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Mixing stock bulls?

  • 24-04-2020 5:55pm
    #1
    Castlekeeper
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,079 ✭✭✭


    I know I could have posted this in chit chat but Im afraid it'll get overtaken and I want some feedback.
    I've two stock bulls, 7 and 2 years respectively, and I'm concerned about mixing them on their own in case things take off.
    I had them last year too, the young lad was with the heifers and at the end if he breeding season I left him in the next paddock to the cows for a day before leaving him in with the main herd and the old lad. There was no real problems after the meet and greet, they had been adjacent pens inside fir a while, in the and the young lad dodged around without incident for a few weeks picking up scraps and leavings opportunistically.
    They were in separate quarters for the winter in the same overall shed. I put them side by side on slatted pens lately and there was a bit of noise and snorting for 5 min esp out of the young lad but it settled down quick.
    As the size difference is reduced this year, but the old lad is still 1.5 the weight if the young lad, is there much risk of them having a big fight if I let them out in a paddock on their own?


Comments

  • #2
    Mooooo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    I put 4 together in the smallest pen I had this winter. Old AA bull and 2 fr were together in a field and 2 yr old aa was in the pen. Left the 3 bulls into the passage outside him for the day and there was the usual grunting either side of the barrier. Put them alltogther then and they were fine small bit of horseplay. The young bull has now become the dominant one of the group. Have another outside on his own but he had a stronger size advantagr and was on his own all the time so left him where he was. Was afraid himself and the old bull would go hell for leather.
    Maybe put them in the smallest pen you have after being near each other, and a tad hungry before letting them out. They may not have the space to harm each other then. All depends on the bulls


  • #3
    Mooooo
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,611 ✭✭✭Mooooo


    Be sure you have space to get out the way if they go at it as well!


  • #4
    Castlekeeper
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,079 ✭✭✭Castlekeeper


    Mooooo wrote: »
    Be sure you have space to get out the way if they go at it as well!

    Yeah, they're grand lads on fairness, but I wouldn't like to be trying to reason with them. I won't be putting myself in harms way anyway.


  • #5
    blue5000
    Moderators, Society & Culture Moderators Posts: 12,756 Mod ✭✭✭✭blue5000


    The way we put them together is in a wide bit of roadway that has double strands of electric fence on 3 sides and a wall on the 4th side. I've never had more than 1 working bull in a bunch of cows though.

    Make sure there's a good exit if things go ar5ways, mind yourself. Don't put them together on slats or concrete if possible.

    If the seat's wet, sit on yer hat, a cool head is better than a wet ar5e.



  • #6
    Castlekeeper
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,079 ✭✭✭Castlekeeper


    blue5000 wrote: »
    The way we put them together is in a wide bit of roadway that has double strands of electric fence on 3 sides and a wall on the 4th side. I've never had more than 1 working bull in a bunch of cows though.

    Make sure there's a good exit if things go ar5ways, mind yourself. Don't put them together on slats or concrete if possible.

    Thanks, they were as good as gold in the field last year so we'll set it up as well as possible and hope for the best.


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  • #7
    jd_12345
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 156 ✭✭jd_12345


    Castlekeeper wrote: »
    I know I could have posted this in chit chat but Im afraid it'll get overtaken and I want some feedback.
    I've two stock bulls, 7 and 2 years respectively, and I'm concerned about mixing them on their own in case things take off.
    I had them last year too, the young lad was with the heifers and at the end if he breeding season I left him in the next paddock to the cows for a day before leaving him in with the main herd and the old lad. There was no real problems after the meet and greet, they had been adjacent pens inside fir a while, in the and the young lad dodged around without incident for a few weeks picking up scraps and leavings opportunistically.
    They were in separate quarters for the winter in the same overall shed. I put them side by side on slatted pens lately and there was a bit of noise and snorting for 5 min esp out of the young lad but it settled down quick.
    As the size difference is reduced this year, but the old lad is still 1.5 the weight if the young lad, is there much risk of them having a big fight if I let them out in a paddock on their own?

    Should be fine. Better off with the two bulls being different sizes rather than the same as one asserts dominance and that’s that. If they’re the same size they’ll be fighting the whole time.
    Usually here the small fella heat detects and the big fella pushes him out of the way before he bulls the cow


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