Bull Breeding Advise

[kobo_ranch]

In you guys opinions... if you have a nice 5 year old bull how many cows on average should that bull be able to handle (and breed successfully) in say 90 days? 
I think I have a good idea but just would appreciate some feedback. 

 

[kfacres]

as many as you have...

 

[nate53]

Really depends on how sound he is and how he was raised.

But a good 5 year old that is in good condition should be able to cover 50 head no problem, we do it year after year with our falls.  We've had as many as 70 out with a bull for that time period (it's been several years ago) with great results but that takes an exceptional breeder - but even then (these days) it seems like a lot to gamble with on so many head.   Need to semen check for sure - you don't need a bunch of opens.  

We've been putting our springs in groups of 30 or so for the past few years for the first sixty days and then combining the groups for the last 30 and pulling a bull out.  That way hopefully more will be bred in the first 30 instead of the last 30 days.  If you are unsure or if he is a new bull (to you) I would lean towards the 30-40 range.  IMO

 

[dimebag]

30-40 females

 

[CAB]

This question & the answers always gets under my skin a little. Not @ anyone here but the thing is, if you ask this question to an "expert", they'll almost always answer the same #, 20 to 25 head/ bull. This makes absolutely no sense to me. They never ask about location of the herd and how many acres per cow or anything. To me a bull in NE Missouri with pasture requirement per head of 3 acres can sure handle quite a few more cows than a bull in the middle of NM with pasture requirements of 60 acres per cow. So IMO we would need to know more about where and how you are going to be breeding your cow herd to make any recommendations that make any sense.

 

[kobo_ranch]

This question & the answers always gets under my skin a little. Not @ anyone here but the thing is, if you ask this question to an "expert", they'll almost always answer the same #, 20 to 25 head/ bull. This makes absolutely no sense to me. They never ask about location of the herd and how many acres per cow or anything. To me a bull in NE Missouri with pasture requirement per head of 3 acres can sure handle quite a few more cows than a bull in the middle of NM with pasture requirements of 60 acres per cow. So IMO we would need to know more about where and how you are going to be breeding your cow herd to make any recommendations that make any sense.

This bull we leased about 60 days ago, we put on about 20 young cows (2nd calve)  then this week we've put him on about 36 older cows.  The young cows we had in about a 300 acre pasture, good water good hay.  We're in Central TX.  Feed some cottonseed and rotate some with cubes (limited).  Pastures a little rough due to drought (but better than most around these parts)  some grass with recent rains.

The cows are in our 500 acre pasture.  The bull though we have now found out really didn't service many cows in his past.  Maybe 5-10 per season.  He's a good looking thing.  He seems very aggressive but while watching him he doesn't seem to be 'getting it in there' so to speak, or staying up there long enough.  IDK been watching him the past two afternoons. 
We had some bad luck with another bull last year we bought from a very reputable South TX breeder... got one calf out of him! Has but us way behind now this year.  Had to return him for our money back.  Now this.  Hoping this guy is getting it done and maybe just has had a couple 'off days'.  Those first group of cows we should know if he got em real soon.
Now I wish we'd of just AI'd like I wanted to.  Then use our clean up bull.

 

[husker1]

Again, lots of variables come into play here....

But I'd certainly think a good, sound 5 year old could breed 35 plus cows in a 45 day breeding period.  By stretching that period to 90 days, he surely could get significantly more than that even.

 

[nate53]

This question & the answers always gets under my skin a little. Not @ anyone here but the thing is, if you ask this question to an "expert", they'll almost always answer the same #, 20 to 25 head/ bull. This makes absolutely no sense to me. They never ask about location of the herd and how many acres per cow or anything. To me a bull in NE Missouri with pasture requirement per head of 3 acres can sure handle quite a few more cows than a bull in the middle of NM with pasture requirements of 60 acres per cow. So IMO we would need to know more about where and how you are going to be breeding your cow herd to make any recommendations that make any sense.

