# Aggressive bull questions



## bja105 (Aug 25, 2009)

I borrowed the neighbor's young Jersey bull. He doesn't like me, and tells me when I am near him. I got the fence charger fixed, so he respects the fence, now. Instead of leaning against the fence while he bellows and paws at me, he stands a few feet back and bellows and paws.

I have no idea how to act around an untrustworthy bull. 

Do I look him in the eye, or avoid eye contact?

When he walks at me bellowing, do I retreat backing away, or turn my back? Will running away incite a charge?

I obviously won't make him love me, should I make him fear me?

Swinging a fence post around didn't make him walk away, like it does the cows and horses. What about a whip?

The neighbor thinks I should shoot him with a bb gun until he walks away every time. Will it work? 

This bull so far only tolerates my neighbor. He can't stand me, especially near the cows. That is a problem, since my cows are so used to following me into new pasture. Every time I go in or near the pasture, the herd follows me, and the bull has a fit.

We decided that if we can't get him safely loaded to auction when I am done with him, we'll just shoot him and butcher him ourselves. At this point, I hope I get to shoot him.

I don't even know if I am truly in danger. The bull says I am, and I believe him. He never charged anyone, but he did trot after me. 

I thought about a hot shot, but I don't want him close enough to me to use it.


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## TheFarmerMommy (Mar 21, 2014)

I don't know about eye contact, etc. But I would get that thing off my property now. Not after he's done servicing the cows. The fact the neighbor doesn't want him back is telling. Take that bull dead seriously, because you could end up dead otherwise. Jersey Bulls have a reputation for being nasty. An aggressive temperament and small size that allows him to maneuver lightening fast. What type of electric fence is it? I had a borrowed Longhorn bull once that was fine until one day he wasn't. I had coaxed him and the girls waaaaaay the heck out to the other side of the field with feed so I could roll a round bale in. Well, he came flying over & crashed into the other side of the bale. I had a sorting stick, but it was on the ground because I was using both hands to push the 800 pound bale. The fence was an interior fence made of two hot wire strands with those plastic gate handles that have springs in them. They were on the ground behind me. Thank god he charged more or less out excitement at the new hay arriving in the cold and ice. there was no way I could have gotten 6000 volts back between him and me fast enough to save my skin fumbling with that kind of gate handle if he'd really meant it. I called the owner and told him to come get the bull in a trailer the next morning or he could retrieve it out of my freezers.


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## jwal10 (Jun 5, 2010)

Heavy livestock cane, axe handle, heavy stick. Jerseys are the worst. Never try to pet or tap a bull. If it charges hit him hard right on the nose and mean it. Never turn your back, always face him, I do not make eye contact. He has to respect you and that stick, otherwise he is a dead bull....James


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## gone-a-milkin (Mar 4, 2007)

There is a reason for the term "bullying" and you are feeling it firsthand.

While you *may* convince him to fear you with a bb gun,
that is no kind of guarantee.
Bulls will often huff and bellow and paw but then run at the first sting. 
Worth a try, I guess. Just be careful of his eyes and ricochets.

I would try a nice long handled buggy whip if I had one.
That nose sting generally gets their attention.
Waving things around is bluffing.

A hotshot I have had success with. 
I really dislike using it and I wish it was longer handled. 
So far I haven't met a creature yet who doesn't move off from electricity.
But what if it runs out of juice? What if I drop it? what if... ?

If you run he will probably charge, yeah. You might as well assume he will.
He may decide to go beat up something else instead.

That can be helpful to know.
Don't turn your back on him unless you are sure you can outrun him.

My solution in your case is to not go out there unless you are in the truck. 

Don't you dare get hurt. 
At this point it will be your own fault if you do.


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## G. Seddon (May 16, 2005)

Why are you even debating about how to handle this animal? Talk to your neighbor, arrange for a professional to load him up and haul him to the processor! I would stay out of the pasture until he's gone.

http://nature.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag-labor/7article/article29.htm


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## topside1 (Sep 23, 2005)

From the sounds of it you are just entertaining his boring day. Take action soon or the situation will just escalate. I don't recommend the shooting and butchering idea especially with the heat and little experience....all for now, Topside


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## TripleD (Feb 12, 2011)

I bought one from a neighbor a few years ago. He was 5 and wasn't bad loading up. When I got him home and out with the girls he changed fast.

He would charge the tractor every time I brought hay in . One day I dropped the loader bucket down on his head and put him to his knees. He walked to the other side of the pasture. After that day he was the last to come up to feed and he threw beautiful calves for 3 more years.

