Freisan Bulls - Squeeze or not

lakill Farm

ok have a dozen bulls that I wintered and there all all about 450-525kg and weren't pushed.

anyway there 23/24months old, and are full bulls and I have 10acres of nice grass ahead of them. (They are still in the shed but I want to decide this week if there going out)

Do I leave as bulls and given them loads of meal on the grass for 6/8 weeks and try to push them and kill?

I was told to get them cut and let them out for a few weeks ans sell as bullocks

Also told I could squeeze them and let them out

ANd final was squeeze on 1 side only

Then kerb ball and uncle said, jesus you couldn't let them onto rich grass they will get tentany.

anyway what way would you go about it?

Sam Kade

I usually band bulls but they are only 14 months 320 kg less stress and setback compared to other methods.

lakill Farm

Sam Kade wrote: »

I usually band bulls but they are only 14 months 320 kg less stress and setback compared to other methods.

gone by that stage now. My 12 month olds were squeezed 2 days before going out to grass a month ago

munkus

Be careful if there's a lot of nitrogen in the grass. Might want to introduce them to it slowly. Make sure they have a belly full of silage going out and only let them have it for 2 hours the first day and back out again. Build up slowly. Hi mag mineral buckets ready for them too.

lakill Farm

munkus wrote: »

Be careful if there's a lot of nitrogen in the grass. Might want to introduce them to it slowly. Make sure they have a belly full of silage going out and only let them have it for 2 hours the first day and back out again. Build up slowly. Hi mag mineral buckets ready for them too.

no it didn't get any nitrogen at all or slurry. It was stripped since mid October

the introducint them to it or a few hours wount work. its rented land and 5 mile away from my house

blue5000

Have you talked to any factory lads, would it pay you to finish them over 90 days? How would they grade?

Maybe sell a cut of silage off the 10 acres (200 ish round here) and then have aftergrass for your yearlings?

Farmer Pudsey

Over 24 months of age bulls are fraught with dead danger. I have heard rumours that finishers are after being told that during May/June that there will be no issue with bulls this age for late May/Early June and neither will weight be an issue. However you would need them to average F/S 2= or better. Maybe the heaviest would gain 70kg over next 55 days. However you would need to be fairly sure of your market. They would kill about 270-280kgs, 4/kg may be the best price attainable if even that.

Traditionally I often left such bulls back to grass in March/April and fed them 1-2 kgs of ration after they settled and finished in July killing 330-370 kgs. About 600kgs/head finished them.

Squeezing them is not as hard as weanlings, as they are taller and not as jumpy but a tough job all the same. If you squeeze and let to grass they will kill about 340kgs in September/October. I be inclined to go that direction as I think the price at the year end may be better than at present.

Base price

We got a fair few squeesed during Feb by the vet. 500kg +/- but some were heavier. They were injected with Dexameth at squeesing and turned out to the fields during the day and into straw bedded shed at night. Injected again on day 3. We only had issues with one, balls swelled up badly and he had to be treated with Betamox. He is ok now but his balls a still big. May come against him in the factory?
Also noticed that the vet squeesed much higher up then you would normally see. More so on the right ball and slightly lower on the left.

We did them in batches of 20 a week apart so that we could keep an good eye on them.

_Brian

If ya get the right lad squeezing isn't too bad.

Got a local lad on yesterday to squeeze bulls. 13 month 350kg'ish.
Had a pen of 16 done in 25 minutes. That was from shed, through crush and back into the shed.

€60 for the 16.

lakill Farm

Base price wrote: »

We got a fair few squeesed during Feb by the vet. 500kg +/- but some were heavier. They were injected with Dexameth at squeesing and turned out to the fields during the day and into straw bedded shed at night. Injected again on day 3. We only had issues with one, balls swelled up badly and he had to be treated with Betamox. He is ok now but his balls a still big. May come against him in the factory?
Also noticed that the vet squeesed much higher up then you would normally see. More so on the right ball and slightly lower on the left.

We did them in batches of 20 a week apart so that we could keep an good eye on them.

cheers