My bull has strayed

[Joe Boy]

For the last 10 days we have looked for our Maine herd bull and he is our main bull.  He has never been out in 4 years and one day comes up missing.  None of the neighbors have seen him.  Our old bull was wide and deep but not tall.  He was very easy calving.

Looks like I will be having to buy a bull for clean up between now and December.  He must be heifer friendly, polled, black, Maine with milk and growth in him and a great disposition.  I want him to be heavy muscled, 60-66 inches tall at maturity, with great feet and legs with plenty of milk.....  if you hear of anything, looks like I will need a replacement.....  Thanks....

 

[jason]

Well dont have a lead on a replacement, but I wish you good luck and maybe he will turn up.

 

[red]

So sorry Joe! Are you thinking bull-napping?

Red

 

[DL]

Joe Boy - can't help you out I am afraind, but have you considered that maybe he is being reincarnated someplace as Legacy Plus?

Can the TSCRA help you out? Do you think he was stolen?

 

[blackwellfarms]

Sorry to hear about the bull walking off.  Maybe be like my friends bull, looked all over and asked everyone, then about two weeks one guy said he "found" him after all his cows were bred and asked if he could stay a little longer just in case. 

I just sent you a message on a Maine bull that I have for sale.  If you do not get it write back here.

 

[knabe]

hmmm

implantable chip, too bad it's subscription based, as most new marketing, non-content owning schemes are, of which movies and tv shows will be.
bracelet type varieties available for $400 bucks, but again, with subscrition modes.

http://www.adsx.com/pressreleases/2007/2007-09-20-V.html

interesting quote

"There will be a short window where the bad guys aren't aware of the technology, but then it will be routine for them to dig around in their victims to see if they're wearing GPS receivers," said Weinstein. "The overriding issue is do you create a bigger danger to the person than existed in the first place?"

 

[farmboy]

our bull goes over to the neiborhs pasture and catches his cows, he doesnt mind and we have no use for him right now so its all good, he always comes back though, srry bout ur bull, he may comeback

 

[Gypsy]

Joe Boy -

Sorry about your bull, I hope that he turns up.  We lost 15 calves to "cattle rustlers" this spring.  It did not make me very happy to say the least. 

If I remember right, you are in Texas?  If your bull turns up be sure to trich test him before you use him on your cows.  And be sure to wait two weeks after his return before you test him.  I know lots and lots about Trichomoniasis, and I learned it all the hard way. 

Good luck.

 

[Joe Boy]

I have tried to track him but today I found where he had tried to come back and got tangled in the fence.  He has got to be at a neighbors, but if he is hurt, it could be hard to help him, since I have not been allowed to go in and look.  The fellow whose cows, (show hereford cattle), have been out on another neighbors milo crop for the last month, told me he would look for him when he gets through planting milo.  I promise you he is better than any bull they have.  Since his kids graduated and left the country he has put an Angus bull in with them but he does not have any rear end to him.  I have taken my field glasses and looked every day at the cattle, but most of the pastures are covered with mesquite and you cannot see through them.  My bull has been on this place for 4 years and is short (54 inches), about a yard wide on his top and a yard deep, gentle, with scurs and is a grand son of Limited Edition.  His calves are small and grow a little too slow for me, but when they are yearlings and two year olds they are tough.  I am calving out seven two year olds right now.  My blue roan is out of him....actually have three blue roans.  The other two I will breed in December.

It would be easy for someone to load and sell him, as he is broke to lead.  One cowboy whose cattle have been out across the road from me shipped a truck load this week.  He did not tell me, but the person who weighed the truck did.  Any bull will bring $1000 at the auction if he weighs right.  So this will be a test of someone's integrity..... It is also the first time he has ever gotten out.  Right now the wild hogs and deer make it hard to keep electric fences up.  When dove season started they started moving around because of all the shooting.  A neighbor just a half mile south of me had a bull to disappear last year and he never showed up.  I have sent out fliers and even letters to the local auction barns by fax.  I also have an ad in the newspaper.

Thanks for all the encouragement....  could you send rain too.....

Gypsy, I have never had my bull with any cattle but mine and he was bought as a young pup.  Tell me more.  Do I need to have him tested? 

I also bought me a new Toyota Tundra and love it.  I hauled my 20 foot gooseneck tailer and 14 yearling heifers weighing 780 average to the vet for all current shots and check ups, @ 70 mph.  It is supposed to be a half ton but is as powerful as anything but a diesel and will out run most.  We will have to see what it is like in 5 years.  I do not like the single cab due to not having a 4 foot arm to reach the open door, so I got a double cab long bed.  I think the bed is too deep unless you are a professional basketball player and I am 6 foot plus.  The bed is larger than what grain trucks were when I was a boy...ha....  The seat needs to be lower so I don't bump my head, but I cannot wear a cowboy had in any pickup made today without bumping it on the ceiling...... so far I love it... rides like a car...