Just thought of another thing I do. I wont keep a cow that stares at me all the time. If every other ones head is in the feed bunk and one keeps looking at me she's gone to the sale barn.


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## arnie (Apr 26, 2012)

be very careful near that bull as he can easily put you down or cripple you stay armed with something a fighting bull or cow is very dangerious and riskie if he decides to jump the fence of if a wahdering berry picker enters yor pasture you are liable ; if you gotta keep him as a stud bull why not put him in a Small stout Bull pen ; allow the cows in to visit only when they need to , till time to rid yourself of this problem . personaly id get rid of him. our great, friendly ,eat out of my hand bull .fell in love with the neghibors scrubby cattle easyily breaking the fence (even a strong fence is not much to a 1800 pounds of testerone fuled mustle )and the boney scrub neighbor bull barely challenged his take over I led him home once paid a fencer to repair damage and put him in a pasture with our cows with a couple fences and 1/4 mile away only to have him go straight back in a couple days .this time we retrived him with a trailortakeing him to the market I think we were eatng him when we stoped the other day at a bananza steak house for a tough cheep steak (shoulda knew better ). but injury or death is not worth the risk I would cull a rabbit or rooster if they acted aggresivly . a friend worksat the livestock aution barn armed with a juice stick a bull recently destroyed two of there strong wooden gates to gore him on his way by breaking a few ribs . I hope you like nice lean hamburger as that is the best use for him IMHO


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## Agriculture (Jun 8, 2015)

bja105 said:


> I borrowed the neighbor's young Jersey bull. He doesn't like me, and tells me when I am near him. I got the fence charger fixed, so he respects the fence, now. Instead of leaning against the fence while he bellows and paws at me, he stands a few feet back and bellows and paws.
> 
> I have no idea how to act around an untrustworthy bull. *He's reading that loud and clear.*
> 
> ...





> Why are you even debating about how to handle this animal? Talk to your neighbor, arrange for a professional to load him up and haul him to the processor! I would stay out of the pasture until he's gone.
> 
> http://nature.berkeley.edu/ucce50/ag.../article29.htm


This is the best advice. That's a good article for the most part, to read as you learn how to understand the behavior of other animals which are not as dangerous, as they give you the occasional thing to think about. I recommend keeping one of your bull calves and getting to know it as it grows. Make your mistakes when it is small and inexperienced enough to give you bruises and maybe put you in bed for a day, not when it's big enough to put you in the morgue.


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## Ziptie (May 16, 2013)

I read the title and first thing to my mind was...DINNER.:thumb:


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## Bret (Oct 3, 2003)

I don't like hot shots on my animals. I always think that I am in danger. I cannot argue with the cattle pros who have offered the thought-for-food.


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

Years ago I just had to have a real sharp looking angus bull with all the right numbers. He was a high headed mean sucker, but I had to have him. He just looked like a stud! I made the mistake of turning my back on him to move a mineral tub... I woke up in the hospital. I had a broken... (well just about everything it felt like) leg, arm, cheek bone, orbit, ribs.

The hospital bills were more than the value of the calves he made. 

I got out of the hospital, recovered and then sold every calf he made as soon as possible. I did not want his genetics in my herd anywhere.

The rule today, any animal that displays any 'high headed' or aggressive trait is immediately trucked off. NO EXCEPTIONS!

To the OP - Really? you want that bulls genetics in your herd? Think 'er through pard.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

I have never in my life seen an over-aggressive hamburger. 

Even if it throws off your calving schedule, get that bull off your place. 

Maybe he could be turned around and taught some respect for humans but that would be a job for someone with a lot more experience. And brass ones. And a good life insurance policy.


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## gwithrow (Feb 5, 2005)

don't wait ......just adding my two cents...get rid of him yesterday....anyway you can....worse than dying is being paralyzed and messed up for the rest of your life....Jersey bulls are the worst and can NOT be trusted at all....


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## nosqrls (Jun 9, 2012)

Nearby dairy farmer _*Had*_ a holstein bull that cornered him and got him down and stomped him. He was in ICU for 2 weeks, he told his son to put him in the back pasture till he got home. When he got to feeling better, he had him brought up to the pen where he got stomped took his 357 and shot that bull. He said now we are even.


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## Phil V. (May 31, 2013)

Worked for a neighbor that had a bull like that. He got rid of it the same day that I pulled my 12 ga. shotgun out of the truck because injured one of cows.


