Running with bull

Colin · Post by **Colin** » Sat May 02, 2009 11:57 am

I want to better synchronise the timings of calvings and this means I've delayed some cows running with the bull. The only challenge with this is that one cow has a 5 month heifer and another one has a 6 month heifer.

I'm not keen to wean at this early age, so would this be safe to turn out mother and calf with the bull together ? Or should I separate them during the day, bringing them together at night ?

Colin

Woodmagic · Post by **Woodmagic** » Sat May 02, 2009 4:55 pm

You are running into a dangerous age, you could Inject the cows to bring them on together, and then keep the bull away from the herd until they came on, take the calves out for the day, and put the bull in. I personally would simply keep the bull away from them and take each cow out for an hour or so when they came bulling and put them to the bull but that may not be practical from your point of view.
Beryl (Woodmagic)

AlisonKirk · Post by **AlisonKirk** » Sat May 02, 2009 8:09 pm

Colin

You could always estrumate your heifer calves three weeks after the bull has been taken away from your cows. Some vets prefer to carry the injection or some may let you do it yourself.

Speak to your vet & see what he advises.

Regards

Alison Kirk
Boram Dexters

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun May 03, 2009 7:49 am

Or just hold them all back for a couple of months, wean, then put the bull in. Then you'll have spring calves.

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Sun May 03, 2009 8:01 am

If you only have a few cows and can put them into the bull when they are bulling you will end up with the unusual advantage of having due dates.

We only have a few and have been lucky enough to watch for when they were coming up to bulling and then bull began to show interest in them to glean due dates.

Stephanie

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Sun May 03, 2009 8:51 am

Just thioght i would reply to Saffy on her comment about having due dates for cows and the fact that is is unusual.
This year we are expecting 22 calves and i have due dates for 17, beleive it or not but i did consider this as a bit of a failure on my part failing to spot the other 5.
I don,t get 100% but i am not usually far off, this makes my planning and management easier.
I do however have the advantage of living on my own small farm with my cattle all around me, being able to spot all the goings on, it is sheer bliss!

Saffy · Post by **Saffy** » Sun May 03, 2009 9:24 am

It is bliss isn't it Mark to know when a calf is expected - so how many of us know our cows due dates?

I have a date for each of mine. Only 4!

Am I right - is it unusual or do most people keep and eye on the bull?

Stephanie

Post by **Mark Bowles** » Sun May 03, 2009 10:37 am

Keep and eye on the bull, then check the cow 21 ish days after you have seen him serve the cow to see if he is still interested, job done.

Inger · Post by **Inger** » Sun May 10, 2009 8:02 am

Do you not have bulling beacons in the UK ? In NZ, we have various types of adhesive bulling indicators that change colour when squashed while the bull is mounting a cow in heat. These indicators either work by being stratched, exposing the bright undercolour, where the dull outer coating has been rubbed off, or it is a bubble within a bubble of two different chemicals, which, when the inner bubble is squashed, it breaks, releasing a chemical that reacts with the chemical in the main bubble and turning red or which ever colour indicator is chosen.

These bulling indicators make it much easier to catch the service date. You can then wait another 3 weeks to see if the cow re-cycles. If she doesn't, the first service date is when you start your counting from. If its the second cycle, you will know when to expect the mating and it makes it easier to catch the second service.

To confirm the dates, I usually get the vet in to PD our cows at the same time as I get our calves dehorned. With my dates, she is able to tell me which cycle the cow did conceive on. So its not often that I don't know when my cows are due.

natmadaboutdexters · Post by **natmadaboutdexters** » Sun May 10, 2009 3:14 pm

Bulling beacons sound like a good idea as I quite often have to use guess work when predicting my calving dates.

Broomcroft · Post by **Broomcroft** » Sun May 10, 2009 5:12 pm

Another good idea would be to glue to the tailhead one of those things that kids put under your cushion so that when you sit down you do a raspberry. Then you'd get an audible warning as well :D

mike skelton · Post by **mike skelton** » Sun May 10, 2009 7:56 pm

The problem with that clive is that when i used to milk very often a cow would cough and make that noise at the same time. if the bull or cow made the noise, you could easily end up with a false reading. ha ha! :D

regards mike