf.
Dmc
We'll be looking for a new bull this spring, angus or herf.
Dmc
Milkmaid - once again you are right. 
Didn't think about the heifers. Ok - now I'm back to not knowing what to think. Guess it doesn't really matter for me as I will never need a Holstein bull. Subject has just been interesting to me. I'll sit on back and keep listening.
Didn't think about the heifers. Ok - now I'm back to not knowing what to think. Guess it doesn't really matter for me as I will never need a Holstein bull. Subject has just been interesting to me. I'll sit on back and keep listening.
All herd bulls, no AI. Bull in bottom picture was shipped about two weeks ago - his time limit had expired. Not too bad to work around. Top bull is young yet, temperament okay. Bottom bull's attitude fluctuated over the months. Good, bad, so-so, good. Picture was taken when he had a so-so temperament - wouldn't attack, just bellowed - but he finished his career being really docile, believe it or not.
Check your PM again, Beef11.
Check your PM again, Beef11.
