seperate bullocks from heifers or not?

farawaygrass

just wondering do ye serperate bullocks from heifers when at grass or would ye leave them together? ours are starting to get playfull with all the heifers coming bulling, but to sepreate them would mean, between sheep and all there would be 6 different groups grazing, and seems a headache tbh. thanks in advance

Reggie.

farawaygrass wrote: »

just wondering do ye serperate bullocks from heifers when at grass or would ye leave them together? ours are starting to get playfull with all the heifers coming bulling, but to sepreate them would mean, between sheep and all there would be 6 different groups grazing, and seems a headache tbh. thanks in advance

I never did last year and had no bother

munkus

Wouldn't imaging the bullocks would be that productive, chasing a bulling heifer all day instead of eating grass. I always separate them at around 7 months.

farmersfriend

farawaygrass wrote: »

just wondering do ye serperate bullocks from heifers when at grass or would ye leave them together? ours are starting to get playfull with all the heifers coming bulling, but to sepreate them would mean, between sheep and all there would be 6 different groups grazing, and seems a headache tbh. thanks in advance

They will thrive better ie separated as the boys will wear themselves out after the girls,

Deepsouthwest

farmersfriend wrote: »

They will thrive better ie separated as the boys will wear themselves out after the girls,

Isn't it always the way!

Base price

farawaygrass wrote: »

just wondering do ye serperate bullocks from heifers when at grass or would ye leave them together? ours are starting to get playfull with all the heifers coming bulling, but to sepreate them would mean, between sheep and all there would be 6 different groups grazing, and seems a headache tbh. thanks in advance

Really depends on what age the bullocks were squzzed at. If they had enough testosterone to be aware of females then you would be better off separating them.
We put out some 7/8 month old Fr bulls out with 2 yo Fr bullocks today in an out farm. Little randy feckers were trying to bull the bigger lads but they settled down after about an hour.

farawaygrass

thanks guys. base price, do you reckon if they are casturated before sexually matured they will be alot quieter together later on in life? our group are 15 months aprox and casturated at aprox 2-3 months

Base price

farawaygrass wrote: »

thanks guys. base price, do you reckon if they are casturated before sexually matured they will be alot quieter together later on in life? our group are 15 months aprox and casturated at aprox 2-3 months

Years ago we used to castrate them at around 9 months old but in more recent years leave them until older to avail of their natural growth. I think if they are done younger they are a lot quieter.
The new law that was introduced this March will put a stop to castrating them after 6 months of age unless you get a vet to do so.
Rovi or one of the mods posted a link last week. Cannot find it at the moment.

J.O. Farmer

Base price wrote: »

Years ago we used to castrate them at around 9 months old but in more recent years leave them until older to avail of their natural growth. I think if they are done younger they are a lot quieter.
The new law that was introduced this March will put a stop to castrating them after 6 months of age unless you get a vet to do so.
Rovi or one of the mods posted a link last week. Cannot find it at the moment.

I thought that you were supposed to get a vet if they were over 6 months for years now.

Base price

J.O. Farmer wrote: »

I thought that you were supposed to get a vet if they were over 6 months for years now.

Not sure as we always get the vet to do it.

bogman_bass

If it means running small groups of extra animals and you are confident their done right then I wouldn't bother sepperating

Farmer Pudsey

A lot depends on the run the cattle have as well. If they have the run of 20-30 acres then even heifers by them selves will not thrive as well. When in heat they will travel the ditches. However in a paddock system this is not as much of an issue

onyerbikepat

A local farmer told me recently that the Vet said he could not guarantee any animals castrated over 12 months of age. By that he meant that they would not get infected, I suppose.

Genghis Cant

Farmer Pudsey wrote: »

A lot depends on the run the cattle have as well. If they have the run of 20-30 acres then even heifers by them selves will not thrive as well. When in heat they will travel the ditches. However in a paddock system this is not as much of an issue

We have a field we split into 3 paddocks, cows/calves in one and heifers in another. The heifers have some path ploughed up along the fence, the whole length of it, between themselves and the cows. There's a heifer Bulling every nearly every day.

Farmer Pudsey

Genghis Cant wrote: »

We have a field we split into 3 paddocks, cows/calves in one and heifers in another. The heifers have some path ploughed up along the fence, the whole length of it, between themselves and the cows. There's a heifer Bulling every nearly every day.

If there was nothing on other side of fence they would not be pacing. Bulls are the same better if nothing adjacent to them For that matter cows and bullocks can be the same if strange cattle in next field