what age does a bull start breeding

[Dean the hobby farmer]

what age would a charolais bull start breeding.also when he was being born the owner had to give him a pull from the cow now the calf walks side ways will this cause a problem during breeding and would his calves have any problems. His was born last of june 1st of july thanks Dean

 

[jerry27150]

some can breed as early as 5-6 months. don't believe i would be using this one for breeding

 

[Bez]

Dean

Stay away from this bull. For the time and money, you should never save your pennies on breeding stock. Save it on something else.

If this fellow is prepared to sell you this animal cheap, and not use it for himself - then I would suspect it is a "Good enough for the new guy - but not good enough for me" syndrome.

I have put bulls on heifers when they reach 14-16 months - just a few to see how things go. They will breed much younger.

Side stepping puts him out of balance.

Who knows what he will pass on to his sons and daughters.

Breeding stock should always be of the highest quality you believe you can afford.

Just my two cents,

Bez

 

[Farmhand]

The side stepping thing could be a result of being pulled or could be genetic. It could also affect breeding ability or may not. The only way I would consider this bull is if he was proven and I could see his babies and could trust the owner.

 

[Chuckie]

Anyone that would let a breeding bull leave their property with their name tied to it, and it have a serious defect or problem is someone that the almighty dollar means more than their name. Animals that leave his place represent him as an individual and what he stands for. These people will do anything to make a buck, and do not trust him when he says he had to pull him. When the calf walked sideways, he should have been banded immediately and sold for slaughter. I am not trying to put your bull down by any means, he might be a good looking bull, but if he has a defect, you do not want him to pass this to your new calves. It will take a long time to come out of the problem. You will have to wait the nine months that the cows carry the calves, then wait till they are weaned. If you were going to save any heifers for breeding stock, then you would be that much further behind. Always spend the most you can put into a bull that you feel is within your budget. It pays off in the long run. Let us know how things go Dean.

 

[Dean the hobby farmer]

Thanks for all the replies I did not buy this bull yet I do not think that I will because he called me this morning to tell me that he should have more money for him because another guy got agood price for his bull.So he thinks that he should get more for his bull .Maybe I done the wrong thing I am renting a 4 year old hereford bull proven breeder from several farmers that used him the only thing is herefords does not bring that much to cattle sells,here in Nova Scotia how does herefords do for the breeders in the states thank again Dean

 

[Ryder]

I would tell him that I understand that he wants to sell his bull where he can get the most money ;-) If he comes back and offers the original deal, I would refuse and tell him I just wouldn't want to take advantage of him.

I would go look for me another bull.

 

[Farmhand]

I applaude you for stepping away from that deal. I walk away from anyone who wants to refanagle a deal after they had already made an offer with me. I only do business with someone who knows what they got, knows what they need, and sticks to their word. If you want to change the cards after I've walked away, I'll leave you holdin' the deck. Good job.

 

[Bama]

Think of it this this way - each cow makes only her percentage of the herd. The bull makes 50 percent of the whole herd on just the first years calving. Get the best bull for the best profits.

 

[Susie David]

Good choice on not using this "side walker" thats not something that I would want to pass along....you didn't mention your heifers/cows that you want to breed. I would take a long look at the calves that have come out of the older Hereford bull...how does he compare to your intended cows. A big bull can do some damage to yearling heifers and small cows not to mention what you will have to look forward to in 283 days...no fun pulling calves in the winter especially in you neck of the woods. We usually buy Hereford heifers and use our nice low birth weight Angus bulls.
Love them baldies!

 

[Dean the hobby farmer]

Thanks for all the replies to my question about the guy wanting more for his bull.The guy seem to be a nice guy you do not go and change your price.That is bad business thanks again everyone ,Dean