Grazing bullocks & heifers together

sprouty

Hi all,

I usully sell my bulls entire out of the shed as weanlings in about Feb/March time & keep the heifers on for the grazing season.
Wondering if i kept the bulls/squeezed them & let them off with the heifers would it cause problems like loss of thrive when heifers bulling etc?
Dont really want to graze as two groups as havent the numbers & it would make life more complicated etc.

Any thoughts?

Ta,
Sprouty.

Bodacious

sprouty wrote: »

Hi all,

I usully sell my bulls entire out of the shed as weanlings in about Feb/March time & keep the heifers on for the grazing season.
Wondering if i kept the bulls/squeezed them & let them off with the heifers would it cause problems like loss of thrive when heifers bulling etc?
Dont really want to graze as two groups as havent the numbers & it would make life more complicated etc.

Any thoughts?

Ta,
Sprouty.

Id squeeze them 2 weeks before weaning and they'll be well used to each other for next spring... you will still get certain amount of weight loss when heifers are bulling but would definitely be more interest if you squeeze them before turnout in Spring. Just IMO if you wish to graze them together others will say separate separate separate

sprouty

Bodacious wrote: »

Id squeeze them 2 weeks before weaning and they'll be well used to each other for next spring... you will still get certain amount of weight loss when heifers are bulling but would definitely be more interest if you squeeze them before turnout in Spring. Just IMO if you wish to graze them together others will say separate separate separate

Thanks Bodacious,

Sounds like you've done it before.....suppose i could give it a go & if they were going cracked when heifers in season i could seperate them then.
Cash flow might make my mind up in the spring !

Bodacious

sprouty wrote: »

Thanks Bodacious,

Sounds like you've done it before.....suppose i could give it a go & if they were going cracked when heifers in season i could seperate them then.
Cash flow might make my mind up in the spring !

Hi Sprouty,

Yep tried both methods squeezing them coming out of shed and availing of extra growth as bulls but they go back to hell after and spend the month of April sitting around with sore sacks!! Plus they have more interest in cows/ heifers bulling around them.

So last couple of years i squeezed them on cows and very happy, they easier managed and thrive from once they leave the shed, balls/strings softer and it doesnt seem to take anything out of them as they out and about in the field and sucking the cows

Just imo

agriking101

Bodacious wrote: »

Id squeeze them 2 weeks before weaning and they'll be well used to each other for next spring... you will still get certain amount of weight loss when heifers are bulling but would definitely be more interest if you squeeze them before turnout in Spring. Just IMO if you wish to graze them together others will say separate separate separate

what does IMO mean?

castrated bullocks can till fire live ammo for 6 weeks, so watch that one.

It's perfectly fine to leave the two sexes together, maybe a slight loss of thrive, hardly outweighs the hassle of two groups

blue5000

agriking101 wrote: »

what does IMO mean?

In my opinion

Bizzum

agriking101 wrote: »

castrated bullocks can till fire live ammo for 6 weeks, so watch that one.

It's perfectly fine to leave the two sexes together, maybe a slight loss of thrive, hardly outweighs the hassle of two groups

Quite right. IMO. IYKWIM.
Should it not be castrated Bulls? And I thought it was 3 weeks until the pipes were cleaned out? And I'm too lazy to google!