Bull temperment is it genetics or environment?

[5Jerseygirls]

I know never to trust or turn my back on a bull. I have read many stories about bull accidents and ways to prevent them. People usually post when there are problems or issues. I want to read some good stories about bulls and what people have done to keep them relatively manageable. I did read somewhere on this forum about a 12 year old bull and I was in awe.
Thanks for sharing your GOOD stories if there is such a thing.

 

[77Herford]

Lots of Bull stories I imagine some good and bad in my case and many.

Lets see one of the more recent humorous ones was the beginning of summer I believe and I was sitting at the table enjoying some milk and what do I see walk in front of our large bay window my favorite Bull "Tank". He had obviously got out of his pen and was enjoying the scenery of the front yard. Since I bottle fed him from calf to bull we have a closer connection than my other bulls but still nothing to mess with. It took some time but I led him back to his pen with a bucket of sweet feed and patience.

 

[5Jerseygirls]

77Herford How old is the oldest bull you ever kept. When do they usually stop growing. My 2 year old seems to have slowed down significantly. I hope he won't get much bigger.

 

[77Herford]

Usually four years old is about the time they get to their full size but they are of course sexually mature before this. My oldest bull is 8 years old but I've had older ones.

 

[Snowhunter]

In the last yearish, we've dealt with more good then bad bulls. Of course, we've only had to deal with 4, so not a big number.

3 Charolais bulls (8-10ish yrs old) and the new bull, a almost 5yo Reg Black Simmental.

One of the Charolais bulls was raised out by the landowner. He was basically a pet, and turned out alright (was raised by the landowners and their grandkids, not us). Never an aggressive moment. His worst issue was, due to his size, he had an easy time making short work of fences, gates and anything securing either of those! But that was usually due to there being a tasty morsel of grass just out of his reach. His name was Gentle Giant (GG for short) and he enjoyed the kids petting him and chin scratches. Not the norm, as far as bulls are concerned, imo.

The other Charolais bull we sold in Feb, was partially tame, never showed any signs of aggressiveness when the girls were in heat, or being worked in the pens. But... things changed instantaneously, for some reason we've never figured out. He basically went feral and aggressive overnight. To the point he was dangerous to be around, or even drive in the same pasture with (He attempted to charge us while we were checking the herd. We were in a F350). He got sold ASAP.

The last Charolais bull is almost like a big baby. Nothing much bothers him, he just plods around like a puppy. He's not at all "tame" but he knows his job and is easily worked with in close confinement (well, in the working pens/chutes/trailer) He was recently injured, and to our surprise, showed no aggressive behaviors. I thought that was rather odd, since fight or flight is generally heightened in injured/in pain animals.

The new bull, well, we've named him Stoner He was bought from the sale barn. He didn't make any fuss going through the chutes and sale ring there.. nor when we loaded him up at almost dark and took the windy road home. No wide eyed, snorty and aggressive bull when he plodded off the trailer, he just stepped off and went to the first morsel of grass he could find. He's only been here about 2 weeks, and his name still fits. He doesn't seem to be bothered by much. He doesn't even mind when I wander around on the 4wheeler checking cows or putting out minerals. He does know what the sound of a can full of grain shook means though.. that's as much enthusiasm as I've seen from him, in the 2 weeks, but he semi trotted to the feed bin for a bite, taking a spare spot instead of shoving the cows or other bull out of the way.

Now, all that being said, we don't make these bulls pets. We never turn our back on them, if possible, we don't encourage them to get into our space or be overly friendly. But our requirements are to work the herd on foot, which usually means even tempered bulls. Of course, the same goes for the cows. We've sold off several that were aggressive. Its just not tolerated. Never underestimate an animal... such as the case was with Charolais bull #2. They can turn without notice.. and it can be deadly. Caution is your friend

 

[5Jerseygirls]

Thanks for sharing. I haven't had problems yet, but they are young and I know it could change. I really enjoy watching them graze/eat. I find it relaxing just to watch them and would rather do that than go to a movie.

77Herford do you think Tank wanted to watch you eat for a change. Do you have any pictures of him somewhere on this forum? I love looking at bulls. It is amazing how massive they can get.

Snowhunter I have a Charolais cross that reminds me of your Stoner. He is so laid back, but I know he could walk through the fence if he wanted to. Hope he doesn't figure that out.

 

[77Herford]

Yes, I have a journal in the journal section. He's in there somewhere.