Thanks again.

 

[Show Dad]

JB - I hate to here that your bull is MIA. Not a fun time.

A friend had his Limosine bull get in with the neighbors Herefords (not well managed) and actually kill the Hereford bull. Besides giving some of the best looking calves this guy had ever had, he had to pay for a new bull too. But he got his bull back.

Congrats on the new truck. I have been wondering about those Toyota pickups. It will be interesting how it does over the next 5 years. Interesting thing, this spring I was helping a customer set up his display at the 3-I show and Toyota was setting up their "challenge" booth when I noticed they didn't use any of their own trucks to haul the stuff around from show to show. They used all Dodge trucks. I asked one of their staff why and was told I wasn't suppose to see that. I wish I had snapped a picture.

 

[afhm]

I have never needed or asked permission to go on a neighbor's place to look for any of our cows/bulls that may have been over there.  I have always thought that being good neighbors meant if your animals went next door you went and got them asap and fixed the fence.  If you are worried about  going over there or don't want to take a chance on upsetting the guy  join the TSCRA if you aren't a memeber already and the local rep will go in and look for you.  They don't need permission.  Good luck.

 

[afhm]

Forgot to mention if he and the rest of your cows aren't branded it will be hard for the TSCRA to id them.  Ear tags can be cut out and changed so they won't work and tatoos aren't read or checked at sale barns.

 

[Joe Boy]

My bull has my flying "W" brand on his left hip. 

I think the reason he did not want me on his place is he has totally left his cows alone this year and I know some died.  He has lots of trouble with others since he does not mend fences too well.  He used to let me but this time his instruction were, "I will check it out when I finish wheat planting."  I think he meant that just that way.  The other people have not gotten their cattle out of his place either and were told the same thing.  When he pens them he will call. 

I saw a funny thing yesterday.  A guy was dragging a large trailer with "Chevy Racing" all over it.  I got the idea that it contained a Chevy race car, and it was being hauled around by a Dodge diesel.  Go figure!!!!

 

[Gypsy]

Joe Boy -

I know lots about Trich because a neighbor of mine several years ago leased a Longhorn bull to run on his replacement heifers.  The Longhorn bull jumped into a large pasture that I was running recip cows in with cleanup bulls in May or June, I forget now.  The Longhorn infected several cows in just a couple of days before the neighbor came and got him out.  We didn't know that the Longhorn bull had trich until the following February when I tested 25 yearling and two year old bulls for my bull sale (they were all clean) and at the same time tested my older herd bulls (both fertility and trich) in preparation for the upcoming breeding season.  I had two bulls show up positive for Trichomoniasis Foetus.  I had to send two really, really, nice Cunia sons to the packer.  :'(  The neighbor probably found he had the problem at fall preg check on his heifers and just didn't think there was any reason to let me know.  Knowing would have saved me those two bulls and thousands of dollars because of a delay in my bull sale.  That is not even including the loss in the calf crop.  I heard that that Longhorn bull was leased out of West Texas.  Our state several years ago had a large problem with Trich that came from Colorado because NM did not have Trich regulations in place so bulls from Colorado and other states could sell into NM without a Trich test.  NOW we have regulations prohibiting the sale in and into NM without a current test.  Hurray.

I have had three  neighboring bulls come visit in the last several weeks.  I get them up (pronto) to the pens, and onto the vet for a test and THEN back to the neighbor.  No exceptions.  If one of my animals were to visit a neighbor I would quarantine for two weeks and then test them.  I would insist on the PCR test not the culture test.  PCR is very accurate and can differentiate between Trichomoniasis Foetus (venereal disease), and Trichomoniasis Intestinalis (harmless) the culture test cannot.  I have gotten the results of the first of the three tests back and it was negative and I really expect that the others will be as well, but I will continue to test all wandering bulls.  The risk is just too great to ignore.  As long as bulls wander (and they just do all thru the western USA - no way around it) and as long as people buy and use sale barn animals there will be a risk.

And on the issue of getting your bull back from the neighbor:  IMNHB&WO (in my never humble black & white opinion) if I thought my bull were on a neighbors property and they wouldn't let me check, nor would they check themselves,  I would consider that stealing and proceed accordingly.  I once enlisted the help of a friend that flys a small plane to help me look on a neighbors place for missing heifers, I had asked if I could check by road and been refused.  Where there is a will there is often a way.