This bull we leased about 60 days ago, we put on about 20 young cows (2nd calve)  then this week we've put him on about 36 older cows.  The young cows we had in about a 300 acre pasture, good water good hay.  We're in Central TX.  Feed some cottonseed and rotate some with cubes (limited).  Pastures a little rough due to drought (but better than most around these parts)  some grass with recent rains.

The cows are in our 500 acre pasture.  The bull though we have now found out really didn't service many cows in his past.  Maybe 5-10 per season.  He's a good looking thing.  He seems very aggressive but while watching him he doesn't seem to be 'getting it in there' so to speak, or staying up there long enough.  IDK been watching him the past two afternoons. 
We had some bad luck with another bull last year we bought from a very reputable South TX breeder... got one calf out of him! Has but us way behind now this year.  Had to return him for our money back.  Now this.  Hoping this guy is getting it done and maybe just has had a couple 'off days'.  Those first group of cows we should know if he got em real soon.
Now I wish we'd of just AI'd like I wanted to.  Then use our clean up bull.

300-500 acre pasture (wow) that changes things, here for us we got 20 acre pastures for the most part (the big ones are 60).  Do the cows stick together or go off in groups?  So your one bull might not even see all the cows for days at a time?  This does not sound like a good breeding scenario, I am not from Texas and am going to cancel myself out of this thread for lack of experience in this area.  I guess I should have looked where you were from before posting.

 

[CAB]

This question & the answers always gets under my skin a little. Not @ anyone here but the thing is, if you ask this question to an "expert", they'll almost always answer the same #, 20 to 25 head/ bull. This makes absolutely no sense to me. They never ask about location of the herd and how many acres per cow or anything. To me a bull in NE Missouri with pasture requirement per head of 3 acres can sure handle quite a few more cows than a bull in the middle of NM with pasture requirements of 60 acres per cow. So IMO we would need to know more about where and how you are going to be breeding your cow herd to make any recommendations that make any sense.

This bull we leased about 60 days ago, we put on about 20 young cows (2nd calve)  then this week we've put him on about 36 older cows.  The young cows we had in about a 300 acre pasture, good water good hay.  We're in Central TX.  Feed some cottonseed and rotate some with cubes (limited).  Pastures a little rough due to drought (but better than most around these parts)  some grass with recent rains.

The cows are in our 500 acre pasture.  The bull though we have now found out really didn't service many cows in his past.  Maybe 5-10 per season.  He's a good looking thing.  He seems very aggressive but while watching him he doesn't seem to be 'getting it in there' so to speak, or staying up there long enough.  IDK been watching him the past two afternoons. 
We had some bad luck with another bull last year we bought from a very reputable South TX breeder... got one calf out of him! Has but us way behind now this year.  Had to return him for our money back.  Now this.  Hoping this guy is getting it done and maybe just has had a couple 'off days'.  Those first group of cows we should know if he got em real soon.
Now I wish we'd of just AI'd like I wanted to.  Then use our clean up bull.

I don't know what to tell you, but some of these clubbie bred bulls do have a hard time hitting the mark and if they are use to being collected that can make them  a little lazier too. The bull studs are having to get mini Hereford steers for dumbies just so these smaller framed bulls can even be collected. It's not that uncommon for a bull to jump a cow numerous times B4 he gets the job done either. I guess my advice is to spend as much time as you can watching the process and go from there. How much of a break did the bull get between groups again? Also watch the first group well to see if you have very many recycles. Are running your own clean up bull with them now?

 

[chambero]

50 head in your country.  In a good year, maybe a few more than that - but not with our conditions this year.  We are having trouble with conception this fall/winter up in our part of the world.  Mommas are giving everything they can take in to their babies.  Nothing to do with the bull, but keep feeding those cows heavy till hopefully you get some real grass up in March.

 

[kobo_ranch]

The cows pretty much do stick together within reasonable proxicimity anyway... these three yesterday were begging him for it all afternoon. Never did see him get it totally 'in there' during that 3 hours.  One for sure was standing heat. 
We run alot of dorper sheep also so rotate everything.. (large pastures)  Sheep pay for the cows.