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## TheFarmerMommy (Mar 21, 2014)

I was just over at the farm of the old man who hauls livestock for me looking at sheep. The topic fell to dangerous animals. He pointed out a hill & how he'd got mangled bad by a bull that had turned suddenly in that spot. Jersey bull.

A friend keeps jersey cows for raw milk shares. He uses AI on them because he doesn't want a jersey bull arpund


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

^^ Yep. Most of the dairymen I know who keep jerseys have all gone to AI. Those jersey bulls can be MEAN.


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## oldasrocks (Oct 27, 2006)

Cut him 3 months before you butcher to make the meat eatable.


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

oldasrocks said:


> Cut him 3 months before you butcher to make the meat eatable.


Old wives tale. Thousands of intact bulls get butchered every day. We are eating bull meat now. We took in a steer and a bull at the same time for processing. In-laws bought the steer, we kept the bull meat. We traded out some hamburger for a taste test, no difference. Now it's harder to get a bull to fatten than a steer, but having hormones doesn't taint the meat.


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## idigbeets (Sep 3, 2011)

^^ agreed we've eaten 30 month old bull before... besides being lean compared to the cows... he was tasty.


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## GaryS61 (Feb 26, 2013)

The worst kind of bull is Jersey. If he is pawing and snorting it is just a matter of time before you are attacked. Turn him into burger, yesterday. Do not think he will get more mellow with age. He will kill you sooner or latter.


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## Jennifer L. (May 10, 2002)

There aren't any aggressive bull questions, only answers: Shoot him or ship him.


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## Wild_Bill (Aug 4, 2014)

I have a jersey steer about a year old. He's in with a Hereford heifer same age. He was always the nicest little steer, but he is getting a bit rambunctious. Heifer must be in heat. Jersey was trying to climb on yesterday, them came at me hard. Glad he's still only about 500lbs. I can still put him in his place lol. Doing chores today he was back to nice as pie! Crazy jerseys.


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## McDsFarm (Dec 21, 2013)

From listening to all the replies I believe its a no-brainer to get rid of it and send his butt to market. We've never had issues with a bull but have with heifers when trying to work with calfs. Even then if we have a crazy momma she is gone once her baby is weaned. I have no time or patience for aggressive livestock. Just not worth the risk of injury.


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## sv.maple (Feb 16, 2014)

Had a hiefer today turn on my 10 yo daughter put head down nand go after her in pasture. Luckly i was there and hollared at her n chased away. Hiefer was goin to be a replacement only 18 mths old never showed any agression before. Heres a pic of her. Not worth the risk!!!!


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## DJ in WA (Jan 28, 2005)

Many say that because Jersey bulls are usually bottle-fed, they see humans as part of their herd. So he sees you as competition for the females, and will fight you like any other bull.

Years ago I got a Jersey bull calf and used him to breed a cow before a year of age. Sold him to a guy and told him to use him quick, then eat him.

I called a year later to see how he did breeding, and the wife said they kept him most of a year, and one day Grandpa got between him and his girls, and the bull attacked him. Were it not for a neighbor who came running, he would be dead. As it was, he spent a few weeks in the hospital.

Anyway, not only stay away from the bull, but stay away from HIS cows.


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## bja105 (Aug 25, 2009)

The bull and I have reached a truce. When he sees me, he goes to the other side of the pasture. In exchange, I don't yell and throw rocks.

My neighbor, the bull's owner, came over to help me water the herd and see what I was talking about. He had never seen him act up. When we started the water, the herd was out of sight, over the hill. Not one to leave well enough alone, he went into the field and baited him to come to us. The bull walked to us bellowing and pawing. The neighbor yelled, hit him in the face with a rock, and ran at him. The bull ran away. He also prevented the herd from coming to see us.

Now, if he mouths off to me, I throw something and yell, he leaves. I can tolerate that for a couple more weeks, until he is gone. I don't need to go in the pasture at all, and if I want to, I know how to get him away from me. He is still a jerk, but he is much farther away.


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

bja105 said:


> The bull and I have reached a truce. When he sees me, he goes to the other side of the pasture. In exchange, I don't yell and throw rocks.
> 
> My neighbor, the bull's owner, came over to help me water the herd and see what I was talking about. He had never seen him act up. When we started the water, the herd was out of sight, over the hill. Not one to leave well enough alone, he went into the field and baited him to come to us. The bull walked to us bellowing and pawing. The neighbor yelled, hit him in the face with a rock, and ran at him. The bull ran away. He also prevented the herd from coming to see us.
> 
> Now, if he mouths off to me, I throw something and yell, he leaves. I can tolerate that for a couple more weeks, until he is gone. I don't need to go in the pasture at all, and if I want to, I know how to get him away from me. He is still a jerk, but he is much farther away.


