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Dang Bull

I

I Luv Herfrds

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Montana
Was outside yesterday and could hear a bull bellowing. No idea of what was going on so I headed out there on the hubby's 4-wheeler.
Found our heifer bull on his side of the fence and our Churchill bull on his side stiff necking each other and acting like they were going to fight.
I yelled at them and headed for the gate to get over there to break them up.
When I got to our gate the wires were stretched and it was almost opened. the top wire held.

Got over close to them and found where the Churchill bull had busted up the fence that seperated them. As I got closer the bull turned to face me, put his head down, shook his horns, blew snot and took a couple of steps towards me. I got the 4-wheeler in reverse and backed away.
He turned and went up the fence line. i got behind him and stated pushig back towards his cows. Kept enough distance for me to get away if he decided to charge.

He's hitting the road this fall. We have no use for a bull tearing up fence and even hinting at charging us.
 
Good decision, I'd say. Hopefully he behaves until then. It's amazing how strong and tough those rascals are when it comes to tearing stuff up.
 
We as cattle raisers need to have that attitude towards all sorts of traits. Disposition is important and we should never keep bad dispositioned cattle around. Pack 'em.

Bad Eyes - Pac em
No Milk - Pac em
poor calf raiser - pac em
bad feet - pac em

Too many cattleman keep putting up with poor cattle.

Packer prices near record highs, no excuses now.

Next spring there is no reason this whole country shouldn't have the best cow herd ever!
 
We finally found the perfect heifer bull a couple of years ago. He's an amazing calver, and a pretty darn good looking bull too. The plan was to not keep his daughters so we could keep him for a long time. With Limo bulls, that has the potential to be a very very long time. Nine years is the average for most of ours.

Well, anyway, last summer Tony got in with the neighbour's heifers, and was there when they hauled their cattle home. They called us when they were done, and we went to pick him up. I guess all the sorting and chasing, and then the final insult of being left without cows snapped something in his brain. When we got there, he was totally psycho. :shock: :shock: We just backed the trailer up, and let him find it. If we'd have gone in there, he'd either have chased us, or jumped the gate and we'd never see him again. When we got him home he calmed right down, and was good all winter, so we figured this was a one time thing.

Not!

Time for pasture this spring, and the so far quiet Tony found himself alone in the alley leading to the tub, with the trailer full of cows at the other end. Didn't matter. He couldn't see the cows, and he snapped again. This time, Hubby was in the alley with him, and found himself in a very dangerous situation. I was two pens over, the dogs were by the trailer, and the only way out was over a high plank fence. He started climbing as the bull took a run, and luckily got high enough that the first big head butt flipped him over the fence. He fell flat on his back on the other side, and thank heavens, the bull respected the fence. We hauled him to pasture, where he was goofy for about a week, and now he's calmed down again.

We don't care how good a heifer bull he is, life's too short to put up with this nonsense. In the fall, Tony's going for a ride. :!:
 
You've already waited too long. This fall you'll probably find another excuse for Old Tony and eventually somebody gets hurt worse than your husband already has. I hope it's not one of your kids!
 
Your right nortexsook. I was getting some bad vibes off of him this spring and he just confrmed them.
As soon as he is pulled for the breeding seaon he is going straight on a trailer to the yard.
I don't care how great his calves are or how well they might wean he's not worth the possible hospital bill.
 
Thay is why you never buy an aged bull. Get a bull while still young and learn him to respecr you. A young bull raised around the owner will turn tail and run on a voice command.

We are running 3 bulls 7, 5 and 4 any of the 3 will clear out when told to do so.
 
Pig Farmer said:
Thay is why you never buy an aged bull. Get a bull while still young and learn him to respecr you. A young bull raised around the owner will turn tail and run on a voice command.

We are running 3 bulls 7, 5 and 4 any of the 3 will clear out when told to do so.
Click to expand...

huh...i must not be training my bulls properly. :?
 
Your not taking the hogwash approach!!! You run cattle long enough you'll run into a character or two. I've had a few bucking bulls that were a bit spiky in the alley for sure.
 
We've got a couple that are real easy to work from horseback, but on foot I would be a bit nervous. I think that some "character" actually makes them more aggressive breeding cows.
Never turn your back on any bull and always have an exit strategy. in a lot of ways a quiet bull demands more respect because you won't see it coming...
 
This time of year all bulls are especially stupid. From the description, I don't see that this particular bull's behavior is unusually agressive. He is a normal bull.

The best policy is to never trust any bull at any time. Read Mulga's thread about the guy in the oil field killed by a bull. Whatever you do, don't make pets of them. Nothing exemplifes the old adage "familiarity breeds contempt" than a pet bull.

