QUICK POST: Did you know you can rent a bull? Okay guys, I am not surprised that this is a thing but I just never gave it much thought until... we were put in a pickle! We were out checking the cows a few months ago and we noticed our bull, Tarzan, was limping. We took him to the vet right away and the verdict wasn't promising. We are not sure how he became injured but the vet declared that he was out of commission for future breeding.
It was hard to sell Tarzan but that is part of farming. He was a great addition to our farm for five years. Farming is a lifestyle but it is also a business. It was in Tarzan's best interest to sell him while he could still get around. A 1500 lb bull is not easy to care for if they become lame and can't get up. It is much more humane to sell the animal when they are able to leave with dignity and still provide a product to our local communities.
But at this point in the year we really weren't sure what to do. Our goal was to actually purchase a second bull soon. They say one bull can breed approximately 25-30 cows. We have 25 cows but we would rather have two bulls to help increase genetic diversity and close the gap between calves being born during the spring months.
We hoped most of our cows were bred at the time of selling our bull but we can't take that gamble. We observed a few cows in heat yet and it is essential that all of our cows are bred. Selling calves in the fall is our main source of revenue on the beef side of things.
Dad started calling around and chatted with the Oxford Sale Barn. He gave us a name for a few farmers south of us. We were able to get in contact with a farmer and be on the road to pick up a bull within a day or two! Farmers helping farmers! We plan to have the bull on our farm until about Halloween when we wean the calves. He has worked out perfectly so far. Praying everything continues to go smooth. Next step is to go bull shopping. We are looking for sound genetics, easing calving, and docile.
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