# Introducing a Bull Calf to small herd



## DenMacII (Aug 16, 2008)

We've added a 9 month old bull calf to our small heard of Lowline cattle. 

We have a total of 4 head: a three year old 50% Lowline cow, her 4 month old 50% Lowline heifer calf, a 9 month old 100% Lowline bull calf, and his 9 month old half brother steer.

Our plan is to have them out on pasture together, but I've had one person recommend we be cautious with the young bull calf being too small to be in with the cow. Their concern is that he will hurt himself trying to mount the cow.

Do you have any recommendations, or cautions for us? The cow has not been bred, and we expect her to cycle in the next two weeks.

Thanks for all your insight.


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## tinknal (May 21, 2004)

He will probably attempt to breed her and will most likely succeed. I wouldn't worry too much about him getting hurt. Young bulls are mounting things all the time, it's what they do. You could wait a few days and give him another month of growth before the cow cycles again.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

My concern would be for the young heifer calf...she will possibly start to cycle in the next several months and I'm sure you don't want her bred at that age.


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## goodhors (Sep 6, 2011)

Separate out the heifer and steer calf, leave the bull and cow together if you want a calf in January. Two pastures, with one corral/pasture with GOOD FENCE between the sets of animals. 

You SURE don't want your heifer bred young and it WILL happen if she is in with the bull. Doesn't matter if he is young, he will make the effort. Pretty hard on the heifer. Even if the steer does jump on her now and again, it is a cow dominance thing. The steer is not the DETERMINED to breed her, like the bull will be. Bull won't quit trying to breed her while she is in season. Let her get more mature, older, then you can put all the cattle back together.

Or get the bull used to being kept apart with your current steer, so you can control breeding and delivery times of your future calves. I wouldn't want winter calves, but other folks do.


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## DenMacII (Aug 16, 2008)

Our winters here are fairly mild. Frosty, our heifer calf was born in November on a 'frosty' morning. I'll try to get a picture up here, but her being a 50% Lowline she is already as tall as the 9 month old boys. She's not as filled in as they are, but she is not tiny either. If I'm not mistaken, she shouldn't start to cycle for several more months, and I would plan to separate them before she starts so she can get a few cycles under her belt.

I've had someone send me an article that details how young bull calves aren't very good at their business until they are 15 months or so. We try to keep things pretty simple around here and feel that if they would be together in the wild to figure things out, why should we be trying very hard to mess with that. 

We've put the four in the same pasture together for now, and after the usual brief sorting out of who is in charge, they are getting along very well with the cow as the dominant leader in the herd. She is over twice the size of the younger cattle, yet she is managing her role very well.

Thanks again for any additional thoughts you may have.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

DenMacII said:


> I've had someone send me an article that details how young bull calves aren't very good at their business until they are 15 months or so. We try to keep things pretty simple around here and feel that if they would be together in the wild to figure things out, why should we be trying very hard to mess with that.


This will vary, depending upon the breed, growth, and any number of other factors, but I learned the hard way not to keep heifers that are too young to breed in with a bull.


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## Cliff (Jun 30, 2007)

Also a young bull will more often breed a very young heifer where lots of times the mature bull will not.

Pulling a calf from a heifer who was bred too early is not a happy experience and you can lose the heifer.


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## fitz (Jan 7, 2010)

I agree with Gale and Cliff. Good luck with them.
fitz


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## gracie88 (May 29, 2007)

> If I'm not mistaken, she shouldn't start to cycle for several more months,


Not necessarily, my Dad's heifer managed to get bred at 10-11 months by my young bull (not our proudest moment ever as cattle owners). We had to pull the calf and it didn't make it, the cow is fine, producing gorgeous calves now, but that was a whole lot of unnecessary trouble that didn't have to happen if we would have been more careful for just a few months in the beginning.


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