Do many people run yearling/fattening heifers & bullocks together?

locky76

Hey folks,
I run the yearling heifers & bullocks together right through to finishing.
At a recent BTAP event a few people advised me that it is a bad job as some bullocks will still rise on a bulling heifer and if the castration didn't go properly you could be caught with a few in calf heifers...
Anyone any thoughts on this?

Burtonearny

I'd defo say that would be a bit risky, especially if you haven't done the job yourself, some bullocks can have an 'undescended' testicle; might be a bit of a rig so could still do the job.

Bizzum

A rig bull can get a calf alright. You'd generally know if you had one and could take steps before damage was done.
A bullock won't get a calf but an odd one will spend way too much time following every heifer that comes bulling. I'd wonder would their trive suffer if they're so preoccupied?
The other side of this is that an odd heifer too spends a lot of time hounding other bulling heifers!

bogman_bass

We always do it. Why complicate things by running an extra group?
Also makes heat detection of heifers nice and easy

yellow50HX

yeah we do the same once the yun lads have been squezzed. still have to keep any eye on them in case. the less groups the easier the less work

bob charles

wonder was there ever a study done on the thrive of mixing animals. I wouldnt but thats because of my circumstances

yellow50HX

bob charles wrote: »

wonder was there ever a study done on the thrive of mixing animals. I wouldnt but thats because of my circumstances

a shed for young bulls, and shed for young bullocks, a shed for heiffers a shed for finishing young bulls, shed finishing young bullock............

Damo810

Bizzum wrote: »

A rig bull can get a calf alright. You'd generally know if you had one and could take steps before damage was done.
A bullock won't get a calf but an odd one will spend way too much time following every heifer that comes bulling. I'd wonder would their trive suffer if they're so preoccupied?
The other side of this is that an odd heifer too spends a lot of time hounding other bulling heifers!

We had a few bullocks squeezed this year, when we asked the vet could we run them together he advised against it, saying that the bullocks would constantly be rising, starting sweating, and once the night came would be freezing with the sweat on their backs.

We put them in separate paddocks, the only ones who seemed to have any interest in getting to each other was the bloody heifers! :rolleyes:

pbthevet

Listen to damo

blue5000

No bullocks here, but if I had I'd keep them seperate from heifers. Ran cull cows and bulling heifers together early this summer, found it easier to pick up the heifers for AI. I reckon it also might help a bit with immunity for the likes of lepto etc.

PatQfarmer

Used to run them together from calves, bucket-reared then squeeze bulls at 6/7 mths before hfrs cycled. Then keep together until finished.
Divided them up last year for first time. have to say it's much better, imo.
Used always have one or two of the smaller heifers hounded by the bullocks. Hated looking at them. Then in Autumn, the odd bullock would get in a sweat for the day and with a cold night get a chill.
The heifers still jump on each other a bit, but nothing like as much.
Thrive has to be better, but unable to quantify.
I'm happier anyway:)

locky76

ye've me convinced, I seperated them out last Thursday, what decided it for me was a heifer who i was sending to the factory and when i wieghed her she was substantially lighter than i expected her to be, i had noticed a few bullocks following her the previous week...

PatQfarmer wrote: »

Used to run them together from calves, bucket-reared then squeeze bulls at 6/7 mths before hfrs cycled. Then keep together until finished.
Divided them up last year for first time. have to say it's much better, imo.
Used always have one or two of the smaller heifers hounded by the bullocks. Hated looking at them. Then in Autumn, the odd bullock would get in a sweat for the day and with a cold night get a chill.
The heifers still jump on each other a bit, but nothing like as much.
Thrive has to be better, but unable to quantify.
I'm happier anyway:)