 

[herfrds]

I'll tell you about a bull we had years ago that we named Honky Tonk. DH hated that name.

He was a tall bull. Our wooden corral planks stand around 7 feet tall well it was time to take him out to the cows for breeding season and I went to load him on the trailer. He stood there resting his chin on the top plank sniffing the air. Refusing to load.
I finally got mad and yelled at him to get his big blankty blank blank in the trailer or else!
He took his head off the plank looked at me and hopped right in the trailer with no problem.
Dang bull.

 

[5Jerseygirls]

I'll tell you about a bull we had years ago that we named Honky Tonk. DH hated that name.

He was a tall bull. Our wooden corral planks stand around 7 feet tall well it was time to take him out to the cows for breeding season and I went to load him on the trailer. He stood there resting his chin on the top plank sniffing the air. Refusing to load.
I finally got mad and yelled at him to get his big blankty blank blank in the trailer or else!
He took his head off the plank looked at me and hopped right in the trailer with no problem.
Dang bull.

 

[greybeard]

I and a friend of my sister's just loaded a 15 yr old Beefmaster bull named Buddy last week to take to the salebarn for my sister as she is getting out of the cow business, and asked me if I would go get the bull and 2 cows loaded. Been a good bull over the years, lots of good calves. At least 2 placed high at county and one went on to place at the Houston show a couple years ago. If he were a bit younger, I would have bought him myself. But he has tore the britches near off my sister's husband at least twice, and has a set of horns that aren't to be ignored. Not mean--just "convinced".
He spent his entire life on that pasture, had never been trailered, and had only been in a chute once, so we feared the worst was in store for us. We also had 2 of his herd cows to haul, so we penned all 3, loaded the cows first with "not too much trouble".

That left Bubba in a 20 x 20 rickety old pen, no crowding gate and a short right angled loading chute--they coulda done that different. I had been going by and feeding those and the rest of the cattle for a few weeks in that pen, so they were used to me and being penned up--sort of. Kept plenty of feed in the trough for Buddy to keep him busy and out of our hair while we dealt with the females in that little bitty pen, and with them loaded and locked in the front bay, I turned my attention to the big guy. I'm not even sure he's gonna fit in the chute, and I know he's going to have to yaw his head sideways to fit those horns in the 1/2 door of the trailer. I'm not the best judge of cattle weight, but even with the drought, and not much grass this year, I still figured 1800-1900 lbs easy, which gives him a 1600 lb and 45 yr advantage on me. I'm facing him, he's facing away from the chute, and I can't no how no way get him to turn around facing the chute. The other guy has a hot shot cattle prod and I already told him under no circumstances was he to poke Buddy with it while I was in that pen. He's already bobbing that big ol head up and down, hearing the 2 females raise holy heck in the trailer, bawling to beat the band, and then he starts slobbering. BTDT--it ain't a good sign. I know, I can't climb that fence faster than he can cross that lot. I'm thinking--"how did I get roped into this deal anyway?" No good deed goes unpunished. I finally work my way around to the chute entrance and Buddy follows, still working that head up and down, snortin and slobberin. I back down the chute toward the trailer and buddy follows, then stops when he sees the blocked exit at the trailer door. I figure "Immovable object behind me (trailer) irresistable force in front of me" it's time to get the heck out of Dodge. I climb my old butt out of that deathtrap, grab a sack of range cubes and pour some out down the chute. It took a while, but Buddy finally settled down and followed that trail of cubes right up to the trailer door. I was going to slide a pipe in the fence behind him, but he's too danged long, so we slide the trailer door open , slap him on the butt and he jumps forward just enough to get his horns in the door. Hot shot? I don't like 'em, but I'm tired and we have to be to the sale barn in an hour. zap! It didn't phase him a bit--a mosquito would done worse. Again--same result--is that thing working? About that time, a neighbor's little terrier dog comes up, starts yapping like the dickens and Buddy spooks, and jumps on in. Wow--who knew? A cow dog the size of a bunny rabbit! I'm getting too old for this stuff.

A down market here, with no grass and no local hay, everyone is getting rid of stock. Still, at 15 yrs, Buddy brought about $900. I hated to see him go, but I have one of his offspring, a 1 yr old this month bull calf, looks just like Buddy. First thing I'm doing next week is taking him to the doc to be dehorned.

(sorry for the rambling reply--it was one of those "You had to be there" things)