Leave bull in with cows or not?

[Loadabullocks]

Curious as to how people manage their suckler herds…

Does anyone leave their stock bull in with cows, but remove heifer calfs to stop them being jumped on? Or instead separate the bull?

Does anyone leave their bull in all year round and just cull the cows that calve late?

Feel free to explain your breeding system and calendar year, whatever it is…

 

[edn]

Leave the bull in for 9 weeks then take him out- I never leave a bull on its own, we're a college so we need friendly bulls. Always leave him with a fattening bullock or two for company year around so he's easier to handle.
Once cows are scanned for spring calving (they're scanned in January) then I put the bull back in with cows to ease pressure on shed space over winter.

 

[M-J-G]

If you want to calve all year round leave him in, if you want a compact calving period take him away.

Bulls are put together in a field until next May.

I don't want cows calving randomly and I like to sell all calves at one time so the bulls get 9 weeks and then they are taken away.
On the other hand some are happy with cows calving at any time so it's whatever fits in with the rest of your business and life.

 

[Werzle]

Cows with hfr calves are split from the cows with bull calves and the breeding bulls after 9-12weeks breeding.

 

[escapedfromunderthecow]

We take the bulls out in feb till june, heifers removed at 6 months , bulls penned individualy but in sight, then rotated every 4 weeks

 

[tinsheet]

Bulls get 6weeks here then they are kept together and rotated round various small paddocks.
Get a bit of hay this time of year, out all year.

 

[unlacedgecko]

Cows get 6 weeks bulls. This year it will be 3 weeks black Angus and 3 weeks red baldie. Aim to only retain black calves as replacements.

Heifers get 3 weeks AI (observed natural heats) and 3 weeks sweeping with black bulls. In time, I'd like to not retain any heifer that takes to a sweeper. I get a scanner in to foetal age.

Calving starts 07 Apr. Females outside year round. Bulls winter in a shed because I don't want a 3rd group of cattle outside. Bulls run as a single mob except when working.

 

[Samcowman]

Bull in with cows for 9 weeks then will be out with some young ped bulls and steers which are growing on. Will go back in with cows after pd’s in the autumn and calves are weaned to outwinter with the cows. Cows get split from the group once calved.

 

[waterboot]

We leave bull in, take heifer calves off or out with mum at 2_3 months
Calves seem to come in batches every 3 months . And usually, cows does seem to calf within or at the year.

 

[Optimus]

Put the bull in end of June taken out end of november for the spring calvers.then bull in around Xmas an taken out in may for the backend calvers.

 

[pauld]

Bull in all year. Cows with heifer calves separated at 5/6 months. Average calving interval 101/2 months so a free calf every 6 years.
Calves weaned at 9 months so cows fairly lean at calving and hardly any assisted calvings.

 

[Loadabullocks]

Bull in all year. Cows with heifer calves separated at 5/6 months. Average calving interval 101/2 months so a free calf every 6 years.
Calves weaned at 9 months so cows fairly lean at calving and hardly any assisted calvings.

Nice. What breed?

 

[Pan mixer]

Bulls in 21st June, left in until housing in November, then put with a couple of cows with steer calves, wean February, put bulls with steers.

Some steers sold in April, some out to grass, leave at least one steer with bulls until June then the steers join the grazing steers outside and the bulls go into the cows.

 

[bert]

5 bulls here, put to work in February, then in summer juggled around to be put with in calf cows with male calves. individually penned come November

How do the stock bulls take to all been put in the same field once they have done their work, always worried about them injuring each other? and crashing into fences in the process.

 

[unlacedgecko]

5 bulls here, put to work in February, then in summer juggled around to be put with in calf cows with male calves. individually penned come November

How do the stock bulls take to all been put in the same field once they have done their work, always worried about them injuring each other? and crashing into fences in the process.

Haven't had any problems here yet. They live together all year, only separated for bulling.

 

[bert]

Haven't had any problems here yet. They live together all year, only separated for bulling.

What’s the process when they are pulled back out of work, are they into a field or shed? They must have to sort the pecking order out again

 

[Aspiring Peasants]

Bull in all year. Cows with heifer calves separated at 5/6 months. Average calving interval 101/2 months so a free calf every 6 years.
Calves weaned at 9 months so cows fairly lean at calving and hardly any assisted calvings.

That’s the blue print I aim for. Calve as often as possible .

 

[unlacedgecko]

What’s the process when they are pulled back out of work, are they into a field or shed? They must have to sort the pecking order out again

Put them in a field.

 

[Gulli]

What’s the process when they are pulled back out of work, are they into a field or shed? They must have to sort the pecking order out again

Put them in a field, they'll fight for ten minutes and that'll be it.

Wouldn't ever mix them indoors, no escape for the loser when they are inside

 

[pauld]

Nice. What breed?

Mongrels - hybrid vigour important for fertility, health and longevity. Mainly sim x angus but some dairy, devon, murray grey, saler and hereford in the mix.