Congratulations on allowing those genetics into your heard.


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## bja105 (Aug 25, 2009)

GREEN_ALIEN said:


> Congratulations on allowing those genetics into your heard.


In two posts, you made no effort to answer any of the very specific questions I asked.


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## GREEN_ALIEN (Oct 17, 2004)

Your specific questions really did not merit an answer. There is no reason to need to know how to 'act' around an aggressive bull other than the time it takes to load him on a trailer or with lead. 

Truly there is no one correct answer thus most of us told you to get rid of the animal without answering your specific questions. Each animal is unique.

So again, congrats on the genetics.


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## Rosepath (Feb 18, 2011)

" I don't need to go in the pasture at all, and if I want to, I know how to get him away from me. He is still a jerk, but he is much farther away."
That sounds like a plan. Until the day he gets really ticked off at the rock thing, and then you'd be amazed how fast a really angry bull can cover ground. There will be no "getting him away from you" and I hope you're a track star. With paid-up health insurance/funeral expenses. 
No one here is trying to ruin your set-up, but having that kind of bull around for any length of time is asking for disaster. Please listen to those who have lots of experience around cattle, who are telling you for your own safety, don't underestimate the killer instinct in a male animal. 


Like


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## TedH71 (Jan 19, 2003)

You need to get cur dogs. They will make sure the bull don't touch you ever.


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## farmgirl6 (May 20, 2011)

My bull is well behaved but I always have a buggy whip, my bulls always wear a ring, and i always have a good farm fearless farm dog


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## hiddensprings (Aug 6, 2009)

I've always been very careful around bulls, they scare me to be honest. We had one a few years ago that was respectful of my husband and was aggressive with me. he got out one day while hubby was away and I went out to get him back in the pasture. he charged me torn down a tree trying to get me, scared the crap out of me, so I got away from him, got on my UTV, chased the %[email protected](#*&%[email protected])* around out 100 acres until he could barely walk. (ya really don't want to make me mad. lol) Got him back in the pasture and he was loaded up the next morning and taken to the sale.


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## Wilbah (Jul 15, 2015)

bja105 said:


> In two posts, you made no effort to answer any of the very specific questions I asked.


I think the point (that quite a few of the posters made) is that being safe with this specific bull is only one part of the problem you face. The second problem is that this bull has certain genetics that are/will be passed into your herd. And that poses a danger beyond when this specific bull is gone.


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## Lots2Learn (Jan 17, 2012)

Just a thought, because I'm surely no expert, but was wondering if pepper spray might deter a bull long enough to perform an escape. I believe they advise hikers at Yellowstone to carry them in case a Grizzly gets hungry.


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## Agriculture (Jun 8, 2015)

Genetics in this case is only a small part of the equation. Jersies, all dairy breeds really, have been selected for generations in part for temperament, as no one is going to keep a potentially dangerous animal in a dairy herd that needs to be worked closely. The issue is that aggression is just part of the nature of cattle. It is simply how they relate to one another. If it were a simple question of genetics aggression would have been bred out long ago, but it keeps popping up because it is just part of what cattle are.

Pepper spray? Really? That's great until the day that you forget it, or drop it when he charges you, your aim is off, the repellant has leaked out or when it just doesn't bother an enraged bull at all.


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## IloveHazel (Jul 16, 2014)

if he were my bull i would probably start carrying a club...:bdh:


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## MO_cows (Aug 14, 2010)

Agriculture said:


> Genetics in this case is only a small part of the equation. Jersies, all dairy breeds really, have been selected for generations in part for temperament, as no one is going to keep a potentially dangerous animal in a dairy herd that needs to be worked closely. The issue is that aggression is just part of the nature of cattle. It is simply how they relate to one another. If it were a simple question of genetics aggression would have been bred out long ago, but it keeps popping up because it is just part of what cattle are.
> 
> Pepper spray? Really? That's great until the day that you forget it, or drop it when he charges you, your aim is off, the repellant has leaked out or when it just doesn't bother an enraged bull at all.


