Running a yearling bull w/calving cows?

[ohiosteve]

I am trying to move my calving season ahead to march, only 10 cows for now but will be bringing some heifers in June. I only have one calf on the ground but the rest are bagging up hard and should go any day now. I just brought home a yearling bull last weekend and let him in with the herd and he is getting along splendidly with everyone including the one super protective longhorn who even lets the calf alone by him. Am I asking for problems? I would like to see them bred on their first cycle after calving. These are all healthy cows with plenty of room to calve. Anyone had experiences running a bull during calving ?

 

[Isomade]

Lots of folks never pull the bull at all, you should be just fine.

 

[ohiosteve]

Lots of folks never pull the bull at all, you should be just fine.

That's what I was hoping to hear, but doesn't that move your calving ahead every year? I am trying to calve right at the spring flush of grass and avoid the freezing weather and mud. The timing will be perfect this year but I'm afraid if I do it too many years in a row eventually the herd will be calving in January.

 

[Isomade]

What will happen is eventually you will have your calving season really spread out. It's much easier to move the calving season forward than back.

 

[Isomade]

You need to pull the bull at least for a few months at the beginning of calving to keep the early breeders from moving farther and farther back.

 

[SSGenetics]

I am trying to move my calving season ahead to march, only 10 cows for now but will be bringing some heifers in June. I only have one calf on the ground but the rest are bagging up hard and should go any day now. I just brought home a yearling bull last weekend and let him in with the herd and he is getting along splendidly with everyone including the one super protective longhorn who even lets the calf alone by him. Am I asking for problems? I would like to see them bred on their first cycle after calving. These are all healthy cows with plenty of room to calve. Anyone had experiences running a bull during calving ?

You're gonna need those cows to calve NOW to get them bred back for March calving... I'd shoot for April and move them up a little more next year. :2cents:

 

[ohiosteve]

Gotcha. I would prefer a tight calving season if I could predict the weather exactly one year from now and hit the grass just right but with the unpredictable weather we've been having it's tough. Anyone have problems with a bull messing with a cow or calf during calving?

 

[ohiosteve]

I know what you"re saying SS. May is way too late to be calving this year especially after such a mild winter. I might get lucky and be able to keep the bull in for 2 years in a row. That sure would save a lot of hassle.

 

[dun]

Other then what has already been said, the only issue I see is if he decides that those are HIS girls and gets protective when you mess with the calves.

 

[longhornlover3498]

we left a maximzer bull named max with a herd of longhorn cross cows for 3 years before we sold him. he seemed to have gotten a little to attched to the cows though. when we sold him in december of '08 6 calves were already on the ground. we sold him to the neighbor down the road and, when our cows cycled again in april we bought a new bull. a week after we had him we went out to check fences and one was way down and we found max in the pasture fighting that new bull for one of the longhorns. we called up the neighbors and they came and got him and put him in a pasture farther away but he would't breed or eat after that so he froze to death in the pasture. but there was a shelter and some wind breaks. so if you leave them together too long they will bond and it will be really hard to separate them.

 

[ohiosteve]

There's just something about them longhorn girls! Here's a rear view of my new bull. I think he's got a pretty nice butt.

 

[SSGenetics]

we left a maximzer bull named max with a herd of longhorn cross cows for 3 years before we sold him. he seemed to have gotten a little to attched to the cows though. when we sold him in december of '08 6 calves were already on the ground. we sold him to the neighbor down the road and, when our cows cycled again in april we bought a new bull. a week after we had him we went out to check fences and one was way down and we found max in the pasture fighting that new bull for one of the longhorns. we called up the neighbors and they came and got him and put him in a pasture farther away but he would't breed or eat after that so he froze to death in the pasture. but there was a shelter and some wind breaks. so if you leave them together too long they will bond and it will be really hard to separate them.

:???:

 

[MO_cows]

Being a yearling and a novice, he will probably try to breed the cows after they calve because there is hormone smells and they get excited. Our bull made a total pest of himself when he was young especially with one cow that just calved, she had a very bad day trying to keep him off her and take care of her new baby. Thought we were gonna have to separate him but he finally figured it out.

 

[angusdave63]

i used to pull my bulls in the fall and turn them back in in the summer, but either i am getting lazy or just tired of them being a pain in the donkey , the last few years i have left them in all year with no problems, but the cows are calving earlier now i guess i will just wean bigger calves.

 

[banekar]

We never pull our bulls and have never had any problems with the bulls bothering the calfs or the calving. Of course, our calving season is very spread out.

 

[MAGONZ1969]

just a wondering; when you say "calving season is very spread out". Do you mean the cows calf all in different months?