Just bought a new bull, chosen partly because of a quiet, nice temperament. Unfortunately it became pretty clear that he wasn’t a well chap and in his first few days on the farm he’s had the vet out to him, resulting in antibiotic jab ( with us having to give him 2 more doses) and today he had the hoof trimmer out to him who discovered a hefty infection in his hoof, which must have been painful. With all this painful experiences every time we handle him, how do I stop him from hating us? If the boot was on the other foot, I wouldn’t like me either!! (Our last bull came to us with a long standing foot problem and it got to the stage where it was impossible/dangerous to get him into to go into the hoof trimmers crush)
How do I stop my new bull from hating me?
- Thread starter Becs
- Start date
Northeastfarmer
Member
- Location
- Cleveland
I think if someone’s sold you a bull with a hefty foot infection it wants returning
- Location
- North Suffolk
Handle him calmly and keep giving him some tasty grub. Ours love spuds/beet and can feed them from the hand out in the field
- Location
- East Sussex
Food. Run him through the crush for a bucket of nuts regularly. Most importantly, do it with a stick in your hand and let him know what you want him to do and everyone will get on better.
- Location
- Exeter, Devon
This might sound daft, but when we’ve been delivering veg to Riverford, we’ve been bringing graded out produce back for stock feed. The 1 thing that they have gone absolutely mad for is bananas! Might be worth bribing him with some.
- Location
- mid devon somewhere
Riverford must have found locally grown organic bananas to reduce food miles and reduce their carbon footprint?
- Location
- Exeter, Devon
We put some of the good ones on our honesty table for people to take for free. When a villager asked where they were from, I told him we had an amazing micro climate in the orchard opposite the house. I was then asked if we peel them before feeding them to the pigs!
- Location
- Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos
Without having foot problems, I’ve noticed Bulls obviously upset and having a few problems when they first come to the farm. IMO, they might be homesick.
Spend a bit of time with them and give them a few treats.
Whatever you do, don’t put them straight to work, or you will end up very disappointed and wreck your calving index.
Spend a bit of time with them and give them a few treats.
Whatever you do, don’t put them straight to work, or you will end up very disappointed and wreck your calving index.
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Being home sick will stop him serving cows when there bulling?? Or you mean if it’s a force fed pampered shed reared bull it will need time to adjust to real life??
Spend time with him, let him get to know you and allow him to figure out that you mean nice things, grub, a scratch etc Most important I have found from a bull that took one look at me and went broadside was that they are not all instant culls as long as you can operate safely ( always have a barrier between you ). Some bulls are fine as long as you don't push the boundaries, some are happy to have you in their space, it's figuring out the nature and boundaries of each animal that are important, read each animal as an individual just as you would a person. Never take any chances though, if in doubt get rid!
- Location
- Moreton-in-Marsh, Glos
Had it happen and nearly shot a cracking bought in bull that would not work in his first year with us. Fine from then on. But he just wasn’t happy in that first year.
Had a cow we bought from a farm about 5 miles away that became one hell of an escape artist and went back to her old farm 3 times!
I think she was pee'd off that we didn’t feed in the parlour (but immediately afterwards), whereas on her old farm they did. She worked out that she could slide the parlour do open, then the tank room/dairy sliding door, then walk/trot home, between milkings. Twice her old owner rang up to tell us she was back there before we even noticed!
We swapped her for another one of his cows in the end. Which for obvious reasons seemed to give a lot more milk!
I think that another issue is that some folk ( guilty in the past ) have bought in young bulls and for obvious reasons we isolate them initially, bulls don't really do too well mentally when isolated. Even giving them a pal over barrier can have a big impact.
- Location
- somerset
we had a hf bull, that caught his leg, pretty nasty, had to daily change the bandage and poultice, just stood there, while we did it, using a bull staff, and would walk him around the yard with it, really thought we were doing a great job, took about 8 weeks of 'fiddling', the day we left the bandage off, was the last time he would allow us to catch him. I need 2 sticks to get around with, and very noticeable some cows really don't like them, most don't give a damn.
- Location
- North Suffolk
We once bought a bull off a herd as they were changing breed viewed him in the field all fine and had a deal. When we went to pick him up he was penned with the telehandler against the doors to stop him breaking out. Not wanting to go back on the deal we Loaded him and hastily passed over the cheque before making our way steadily home crossing our fingers that the trailer wouldn't tip and that it would still be in one piece when we got home. Let him on a meadow with a couple of cows when we got home and he was immediately fine again and never a problem again even when we put him in the bull pens over winter. Just think it was that initial isolation that stressed him out. Our bull pens are side by side and even though they would fight if free they do seem to genuinely enjoy each others company when penned as they never square up and often lick each other through the railings and feed out of each end of the same trough.
digger64
Member
thats dangerous ,why on earth would you want a friendly bull ?
- Location
- Ceredigion
A bull is not a pet . Treat it with respect but at a distance
- Location
- somerset
it's the quiet and friendly bulls, that are the killers, you just don't take 'precautions' when you are with them. If you don't trust them, you always keep your 'eye' on them. Bulls can 'turn' overnight, we reared 2 jersey bulls together, no trouble at all, put 1 with some hfrs, served 2, and had to go, really nasty and dangerous, 16 months old, the other, we still have, 10 months on, had to ask a lady, where we have some keep, to stop making a fuss of him, he would run up to the fence, for a 'scratch' every time he saw her, and still quiet in the yard now, he will go soon, as he is not 'respected' just 'ignored', that is the dangerous bull.
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