Redirecting a bull from full feed to breeding bull

Dave from MN · Mar 21, 2011

I have a 2 last spring bulls that I have been feeding out with the rest of the feeders, I am contemplating using one of the two as my herd sire this year, IF I decide to do this, what do I need to do to adapt them from their diet of full grain, minimal roughage, if any, to going out with the cows and having just hay? Or should I seperate him from the feeders and cows and give free choice hay and some grain for while? Bull prices are really high right now, I only have 11 cows, and the one I really want to use is about 1100 pounds and is about 9 months old, and very quiet. The guy I always rented bulls from every year retired. Gonna miss your service Mr. Bzdok!

Anonymous-0 · Mar 21, 2011

a breeding bull should never be on full feed, it puts fat in there nuts which isn't a good thing, cut back on the grain and have him tested or buy one from a good herd.

LAA · Mar 21, 2011

9 months old is way to young for dependable service, to handle 11 cows and get them all bred you need at least an 18 month old bull. I doubt very much that calf weighs 1100 lbs. A real good 270 day weight would be 700 and that would be few and far between.

Dave from MN · Mar 21, 2011

He actually is that big. He was a large calf. He is younger than the rest and he is about a 10" taller, and just nothing but muscle. He also is very long. Kind of a freak I guess. His mother is my best cow, she is a Beef Normande/Red Angus cross, sire of bull calf was purebred shorthorn. Sire was halter broke and fair shown, mother is like a pet, can sit down and milk her right on the spot the calf was born. That is the temperment I would like to retain. If I do not keep him as a breeding bull, July 1st when I will want to be breeding, he will need to be butchered soon. Just hate to see him end up like that.

bison · Mar 21, 2011

Full feed fries livers,not a good diet for breeding bulls.
Breeding bulls should be raised in a ranch setting,not in a feedlot.

TMo · Mar 21, 2011

What breed is this bull? Different breeds reach puberty at different ages for instance Angus bulls reach puberty at approximately 295 days. In addition, puberty is defined as the age at which a bull is first able to produce an ejaculate containing 50 million sperm with a minimum of 10% motility (capable of motion).
Most bulls are not ready for siring until 15 months of age. Yearling scrotal circumference is a good indicator of a bull's ability to produce sperm. I would recommend a Breeding Soundness Exam at 12 months old to determine if he is capable of being a good sire. However, Semen tests results for young bulls may not be conclusive. A poor semen test on a bull less than 15 months of age is not a reliable indicator that the bull will have poor quality semen. Seminal qualities may improve dramatically for up to 4 months following puberty. Breeding Soundess Exams are not that expensive.

If I can be of more help, let me know.

Gleanerguy · Mar 21, 2011

Dave,

I hate to rain on your parade, but temperament is not 100 percent heritable.
Yes, you have a better chance of getting even tempered offspring from the bull you describe, but it is not a guarantee. I have had heifers that were just plain nuts come from a cow that you could walk right up to in the pasture and pet. I have also had it the other way around - gentle offspring from cow that couldn't be handled. I shipped the cow and kept the heifer.

kyhayman · Mar 21, 2011

Most of the performance tested bulls I see coming out of places like Purdue follow a not too different path than your bull. Their April sale will have yearling bulls, anywhere from 12-15 months old which have been on full feed since early winter. I've been buying bulls out of their sale since 1994 and have never seen any of the problems some of the naysayers are mentioning. They all have a reproductive exam to make sure they are fertile and capable of breeding.

When receiving them, I like to dry lot them for a month on good hay, then they go in with a group of heifers around May 15. Sixty days later I pull them and try to get some really good hay into them in dry lot just to keep them from losing so much weight. Then I just let them run with my spring calving dry cows. I try to not use them hard until the next fall. But, sometimes, stuff happens. I try to keep them at least 5 years, sometimes 6.

Anonymous-0 · Mar 21, 2011

You are the Boss.. keep him and give him a trial. sometimes the mongrel is the best.

JMS/.MN · Mar 21, 2011

I like that description..about being on full feed, and the nuts thing. Yes- full feed is for market animals. Hungry ones will do their thing.,..

Redirecting a bull from full feed to breeding bull

Dave from MN

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Anonymous-0

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LAA

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Dave from MN

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bison

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TMo

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Gleanerguy

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kyhayman

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Anonymous-0

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JMS/.MN

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