# What bull breeds have good temperament?



## forester7 (Feb 1, 2018)

Hello. I currently have a small beef farm. I have a barn with 8 tie-stalls and a calving pen. I currently have few head of cattle that I pasture with a family member's bull. However, the family member is quitting farming, so I am looking at getting my own bull. I MUST have a bull with very good temperament that will be easy to handle, collar, and keep chained to a tie stall. Although I currently have some Charolais and jersey crosses, I may phase them out. 

I am interested primarily in beef, but might milk one cow and I like a cow that produces a good amount of milk for a calf anyway. Firstly, I am thinking of going either lowline angus or Dexter. I like Highland for the lean beef, but I hate the look and the long hair! Are there any other breeds I should consider? I might even go with some dexters and some lowlines, but I am wondering if I do, which I should choose for a bull? I suspect a dexter bull would handle easier, but do lowlines produce good volumes of milk? Any thoughts?


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

All of them, until the day they don't.


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## barnbilder (Jul 1, 2005)

Never had any problems out of one that was swimming in nitrogen.


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## genebo (Sep 12, 2004)

Original type Dexters are the gentlest mannered bulls. Jerseys are the meanest. All dairy breeds are known for being mean. Angus and Hereford were known to be gentle back in the mid 1900's, but since that time have been bred for increased beef production while disregarding temperament. The result is an ill-tempered breed.
Work is beginning to be done to pay closer attention to the temperament of all beef cattle. It has developed into a problem. People are now raising what they call Aberdeen Angus, which is what was raised back in the 1950's, but was lost in the intervening years. They are paying attention to temperament in their breeding.
Modern Angus blood has infiltrated every other type of beef cattle being marketing today. With the exception of pedigreed Angus herds, they are all a mish-mash of mixed breeds. Even the beefiest polled Dexters have some of the same blood.
Good luck finding what you want.
The old line Dexters are true dual purpose animals, meaning they would disappoint a beef cattleman or a dairyman, but are ideal for a family farmer. They are the ones that earned the Dexter the name of being the gentlest breed.
Dual purpose Dexters are marketed as Traditional Dexters.
Lowline Angus are not genetically different from their larger counterparts. They are not a separate breed. They were selected over many, many years for their size, without introducing any other breeds, so they are still Angus. Just small ones.


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## oregon woodsmok (Dec 19, 2010)

They are all dangerous. For a few head, it is much less expensive to use artificial insemination than it is to feed and support a bull 365 days a year. As long as you don't want to breed show cattle, semen from good bulls is cheap and you can have the insemination done by a technican who is alot cheaper than a vet.


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## Hiro (Feb 14, 2016)

genebo said:


> Original type Dexters are the gentlest mannered bulls. Jerseys are the meanest. All dairy breeds are known for being mean. Angus and Hereford were known to be gentle back in the mid 1900's, but since that time have been bred for increased beef production while disregarding temperament. The result is an ill-tempered breed.
> Work is beginning to be done to pay closer attention to the temperament of all beef cattle. It has developed into a problem. People are now raising what they call Aberdeen Angus, which is what was raised back in the 1950's, but was lost in the intervening years. They are paying attention to temperament in their breeding.
> Modern Angus blood has infiltrated every other type of beef cattle being marketing today. With the exception of pedigreed Angus herds, they are all a mish-mash of mixed breeds. Even the beefiest polled Dexters have some of the same blood.
> Good luck finding what you want.
> ...


From anecdotal observation, all dairy breed bulls that I have been around are just unpleasant to work with. But, every animal is different and every animal can be dangerous given the right circumstances.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

forester7, 

Tie stall -- do you intend to keep the animal confined to this all day/all night? I cannot imagine.


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## Ronney (Nov 26, 2004)

forester7, where abouts are you because I made the same observation as G. Seddon? While many in the States do have to barn their cattle over winter, most have them on grass over the better months of the year. I can graze mine 12/12 but recognise that it is not doable for everybody. You make it appear that yours are stalled all the time? 

As for bull breed, that is really like asking how long is a piece of string. I've run Jersey, Friesian, Hereford, Angus and never had a problem with any of them - some of it is up to temperament, some of it is up to how you handle them. When I made the decision to move into beef I opted for the Angus and have had no cause to regret it. Having said that, I live in New Zealand and suspect the Angus hasn't been subject to the breeding that the American Angus has and temperament has always been a big factor in breeding in this country. 

So ...... given your circumstances, I might opt for the Lowline as genebo suggests. And don't be too quick to get rid of your Jerseys either - the Angus/Lowline x Jersey can make for an excellent animal and quite a few of my breeding cows are 50/50. 

