We turned a bull with our 16 heifers in November when they were around 15 months old. They had been riding each other like crazy before he came, so I figured the bull would have a stroke within the first week; however, he was greeted rather calmly. The herd is in the pasture around my house, but I work during the day, so I don't get to view them all the time. Oddly, however, I have yet to see any action other than the the bull sniffing around and the heifers continuing to ride each other, which I saw today. The bull is borrowed from a friend, so he is fertile. How long would it typically take for a bull to breed 16 heifers? Do heifers exhibit behaviors different to older cows when it comes to being bred?
Time for bull to breed heifers
- Thread starter herofan
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cow pollinater
Well-known member
The bull is the only one in the pasture with a job to do. If he was working well before you brought him over then he's likely pacing himself. He'll get it done when the time is right but he's not going to waste to much extra activity. :lol: Heifers don't have anything better to do so estrus is an all day ordeal for them.
Give it twenty four days from the day you turned him out. If you still see the same amount of activity then you may have a problem.
Give it twenty four days from the day you turned him out. If you still see the same amount of activity then you may have a problem.
OP
OP
herofan
Well-known member
cow pollinater":3r0nvcxx said:
Thanks for the reply. He's way beyond 24 days. We turned him with then on November 30. There may be nothing wrong at all. Although I've been around cows to an extent in my life, I'm by no means an expert. I had a friend tell me lately that he turned a bull with his herd and he mounted one within minutes. As I said, the introduction was rather calm with mine, and I haven't witnessed any action, but that may mean nothing. I also thought it odd that the heifers continue to ride each other occasionally, but again, that may be nothing. Do heifers usually stop this behavior once bred?
longhorntractor
Well-known member
Sounds ok to me. We turned our bull out on 9 heifers about the same time. Our bull is about 20 months old and a polled Hereford. We have observed him breeding but we know for a fact one is still not breed. We had her palpated when we took her to the vet for her foot and she was open.
cow pollinater
Well-known member
I didn't see the November part... Either you have bored heifers or a bad bull. I would guess the first but get them vet checked asap. You should get most virgin heifers bred in the first twenty-one days, especially with him only covering sixteen.
I just paid top dollar for a bull a few weeks ago. He turned out to be as impotent as a dish rag. He passed his sperm test the day I bought him. Are you writing down which heifers are in heat. If I didn't keep decent breeding records of observed heat, it might have been a lot longer before I discovered his problem. As it stands now, I have 4 cows that are going to go a little long. I'm lucky it wasn't more. As short as the days are its hard for me to catch him in the action.
plumber_greg
Well-known member
Strangest thing I had was last year. Turned a tested bull out with 31 heifers. I check cows everyday in summer, at least every other day. Saw heifers coming in, and the bull acted completely disinterested, I mean he didn't even look their way.
When they came back in heat, I got another bull to put in with them, turned him out. I couldn't get the first bull loaded that day, so I left him there. When I came back the next day, he was sniffing, mounting and breeding everything in heat. So was the second bull.
Those two bulls continued to breed till everything was bred. I am keeping the first bull. I really think he didn't know how to do it, and the second bull taught him. He is horny as any other bull I have. The heifers were to start Feb1, but I can see it's gonna' be later. Anyone else ever had this happen? gs
When they came back in heat, I got another bull to put in with them, turned him out. I couldn't get the first bull loaded that day, so I left him there. When I came back the next day, he was sniffing, mounting and breeding everything in heat. So was the second bull.
Those two bulls continued to breed till everything was bred. I am keeping the first bull. I really think he didn't know how to do it, and the second bull taught him. He is horny as any other bull I have. The heifers were to start Feb1, but I can see it's gonna' be later. Anyone else ever had this happen? gs
OP
OP
herofan
Well-known member
I've noticed lately that they do some head pushing too. Two will put their heads together and sometimes go in circles. Is this some attempt at impressing or competing for the bull, or is it just being playful and have nothing to do with the bull?
snake67
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Just like people - lots of night breeding takes place
Bez
Bez
The bull that we had and sold then borrowed back for a couple of months cleanup was a love em and leave em type. I only saw him service one cow but they all got bred. The one I saw him breed after he finished he walked over into the shade and laid down and didn;t pay anymore attention to her until the next day when she was included in his regular sniffing/checking sessions.
Black and Good
Well-known member
When I was a kid we had a Maine/Angus bull for three years,checked our cows almost every eveing. We never saw him breed a cow. And the calves always came real close together. I think some are just more of a cool customer than others.
djinwa
Well-known member
cow pollinater":2llkzl6k said:
Let me emphasize the vet check cp mentioned. We can speculate all day on the internet, but only a trained arm can give you the answer.
Ask yourself how much you will lose with open heifers for 9 months. This is not the time to worry about a vet fee, especially if you're seeing potential signs of heat.
highgrit
Well-known member
Sounds like bull troubles to me. All the bulls we have had will be with the cow or heifer pushing and pestering them before they will stand for him. Where ever the cow goes the bull will follow, and he will try to breed her if she stops. Your heifers should be 2mo. bred by now.
salebarn junkie
Well-known member
How old and how big are the heifers a lot times a heifer wont breed on her first cycle have they all been cycling for several months. As far as the bull not acting interested when you unloaded if nothings in heat he wont act interested
herofan":2jbl0y3x said:
If he was in good shape they all should have been bred by now.
We had a similar issue last season. We had a couple head we wanted bred earlier than the rest of the herd. Put them with the bull, they got bred and didn't return in heat. This was the 2nd season for the bull, so we figured we'd save the money on the bull test. Turned in the rest of the cows and heifers were returning in heat. Called vet, did test, and the bull just barely passed the test. Moved most of the cattle to a different bull, they all got bred 1st service. We left about a dozen with this bull and he got most on 1st service after that.
I think you ought to get the heifers preg-checked and then check the bull if the girls are open.
Gators Rule
Well-known member
i agree with the others. check the heifers. Truthfully, you probably won't have to check all of them to have your answer....
