Observing bull chasing/following cows

[Waterboy]

I check my (25)cows at least once a day and observe them. I put a bull with my cows 40 days ago. I have seen him after about half (12) my cows. Non in the last 11 days.
1. Are the other cows bred?
2.. are the other cows not cycling?
3. You tell me???
Thanks!

 

[wbvs58]

A lot happens at night so he might have got them but keep watching and write down numbers.

Ken

 

[TCRanch]

A lot happens at night so he might have got them but keep watching and write down numbers.

Ken

We refer to one of our bulls as the Stealth Breeder because we rarely see him at work but his herd is always bred

 

[jerry27150]

I have some cows that I have never seen in heat

 

[Brute 23]

12 out of 25 is pretty good. I hardly ever see a bull in the act. I see them courting some cows or you can tell by their condition some times.

The tell, tell sign for me is when he is off by himself under a shade tree or grazing by himself every thing is bred. If he is up in the mix with the cows, grazing with them, herding them around he's doing work. Kind of makes sense if you think about it. ;-)

 

[Waterboy]

Thanks for the responses. I feel better know.

 

[MRRherefords]

We have had a number of cows that were out with the bull for several months and we never saw any activity. Had them preg tested and almost all were bred in the first few weeks.

 

[talltimber]

Do you see any reason why any of them wouldn't be cycling? Poor condition, some of them late calvers, etc?

I have one two yr old now that I have never seen ANY activity out of. All the rest, first calvers and second calvers together, have cycled at least once. They may be bred now, or not. I'm pulling the bull out anyway and preg checking in a couple of months. We will know then. May roll two yr old back to a spring calver batch I have going as well, as the one in question is milking pretty hard. I will be surprised if the one cow is bred. I have seen nothing from her. So this will be a learning experience as well. I hope she is. I am checking/feeding twice a day.

 

[Waterboy]

There is no reason they shouldn't be cycling. Up until this year I have always just left the bull in with the cows. Now that I'm trying co just have a 3 month calving season. I'm watching like a hawk to see if all the cows get bred.

 

[farmerjan]

One way to be more sure if they are being bred is to put a heat detector on them. ABS and Select sires both have a detector that goes on the cow above her tailhead. When the bull (or even other cows) mount them, it changes color, and you can at least tell if they are cycling that way. I use them alot on cows that I really want to see if they are cycling, especially ones that I never seem to see in heat. Costs a couple of dollars each, but cheap easy way to see if they are active. Not a guarantee they are bred, but at least the for ones that you haven't seen during the day, it is a good indicator that they are being mounted during the night.

 

[Kingfisher]

12 out of 25 is pretty good. I hardly ever see a bull in the act. I see them courting some cows or you can tell by their condition some times.

The tell, tell sign for me is when he is off by himself under a shade tree or grazing by himself every thing is bred. If he is up in the mix with the cows, grazing with them, herding them around he's doing work. Kind of makes sense if you think about it. ;-)

Yep! I know that joke too..