Cheers,
Ronnie


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## forester7 (Feb 1, 2018)

I live in New Brunswick, Canada. Our spring and fall is extremely wet. Our winters are brutal. We get piles of snow and windchills as low as -40 degrees! I remember one particular storm where we got 6 feet of snow which shut everything down for 1 week! So, yes... my cattle are tie-stalled for about 6.5 months when there is no grass or dry ground. Most beef farmers in these parts actually used to use stanchions and many still do! It would be great to have the cattle roaming pasture year round, but I simply don't have that luxury.

As for AI... my cattle are pastured on a property away form my house & barn, so even if I was lucky enough to see them in heat, getting them to a barn for AI would be problematic.

So no, I don't have an ideal situation, but I grew up with cattle and enjoy farming, so I am trying to find options that would work best, even if not ideal!


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## Micheal (Jan 28, 2009)

Back when I raised beefers, I chose the Shorthorn breed. There is also a "Milking Shorthorn" if so looking for milk production. 
I ran 12 cows and kept one bull with them. They were gentle, produced smaller sized calves, and finished off well on grass. In fact my dairy farm neighbor for years borrowed my bull to breed his heifers because of the ease of calving.... 

On a side note, my beefers were outside year round, having a 24x24 pole barn for shelter which they themselves used only during bad storms and some times during the summer because of the flies/flying bugs; other then that they were free ranged. I did grain them once a day only so they would follow the grain bucket as I used an electric fence during the summer and getting them trained to follow the bucket proved an easy way to move them from one spot to another.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

forester7, have you thought about Highland Cattle or (domestic) Yaks? I'm serious. Please Google them.


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## forester7 (Feb 1, 2018)

I have thought of highlands, but as mentioned in my original post, although I like the leaner meat they produce, I hate the look of them and the long hair! Are their bulls of good temperament?


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## 101pigs (Sep 18, 2018)

forester7 said:


> I have thought of highlands, but as mentioned in my original post, although I like the leaner meat they produce, I hate the look of them and the long hair! Are their bulls of good temperament?


Hereford and Charolais. Hereford crossed with Charolais Bull makes for a very fast growning calf. 35 lbs. heavier when born and gain weight a lost faster. At 18 mos. i get about 25 bucks for for them then the stright breeds. I do raise both as they do well and get very good price for them. I have a good market for all of the butchered youong stock. Got a waiting time of 3 mos. for my pigs and beef.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

forester7, from your replies, I gather you are looking at this from the standpoint of what benefits you. I, on the other hand, am looking at it from the standpoint of what's best for the animals. We are probably miles apart. But that won't be the first time for me.


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## forester7 (Feb 1, 2018)

G. Seddon: I do understand where you are coming from, but even if -40 degrees is more comfortable for a highlander than being collared in a barn, I can't imagine being up over his knees in mud being any better for anyone. I have a "neighbor" about 4 miles away that has a few highlanders and he winters his in his barn also. Most dairy farmers in this region don't even put their cattle out in the summer. There are a small percentage of beef farmers in this region who leave their cattle outdoors in the winter, but even they keep their pregnant cows in a barn over the winter. Farming has to look different in different regions.


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## gwithrow (Feb 5, 2005)

It is possible to do AI without having to catch them in heat. Find a person proficient in doing AI and they can set the cows up so that they will all cycle at the same time and then that person will come back to do the actual AI. 

it can help you have a controlled calving season without having to keep and maintain a bull. 

my two cents: it’s one thing to keep animals inside a barn for harsh weather. It’s another to keep them in where they can’t even walk around. I have never cared much about what everyone else does. I always try to offer my animals the best that I can.


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## forester7 (Feb 1, 2018)

Wow. This thread has really morphed into something different than I first intended! Referring to what is "best" for the animals is a slippery slope! It could be argued that anyone with a pet or domesticated animal is not truly out for what is best for the animal. Wouldn't running free in the wild be "best" for any animal? What about people who keep fish in a bowl, ride on the backs of horses, race horses, chain or leash dogs, confine cats to a house? And of course I could go on! I believe I AM trying to provide the best for my animals under the restraints I am operating under, and I would like to see someone visit my farm and convince me otherwise. I do not have a free-style barn, and could not be converted. It would not be practical to doze my existing barn and build something different. My tie stalls at least allow my cattle a significant amount of movement, and is a far better than the stanchion operations that most beef farmers employ in this region. My cattle do not have to lay or wade through their own feces as free-stall cattle do, and at least mine do get to enjoy the 6 months of pasture season that we do get here, which is more than dairy farms where cattle never see the outside of a barn.

Again, this may be hard to understand for someone living in fairer climates, but I am a bit taken back by this response as no one from this region aside from die-hard animal rights activists would ever suggest I am doing anything short of taking the best care of my animals.