I think aggression shows up in dairy bulls so often because they are bottle raised and don't get that herd discipline. The other cows and the herd bull knock the snot out of a "herd calf" if they don't show the proper respect, and that is missing with a bottle raised calf who only interacts with humans and other similar age calves at that critical age when they start feeling their oats. Ideally they learn their place in the herd, and also that humans are at the top of the order. 

Don't even think about pepper spraying a bull!


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## Agriculture (Jun 8, 2015)

MO_cows said:


> I think aggression shows up in dairy bulls so often because they are bottle raised and don't get that herd discipline. The other cows and the herd bull knock the snot out of a "herd calf" if they don't show the proper respect, and that is missing with a bottle raised calf who only interacts with humans and other similar age calves at that critical age when they start feeling their oats. Ideally they learn their place in the herd, and also that humans are at the top of the order.
> 
> Don't even think about pepper spraying a bull!


Very good point. It seldom happens with with oxen (although I have seen it), almost all of which were bottle fed as calves, because they receive excellent appropriate discipline by the teamsters, who often are the ultimate if not the last animal behaviorists left among nonprofessionals today. I don't know why stallions and camel bulls all seem to become mental when bottle fed as babies, since there are are so many knowledgeable people who work with them. Cervids, definately, since no one works with them one on one, except reindeer, but their bottle fed bulls also turn out bad even when raised by people who know what they're doing. A high percentage of bottle fed cats and hand fed parrots of either sex turn out with horrible temperaments, but does anyone ever learn to understand either of their behaviors? The only exception that I can think of are dogs. Many bottle fed puppies turn out perfectly well. I'm guessing that has more to do with their ability to relate to us (and often a theory as to why they chose domestication) as it does any general human ability to shape and appropriately correct canine behavior, since the average pet owner is utterly clueless about it.


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

Agriculture said:


> Very good point. It seldom happens with with oxen (although I have seen it), almost all of which were bottle fed as calves, because they receive excellent appropriate discipline by the teamsters, who often are the ultimate if not the last animal behaviorists left among nonprofessionals today. I don't know why stallions and camel bulls all seem to become mental when bottle fed as babies, since there are are so many knowledgeable people who work with them. Cervids, definately, since no one works with them one on one, except reindeer, but their bottle fed bulls also turn out bad even when raised by people who know what they're doing. A high percentage of bottle fed cats and hand fed parrots of either sex turn out with horrible temperaments, but does anyone ever learn to understand either of their behaviors? The only exception that I can think of are dogs. Many bottle fed puppies turn out perfectly well. I'm guessing that has more to do with their ability to relate to us (and often a theory as to why they chose domestication) as it does any general human ability to shape and appropriately correct canine behavior, since the average pet owner is utterly clueless about it.


I can only speak for cattle, bison and equines but the behavioral problems are usually created by the handler. 

Many seem to find young stock too cute to discipline and by the time they realize there is a problem, the cute little baby has grown into a monster with no respect for humans.

I believe the teamsters take a much different approach to discipline right from the beginning because they understand that a large working animal with bad manners will be a problem.


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## TheFarmerMommy (Mar 21, 2014)

I agree. The most dangerous horses I've ever met were drafts that had been orphaned. Handlers had felt sorry for them.


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## pitbulllover123 (Nov 5, 2014)

I have been riding my friends arabs ever sense i was 14 and i would have to go through a whole herd of 25 cows and 1 bull to get the horses I normally rode in the pasture with the cows or on the road which ever i decided. i worked with my friends cows sense i was 14 her herd consist's of holstiens and angus i think she has a couple of jersey heifers and i would say the jerseys make horriable mothers. 

But I remember the angus bull when he was only 8 months of age he was huge at that age. now he is 2 almost 3 years old at 2,500lbs he is the most tamest bull he will lay down for belly rubs when you come near him he is a strange bull and he was not bottle raised he was raised with a herd he loves his ears scratched i were to say how tall he was he is taller then i am and got very good muscle I am going to try and get a photo of him. 

i call him bigboy he is so gentle but when he wants to be left alone he won't come up to greet me so i leave him be as he is having not a good day so i don't push it I just get my horse and leave. he has also protected me from the stupid neighbors dog who was trying to bite me i think he was protecting his herd but he also sensed i was in danger so he chased the dog off. I normally carry a cow prong with me just in case but me and him grew up together with me hand feeding him as a young bull but he still has his off days. 




But i think if you can not go in to a pasture without having a bull act like he is going to charge you then i would kill him and not breed your girls with him his babies will act the same way. i don't like jersey bulls never had good luck with there moods.


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