Do you keep a bull?

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Do you keep a bull?

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Di Howes

Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 140
Location: Near Yeovil, Somerset

Posted: Thu Aug 25, 11 8:42 pm Post subject: Do you keep a bull?
We have a very small herd of Dexters and have been trying to get one cow and a heifer in calf using AI without much success. The cow has had several calves previously without too much problem. I am now wondering about using a bull but not sure I really want to keep one permenantly. Hiring seems complicated with the TB tests necessary. How does everyone else manage?

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Thu Aug 25, 11 8:48 pm Post subject:
We have three at the moment, which can be a nightmare at times but we get by. The most important thing is not to get one that is in any way difficult to handle or aggressive, it's never worth it.

Jacqui

Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 78
Location: Ceredigion

Posted: Fri Aug 26, 11 6:19 am Post subject: Re: Do you keep a bull?

Di Howes wrote:

We have a very small herd of Dexters and have been trying to get one cow and a heifer in calf using AI without much success. The cow has had several calves previously without too much problem.

I am now wondering about using a bull but not sure I really want to keep one permenantly. Hiring seems complicated with the TB tests necessary.

How does everyone else manage?

We have always kept our own bull even though we didn't have many cows to start with. Problems arise when you have daughters you wish to retain and of course the short to short issue if you are keeping a short bull.

I have in the past, kept a permanent stock bull (short) and a transient non-short bull purchased at weaning. It can be a gamble purchasing so young if you do not know what you are about (and even then nothing is 100% certain). I always buy at weaning as many Dexter owners pay scant attention to handling youngstock and do not get the best out of them as they do not appreciate the importance of good nutrition.

Young non-short bulls are quite capable of successfully covering a couple of cows at 12/14 months if they have been reared correctly. Unfortunately, you have the expense of registering them but if you have picked a good one then you should have no trouble selling it on after it has done its job. Alternatively, house it away from the ladies for a few months and slaughter for beef at around 18/19 months.

I would never borrow a bull (or buy an animal from a mart) because of disease risks - many of these hire bulls never go home and if they do, they are usually kept away from the rest of the owner's herd because they appreciate the risks involved (or at least it is hoped they do). Whilst buying in a youngster is not without risk, it is not quite as bad as hiring a bull especially if you watch where you are buying them from.

Now that we have decided to work towards herd health accreditation, it is going to be much more difficult for me to buy anything in the future, but at least it will give folk purchasing from me proof that my herd is clear of nasties like BVD, IBR, Johnes and L Hardjo.

VSS

Joined: 14 Jan 2007
Posts: 2845
Location: Llyn Peninsula, North Wales

Posted: Fri Aug 26, 11 9:14 am Post subject: Re: Do you keep a bull?

Di Howes wrote:

We've only got three cows so a bull is not a feasible option. We always use AI.

Are you sure you are getting the timing right with the AI? And who is actually inseminating the cow? In my experience some AI technicians seem to have better success rates than others.

Di Howes

Joined: 20 May 2006
Posts: 140
Location: Near Yeovil, Somerset

Posted: Fri Aug 26, 11 12:25 pm Post subject:
Yes we've only got 3 cows (plus their 3 steers which will shortly be disappearing!) We use Genus and have even gone down the route of help from the vet. ie CIDR, estrumate then AI so that we get an exact date but 2 have just come back bulling today and this will be the 2nd time its not worked.

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Fri Aug 26, 11 1:28 pm Post subject:
The biggest problem I found with AI was when I was working and had to leave the cow tied up all day for the AI man. Not an ideal situation for conception. It started out as only being for six cows, but as we got nothing but bulls for the first few years the daughters coming back round weren't a problem.

Paul Sill

Joined: 16 Jan 2009
Posts: 118

Posted: Fri Aug 26, 11 9:21 pm Post subject:
My parents run 4 friesian bulls, now they can be tempermental sods. Although they tend to be working and gone by 24 - 30 months because thats when they start to get bad and also keeps a shorter amount of time if the calves arnt very good, but that is with a 300+ milking herd plus followers! Last edited by Paul Sill on Sat Aug 27, 11 9:15 am; edited 1 time in total

Rob R

Joined: 28 Oct 2004
Posts: 31902
Location: York

Posted: Sat Aug 27, 11 8:40 am Post subject:

Paul Sill wrote:

My parents run 4 friesian bulls, now they can be tempermental sods.

That's no way to talk about your parents

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