Bulling cows

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
I'd say the greatest majority of bull fertility problems we see are blues. They generally have smaller testicles for their size (the society even recommended lower scrotal circumference measurements) and we know that larger testicles mean more sperm and the ability to inseminate more cows.
I think Blue bulls tend to be a bit lethargic when working on concrete. The very same bull works perfectly well on the spring calvers whilst outdoors.
 

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
Winter bulling is why I can't be arsed with Autumn calving!
We calve about half ours in the autumn. It suits us as we have quite a few places where we graze small lots of cows in the summer. Some of the places aren't suitable to send a bull there and besides that we'd need far too many bulls.
 

multi power

Member
Location
pembrokeshire
We calve about half ours in the autumn. It suits us as we have quite a few places where we graze small lots of cows in the summer. Some of the places aren't suitable to send a bull there and besides that we'd need far too many bulls.
What about AI? Angus calves should be easy to identity due to no horns
 

Andrew1983

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Black Isle
Father in law always ran autumn calvers on cubicles, he always takes the bull out at night. I wonder if we should just leave them in, they do struggle to get enough feed when in with the cows though.

We had a 3rd of cows empty last autumn, that was using 4 bulls on 70 cows, 2 lots but swapped bulls for fresh ones after 6 weeks, 12 weeks altogether. Good quality minerals were fed in a tmr with silage, straw, Draff and a half kilo of barley a day. Don't know why we had so many empty.
 

GTB

Never Forgotten
Honorary Member
Father in law always ran autumn calvers on cubicles, he always takes the bull out at night. I wonder if we should just leave them in, they do struggle to get enough feed when in with the cows though.

We had a 3rd of cows empty last autumn, that was using 4 bulls on 70 cows, 2 lots but swapped bulls for fresh ones after 6 weeks, 12 weeks altogether. Good quality minerals were fed in a tmr with silage, straw, Draff and a half kilo of barley a day. Don't know why we had so many empty.
Have you checked for BVD, Lepto, IBR and mineral deficiencies?
 

multi power

Member
Location
pembrokeshire
Father in law always ran autumn calvers on cubicles, he always takes the bull out at night. I wonder if we should just leave them in, they do struggle to get enough feed when in with the cows though.

We had a 3rd of cows empty last autumn, that was using 4 bulls on 70 cows, 2 lots but swapped bulls for fresh ones after 6 weeks, 12 weeks altogether. Good quality minerals were fed in a tmr with silage, straw, Draff and a half kilo of barley a day. Don't know why we had so many empty.
That's not enough bulls n they are not rested enough. If working hard a week is long enough n then at least a week to rest. Also do you have vet to check cows? Do you look to see bulls are working?
 

Samcowman

Member
Mixed Farmer
Location
Cornwall
Father in law always ran autumn calvers on cubicles, he always takes the bull out at night. I wonder if we should just leave them in, they do struggle to get enough feed when in with the cows though.

We had a 3rd of cows empty last autumn, that was using 4 bulls on 70 cows, 2 lots but swapped bulls for fresh ones after 6 weeks, 12 weeks altogether. Good quality minerals were fed in a tmr with silage, straw, Draff and a half kilo of barley a day. Don't know why we had so many empty.

That's not so good. Were the bulls fertility tested? What was the empty cows age range? Were they mostly old cows? If so maybe you were unlucky that all their times came at once. I would definitely be working with your vet on this.
 
why do you say that

Cows bulling in winter means either, cows running outwintered with bulls, cows and calves housed with a bull, or a bull in a pen and putting the cows to him.

All of which are either shitty and dirty due to the extra activity in sheds or fields, or if inside risking injury to an good bull, a cow or a bull calf who thinks he's a bull.

To be fair, it is a more handy time for AI than summer, if it is of any advantage.
 
Father in law always ran autumn calvers on cubicles, he always takes the bull out at night. I wonder if we should just leave them in, they do struggle to get enough feed when in with the cows though.

We had a 3rd of cows empty last autumn, that was using 4 bulls on 70 cows, 2 lots but swapped bulls for fresh ones after 6 weeks, 12 weeks altogether. Good quality minerals were fed in a tmr with silage, straw, Draff and a half kilo of barley a day. Don't know why we had so many empty.

A lot of bulls are not confidence to bull on bare concrete floors, if they slip or fall once they can be wary thereafter. I know of plenty of bulls culled due to them not serving cows when they were on slats. I wouldnt be content with a bull running with cows on cubicles.
 

Henarar

Member
Livestock Farmer
Location
Somerset
Cows bulling in winter means either, cows running outwintered with bulls, cows and calves housed with a bull, or a bull in a pen and putting the cows to him.

All of which are either shitty and dirty due to the extra activity in sheds or fields, or if inside risking injury to an good bull, a cow or a bull calf who thinks he's a bull.

To be fair, it is a more handy time for AI than summer, if it is of any advantage.
We bull about 1/3 off our cows just after Christmas, we run the bull with the cows all the time in the covered yards yes they make a mess we do have creeps for the calves though, the advantage for us is if we spring calved all the cows we would have all big calves till Feb when we sell them and they take up much more room than the autumn born ones also like GTB there are places we put cattle that are better suited to the Autumn born calves,
funny enough though we get as good or better conception rates with winter bulling
 
A fit , active keen bull will attempt to bull a cow anywhere. You put the cow on a knife edge he'll try and bull her on it. Bare concrete floors and slats have never put ours off , but it's hardly a sensible idea. A neighbour along the road lost a very expensive Limousin bull when he broke his leg coming off a cow on concrete , though if I'm remembering correctly , it was in a frost.

We pen the bulls away from the cows at night. We won't be bulling cows 'til March. The cows are fed out in a yard and the bull is out with the cows during the day. Some cows come in to heat mid afternoon , so occasionally we'll leave the bull and the cow out at night. I'll give them a look last thing. If they've split up I'll shut them in. The bull usually let's you know as an older bull will wait at his gate to get back in to his pen.

If a cow is just starting to show signs at finishing time we'll turn her in for the night. She'll invariably get served first thing in the morning. You can AI a cow as a last resort but it's rarely necessary.
 

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