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## Gravytrain (Mar 2, 2013)

We get 200-400 inches (15-30 feet) of snow every winter. While -40 F is rare here, it does happen. -10 to -20 F is common. My cattle are on pasture 365 days/ year and are grazing in the winter...sometimes when the snow is a couple feet deep. I used to give them access to the barn during storms, but they did not want to be in the barn. My bulls are with the cows all year long. They are happier and healthier that way. Bulls get ornery when they can't be with the herd. 

You asked which bull breed has a good temperament. None that are chained to a tie stall will have a good temperament...Would you?


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

I wouldn't even attempt to stall a bull. And like the other said, the temperament of a bull is more dependent upon the individual rather than the breed. We had angus. My first bull was born on the farm. Did the job one year and he seemed like such a nice guy UNTIL he chased me. I was lucky to get away. He was on the trailer to the sale barn the next day. The 2nd bull was purchased at an auction. He was fairly easy-going but I never turned my back on him. You can do AI without having to "catch" your girls in heat. Before we purchased a bull, we did AI. My vet gave me the shots to get them in cycle and he came out and did the deed. Other then having to run the girls through the head-catch twice for the shots and then again for him to inseminate, it was a rather easy process.


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## forester7 (Feb 1, 2018)

Hiddensprings: Thank you for your thoughts. Did you always get 100% success rate with AI that way? Is it hard on the animals messing with their biological system that way? I think I will look into that some more.

I will not comment further to the humanness of tying an animal, but as for bull temperament being tied... I can comment from experience... my father has kept around 10 different beef bulls of various breeds over the past 30 years. They were always overwintered in a stanchion. He has never once had a bull show ANY sign of aggression...EVER! I find that quite impressive. I used to have a garden on the other side of his pasture and would be with the bull many dozens of times each year, often with my young children and I never felt uneasy. If anything, i think it could be argued that tying may make bulls less aggressive, but I have nothing to compare it with.

I am not worried about tying making them cranky, but if I am going to be wrapping my arms around their neck to put a collar on (risky enough as is), I want to make sure I have one of the most gentle breeds, which will not be offended when I get that up-close and personal!


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

I know you don't like the long hair in the Highlands but if you're in an area that receives much snow fall, all of that long hair will keep the cattle warmer won't it?


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## Paulag (Jun 5, 2020)

There are large differences in disposition between individual animals in any breed. In general however I think good disposition is more prevalent in Herefords than some other breeds. That is one of the key reasons my long time cattleman neighbor got me started in them.
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## Splattered-With-Ink (Jun 16, 2020)

forester7 said:


> Hello. I currently have a small beef farm. I have a barn with 8 tie-stalls and a calving pen. I currently have few head of cattle that I pasture with a family member's bull. However, the family member is quitting farming, so I am looking at getting my own bull. I MUST have a bull with very good temperament that will be easy to handle, collar, and keep chained to a tie stall. Although I currently have some Charolais and jersey crosses, I may phase them out.
> 
> I am interested primarily in beef, but might milk one cow and I like a cow that produces a good amount of milk for a calf anyway. Firstly, I am thinking of going either lowline angus or Dexter. I like Highland for the lean beef, but I hate the look and the long hair! Are there any other breeds I should consider? I might even go with some dexters and some lowlines, but I am wondering if I do, which I should choose for a bull? I suspect a dexter bull would handle easier, but do lowlines produce good volumes of milk? Any thoughts?


Beefmasters are supposed to have decent temperaments (Disposition IS one of the traits the breed has been selected for), but given how they're half Brahman.... Yeah, they probably wouldn't be "right at home" in snowy New Brunswick. 

Frankly, you would probably be happier doing AI or just renting a bull during the time of year that you want your cows bred.


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

There's no question AI is a godsend. But I also wonder if it's lead to the degradation of temperament when it's not as much of a factor as bloodline, milk production, etc. Especially when it seems like only a few bulls/ lines are used for AI (relative to population). Just musing.


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## IndyDave (Jul 17, 2017)

My thoughts, as I contemplate buying my Jersey cow a boyfriend....

Jersey bulls have a really bad rep on average for meanness.

I learned in my youth from a nearby farmer that a bull with a good temperament will do well adjusting the attitudes of up and coming bull or steer calves such as to impart a good temperament. My understanding of this is further reinforced by my recollection of an ill-behaved African elephant herd full of bulls in the elephant equivalent of adolescence which was corrected with the introduction of several older bull elephants.

If I ever find this mythical AI person, I will make a point of grabbing the leprechaun sitting next to him.

That said, my intention is to employ my standard procedure for selecting animals--visit and buy one that connects with me personally--and I don't mean with his horns!


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## altair (Jul 23, 2011)

I agree raised in a setting where a calf (or any other animal) can be put in its place by its mother, father, other pack/herd mates is a boon.


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