Housing stock bulls together

Biscuitus

I have a couple of questions about housing stock bulls if some of you lads could help me out.

Is it ok to house 2 stock bulls together? They will be mixed in a field 2 weeks before housing with some younger bullocks. One is a big Hereford who is quite calm, the other is a smaller Angus who is only 2 years old and can get a bit rowdy since he's young.

The pen is 14 foot by 15 foot, slated underneath with plenty of feeding space to ad lib bales of silage. Water trough is in easy reach to clean so I don't have to set foot inside the pen.

I've housed stock bulls side by side before, the younger bull gets quite worked up the first few weeks but after that they are fine. Will they fight more together? Are they at risk of jumping on each all day?

Other options is housing him in a pen of 1 1/2 year old bullocks but I don't like the idea of him having access to that amount of meal.

patsy_mccabe

Could you run a temp electric fence down between them for a few days till they settle. If they do go fighting it takes them 1/2 hour to calm down after being seperated.
I had to seperate 2 fighting cows yesterday after I mixed 2 bunches together. Both about 700kgs and battering the crap out of each other. Sperated the stronger of the 2 and let back in again after 2 hours.

Biscuitus

I'm not too worried about them fighting in the field. I could have a gate between them for 6-8 hours before they meet. Its housing them together in a pen 2 weeks after they've mixed thats my problem.

barryoc1

I house a Whitehead and Saler together every winter for last few years. When they go together in field they fight a good bit but then they calm down. I have never seen them fight when together in the shed for the winter. Normally leave out seperately as both going different directions but last spring i moved them both out into a paddock together to get them out of house when weather was good and they started to fight like they had never been together. So basically i never had an issue with them together in the shed but they seem to hate each other when out in the field.

Mooooo

Have had the aa here housed with 2 or 3 fr bulls with the last few winters. They did fine. Id nearly say it may be safer to bring em in separately leave them hungry and then put them in the smallest pen you have so they wouldn't get a run at each other. They'll prob do more fighting in the field. Normally if one is older and bigger pecking order won't be long estaishing inside.

yewtree

Always house our stock bulls togeather over winter, i would always have multiple bulls with heifers and cows. I dont have a lot of faith in one bull working

Floki

The golden rule when putting two bulls together either in field or in house is to do so away from sight or smell of cows or heifers. Testosterone will keep the weaker bull fighting back especially if they're closely matched and also keep the bigger fella going.

blue5000

Have done it in the past with no problems. No harm to have them together outside first.

Never wrestle with pigs

Done it last year and this year. Big size difference in the two though so the smaller lad craps his pants for the first few minutes and then all is grand. Some bulls are bully's though so keep an eye on them.

Biscuitus

Thanks for the replies lads.

I find the Angus bull is a bully, he will beat up any other bullocks in his pen when he's bored. The Hereford is much bigger than him right now and quite laid back.

I'm going to try house them beside each other for a week, leave them hungry for half a day and then mix them with a new bale. That way if it gets too serious I can just separate them.

grassroot1

When we mix cows/heifers we pour vinegar on them, they wont fight for long they hate the smell!!!!

Never wrestle with pigs

grassroot1 wrote: »

When we mix cows/heifers we pour vinegar on them, they wont fight for long they hate the smell!!!!

Do ye put it on the new ones coming in? I'm putting cows together during the week that haven't seen each other all year. I've two tramps of boss cows that team up and beat the crap out of anything introduced to their gang for a few days. They are incalf so I'm always nervous doing it.

5 wheel drive

grassroot1 wrote: »

When we mix cows/heifers we pour vinegar on them, they wont fight for long they hate the smell!!!!

Tell us more!! I hate mixing dry cows as they fight mad for a few hours. How much do u use?