Indoor bulling

[shearerlad]

Struggling for grass this spring and cows will be in for another 2-3 weeks unless there is a serious shift in growth. Ideally the bulls would be put out to work around the 25th of this month which is usually after turnout.

Is there any issues with putting bulls to work inside at this time of year, and turning out the groups as and when grass becomes available?

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

I don't think so, I usually have a bull with cows through the winter and haven't had problems. I suppose the biggest potential problem would be if they are on concrete that is slippery or cubicles

 

[Optimus]

Struggling for grass this spring and cows will be in for another 2-3 weeks unless there is a serious shift in growth. Ideally the bulls would be put out to work around the 25th of this month which is usually after turnout.

Is there any issues with putting bulls to work inside at this time of year, and turning out the groups as and when grass becomes available?

No, crack on.have you any bales of silage left? Could just feed them in a ring feeder till grass comes save on the bedding?

 

[shearerlad]

No, crack on.have you any bales of silage left? Could just feed them in a ring feeder till grass comes save on the bedding?

Bit of pit silage left, 2019 crop so quality isn’t great, also a bit of bedding left too

 

[tommytractor]

Bit of pit silage left, 2019 crop so quality isn’t great, also a bit of bedding left too

Be no problem, give them a bit of bruised barley too if you have any, idealy 3 weeks before bulling cows will come into heat better and will settle quicker.

 

[muleman]

In the same predicament here in Cumbria, cant see cows getting out for another month, got some clamp silage left but dont think it will last another month.

 

[topground]

Cows have been out since calving outside from mid March here in North Somerset, Grazing so tight that you could play bowls but the cows are putting on condition and some bulling this week so having to work hard for a bite doesnt seem to have interupted the cycle of life.

 

[Werzle]

Bulls working inside need a non slip surface and plenty of room to stop calves being stood on etc ideally. Plenty around here have turned out but still filling the feeders up, plenty of fodder about but no straw

 

[Werzle]

In the same predicament here in Cumbria, cant see cows getting out for another month, got some clamp silage left but dont think it will last another month.

When do you house them in the autumn?

 

[Optimus]

Bit of pit silage left, 2019 crop so quality isn’t great, also a bit of bedding left too

You'll need some good minerals if you are going to bull them inside

 

[shearerlad]

@Optimus they are all bolused pre calving and have phos and mag powder minerals

 

[muleman]

When do you house them in the autumn?

Usually try and keep them out as long as possible or they end up inside more tha they are out, its all weather dependant of course but they usually come in mid to late october, sometimes sacrifice a field and leave a few out till 10th nov.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

My autumn calvers all get served inside. But they are on loose housing so no cubicles too get caught in. Bull doesn’t go in until everything gets housed as he’s with the spring calvers until housing!
Bolus everything and then they get haylage, bit of straw and chopped carrots/fodder beet whatever I’ve got while they are suckling and taking the bull. No issues as yet. Crack on

 

[M-J-G]

Personally I'd feed them silage outside as long as you have feeders that the bull won't get his head stuck in.

Most folks I know who go through bulls fast are running them with groups indoors, and if a bull is rough on calves (those ones that love jumping on bulling cows) he's more likely to burst one against something indoors.

 

[AGN76]

Why don't you ai them inside and put bull in at turn out?

 

[puppet]

We run 3 bulls with autumn calvers inside in cubicles and seem to do OK. There is room for some to go outside to feed. The bulls lie up in double cubicle spaces which need a scrape daily.
However, I would get all cows out and just give some extra silage -exactly what we are still doing here

 

[shearerlad]

Thanks for the replies
The reason I asked was that dad wasn’t keen. He reckons that it’s not good for bulls to work on the dung, even though we have a bull working inside in January/February. Also that any cows served just before and after turnout won’t hold because of the changes in environment and diet.
We are able to give the calves a creep area so they can escape to safely. Even though I’d love to ai the cows it’s not really an option with other things going on just now