FH:
The years I was home there, I ran my yearling bull on 43 head one year-Tarentaise. Pasture was odd shaped, 1 mile long, less than 1/4 mile wide. Water on one end, but they prefered the opposite end, so traveled is 2-3x/day. Mom ran hers on around 33 head-Gelbvieh. 1/2x1 mile, multi-water.
AOK.
Bulls gained weight in both cases while breeding cows, but they were single sire pastures. In the other cases with multi-sire pastures, with lower cow:bull ratios, the yearlings lost weight.
They fuss, and fight, and lose weight, even if we don't see them fighting.
I expect that my yearling bulls will gain weight if in single sire pastures.
I like it if multi-sire yearlings do, but don't expect it.
I don't worry about older bulls on heifers. Used up to 6 year old bulls on them. I figure they are pregnant by the time they get lame. :wink: They'll heal up. If they get lame again next cycle, it's cause they got rode again, not a good thing, right? 8)
It depends on bull prices, too. Expensive bulls=breed more cows, cheap bulls=less cows.
Badlands