 

[farmboy]

may i ask, What affect does trich have on cattle ))

 

[Gypsy]

It causes the cows to abort.  Here is a site with info on Trich:    http://vetsci.sdstate.edu/VetExt/Trichomoniasis%20Range%20Beef%20Cow%20Symposium.doc

 

[dori36]

I have never needed or asked permission to go on a neighbor's place to look for any of our cows/bulls that may have been over there.  I have always thought that being good neighbors meant if your animals went next door you went and got them asap and fixed the fence.  If you are worried about  going over there or don't want to take a chance on upsetting the guy  join the TSCRA if you aren't a memeber already and the local rep will go in and look for you.  They don't need permission.  Good luck.

I'd also think your local Brand Inspector could go in if you think your bull's in there.

 

[dori36]

I've done most of my cattle raising in Wyoming and import requirements for that state call for breeding age bulls to be trich tested.

Joe Boy -

I know lots about Trich because a neighbor of mine several years ago leased a Longhorn bull to run on his replacement heifers.  The Longhorn bull jumped into a large pasture that I was running recip cows in with cleanup bulls in May or June, I forget now.  The Longhorn infected several cows in just a couple of days before the neighbor came and got him out.  We didn't know that the Longhorn bull had trich until the following February when I tested 25 yearling and two year old bulls for my bull sale (they were all clean) and at the same time tested my older herd bulls (both fertility and trich) in preparation for the upcoming breeding season.  I had two bulls show up positive for Trichomoniasis Foetus.  I had to send two really, really, nice Cunia sons to the packer.  :'(  The neighbor probably found he had the problem at fall preg check on his heifers and just didn't think there was any reason to let me know.  Knowing would have saved me those two bulls and thousands of dollars because of a delay in my bull sale.  That is not even including the loss in the calf crop.  I heard that that Longhorn bull was leased out of West Texas.  Our state several years ago had a large problem with Trich that came from Colorado because NM did not have Trich regulations in place so bulls from Colorado and other states could sell into NM without a Trich test.  NOW we have regulations prohibiting the sale in and into NM without a current test.  Hurray.

 

[DL]

Hey Gypsy - good advise and you sure have had your run of bad luck the last couple of years - haveyou considered Beefpacas? Cuter than Corrientes and disease and defect resistant. Trich is becoming a bigger problem - North Dakota recently added a trich testing requirement for importation of bulls - people tend to forget that nonvirgin bulls can get sexually transmitted diseases and spread them around

 

[Joe Boy]

Thank you Gypsy.

I read the article you shared with interest.  Everyone who has cattle and bulls should read it.

I had a neighbor's bull a few years ago and my young bull get into a fight through the fence.  The two fences, 5 wire barbed wire and an electric one on my side were torn up.  My 1/2 Chi-Angus and 1/2 Maine jumped the down fences.  His bull had a broken leg.  Mine did not show up for a week with us looking for him.  I flew over the area and asked everyone if they saw him.  He showed up with his rear leg swollen and puss coming out of it from his pasterns to his knee.  The man told me to get him out or he would kill him and it was just dark.  My wife and I put up panells in his pasture as he would not let me use his lot.  Bulls do not drive good to a new lot.  my bull wanted to go home.  I got two of the cows my kids had shown and tied one in the lot and led the other one over to where he was across a swamp.  He knew her and followed her.  I put him in the front of the trailer and tied the cows in the back.  I took him to the vet and he told me that there was nothing he could do that the bull would not heal.  I told him that was not an option.  I gave the bull some shot he came up with for 10 days and put copper tox on his leg.  He knocked me off the gate to the chute (horse chute.)  I separated some ribs, but saved the bull.  I kept him until he got out again (after the next breeding season) and he brought a lot of money at the sale barn.  The neighbor watched all of our activities from a hill with a gun in his hand.  I rebuilt the fences.  I repaired his lot that he claimed my bull tore up.  I put him a 16 foot brand new metal gate in his lot.  He asked me to pay for his bull.  When he told me about the bulls it was all my bulls fault....but his bull is the one that tore up the fence..... he cussed every word in three conversations with me, so I called the sheriff.  They told him that both bulls were at fault.  He also joins my Dad's place and his bull stayed at my Dad's place and whipped his bull so much that Dad had to sell his bull.  One day at the sell barn the man had the nerve to ask my Dad if he got any calves out of his bull.  Dad said, "Oh, that is where those pot belly long tailed calves came from."  One of the Sherriff deputies had trouble with the fellows cattle.  He has been arrested for stealing when a young man and not any neighbors get along with him.

I actually have insurance that would pay a good neighbor $500 if I so choice in any thing that my cattle or farming operation my have inadvertently caused.  They asked me if I wanted to help him that much and I told them no, not with the mouth that he had on him and his personal threats to me and my livestock...  I have never put a bull in a pasture that joins this fellow again.

This is not the same neighbor involved in this incident.

THANKS AGAIN.