I've been having a couple problem bulls lately trying to make them behave another 3 weeks before turnout time. They have got out without damaging too much fence to cattle that were on the other side. Now I have a half mile in between them and the cows. Not sure if it will work but it's about the best I can do at this time. :roll:
 
I guess we all need to go to "Bull Whisperer" school. The most dangerous bulls I have seen are those that we got too familiar with. One love bump while scratching it's head and you can be dead. Half of my bull battery is home raised and fairly familiar with me and the rest were bought as yearlings. When they have work on their mind they tend not to listen to my voice commands. :shock: Much like training a dog I suppose, you have to be smarter than the dog. :? I like Soaps theory of using disposable bulls. :wink:
 
Justin said:
Pig Farmer said:
Thay is why you never buy an aged bull. Get a bull while still young and learn him to respecr you. A young bull raised around the owner will turn tail and run on a voice command.

We are running 3 bulls 7, 5 and 4 any of the 3 will clear out when told to do so.
Click to expand...

huh...i must not be training my bulls properly. :?
Click to expand...
.
The word is dominant all animals dogs cows horses and so on respect it. That said common sense still must prevail. We dont scratch the head rather respect of the animals and what he is capable of is taught.


A animal is like a child diciplined young enough you have the edge. Its kind of like halter breaking at 6 weeks or two years which gets the easiest results?
 
There are a lot of valid reasons for selling a bull,but I dont think I would sell a bull that was acting like a bull,you knew the bull was riled and the horn shakin is gonna happen with most bulls I been around when they are on the prod,just be careful seperatin bulls that are mad and or fightin,I have had a couple foot races with a bull or 2 myself,usta carry a good size fire extinguisher with me just for breaking up bulls,bout the best way I have found to get them to turn tail and run.
good luck
 
i know a guy that every time his bull would twist his head,blow snot, and come towards him,,he carried a sling shot----it worked

the bull got a steel ball between his eyes at several feet and soon he was backing up and had a reason to shake his head.later all he had to do was mimmick a sling shot and the bull stood at the back of the pasture and let the owner finish his chores.

this was a long horn bull that was taught respect and his sinus problems solved with a sling shot.
 
We had a couple of bulls a few years ago that we bought from the same breeder. They were OK as yearlings, but as they got older, they got goofier. It was like they had no tolerance for stress. In the pasture, or even in the corral they were just fine, but boy, you didn't want to get either one of them in a tight spot like the sorting alley, or they would just jump and take down any fence that was in front of them. Total panic. It didn't matter how quietly you handled them, either. A six foot fence was no problem. They'd take a go at it, and if they couldn't clear it, they'd just smash it.

We got rid of both bulls as fast as we could, but the damage had been done because we were stuck with some of their daughters. Every one of those cows was the same way. Get them in a corner, and the fence was toast. The last one of them is with some feeders right now waiting for the next time we've got the trailer hooked up so she can go to market.

After that, we won't be cutting any bulls any slack regarding temperament. Even if it makes a more aggressive breeder, it won't do any good if all their daughters have the same bad attitude. We can't afford to be fixing fences every time we load cattle. :roll: :roll: :roll:

Which is why Tony is going for a ride in the fall....... :wink:
 
Like I said I do not trust any of our bulls and I was getting bad vibes off of him this spring. Always listen to your gut.

We do not tolerate fence wreckers either. I think he was the one tearing up the fence last year. Hubby caught him this spring about to try lifting it.
No sense in keeping a bull that would rather fight then breed.
He seems to running from cow to cow, but not doing any serious breeding.


This is good for a chuckle.
I went to check the water tank that same day and had a calf come up and start chewing on the metal rack on the 4-wheeler.
Then one of the cows came up and started to scratch on it. I tapped her on the head and she backed off.
 
Kato said:
We had a couple of bulls a few years ago that we bought from the same breeder. They were OK as yearlings, but as they got older, they got goofier. It was like they had no tolerance for stress. In the pasture, or even in the corral they were just fine, but boy, you didn't want to get either one of them in a tight spot like the sorting alley, or they would just jump and take down any fence that was in front of them. Total panic. It didn't matter how quietly you handled them, either. A six foot fence was no problem. They'd take a go at it, and if they couldn't clear it, they'd just smash it.

We got rid of both bulls as fast as we could, but the damage had been done because we were stuck with some of their daughters. Every one of those cows was the same way. Get them in a corner, and the fence was toast. The last one of them is with some feeders right now waiting for the next time we've got the trailer hooked up so she can go to market.

After that, we won't be cutting any bulls any slack regarding temperament. Even if it makes a more aggressive breeder, it won't do any good if all their daughters have the same bad attitude. We can't afford to be fixing fences every time we load cattle. :roll: :roll: :roll:

Which is why Tony is going for a ride in the fall....... :wink:
Click to expand...

If temperment is it. Why not sell tony now and replace him? i MEAN ANY HEIFERS will have his attitude! Otherwise you are farther behind on raising replacments.
 

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