Any cattle farmers on here who know much about bulls?

[Prontoe]

I'm worried about my Dad.

By the bull attacking 'them', I mean attacking the cows, not the calves when born. The calves were still born. Two sets of twins.
I've no idea why he still has a blooming bull. The near death incident was probably 20 years ago, but he still keeps a bloody bull.
He's a bit bull-headed himself!

He needs rid of that bull. Had the same on our family farm. It was so bad it had to shot in the field as the vet wouldn't go any closer.

Can use artificial inseminaton surely until he can replace (assuming they're still coming out at the moment). Also if he's had him long is he related to any of the heifers? If so he needs to change it separate him anyway.

Maybe your dad is getting sentimental in his 70s or in denial about how much he can actually do at his age. Does he have retirement plans?

My father's family live to be in their 90's so he still reckons he has a good 20 years left in him yet. He has no plans to retire and wishes to work up until his dying day. That's the sort of man we're dealing with. He is permanently busy whenever I ring. He can't afford to hire someone, so it's just him working the farm night and day. He also has sheep, so they're all lambing at the moment too. I tried ringing him there a few minutes ago but no answer, so I presume he's moving cattle/sheep or something else as he usually answers.
I agree and I think that even he agrees, that he needs to get rid of the bull, but the last time I suggested that he said 'he produces good calves'. But if the 'cunt of a thing' to quote my father, is killing the calves by injuring the mothers, then he's not exactly an ideal animal.

I just need to be armed with a bit of info when I talk to him.

Only reading it back in light of your responses can I see that I'm making no sense!

Really

To call Jimmy Doherty a farmer is an insult to farmers.

At this time of year a bull should be in a field with heifers/cows that need servicing. A happy bull is a working bull and all bulls get grumpier with age, they're just like every male. It sounds as if this bull has found his feet and now has the confidence to challenge your father. Maybe it is time to invest in a bull pen here on earth or send him to the bull pen in the sky.

There is nothing as pig-headed as a farmer in his 70's, don't expect him change the way that he has been doing things for decades even though cattle now tends to be larger and no doubt your father has slowed with age. I sincerely wish you the best of luck trying to get him to work in way that is safe for him and others.

Spoke to my father. Bull is now out in the field with some cows. Bull was never happy since he arrived at farm - according to my father he was homesick - like a lad that had gone to Australia. He's calmer this year apparently.
1st incident of bull vs cow was when my father was doling out their feed into the trough and the bull head-butted the cow and lifted her off the ground.
2nd incident of cow losing calves was when he let a few weanling bulls in with the cows.
Cow seems to be happier this year.
He spends half of his time roaring and the other half of his time doing what my Dad called loo-ing. So I was like 'do you mean crying'. 'Yeah, I suppose - they're different sounds'.
So he's certainly not getting rid of said bull. He is strangely fascinated by animal behaviour but he reckons this bull is a bit of a bully. I wonder whether that's where the term bully comes from!?
So long and short of it is that the bull is in a field with a few cows and doesn't appear to be as homesick this year.

That should read 'Bull seems to be happier this year'. Not cow.

So that's 'Home on the farm' over and out for this season lol.

Don't let me mention the sheep. He was telling me all about them being greedy cunts too. Honestly, he's a comedy to listen to. My father. Not the bull.

Glad to be of help. He should be happier and bit calmer now. No guarantees though - caution and respect required.

We had an aggressive bull from a grazier last year - it kept cornering workers behind trees in the field. Fortunately there were a lot of trees on that site!! This year we said we didn't want it back and it has gone to the burger factory in the sky!! Sounds like the best place for your one!

My father will not get rid of the bull. I know that. Not unless the bull attacks him and he's dead lol. He's as stubborn as a mule so appears to think that said bull is happier this year, so not a danger. I know he won't walk into the field with the bull anymore, so goes in with the jeep.

Have you ever met a brick wall? No? Let me introduce you to my father.

Bulls do tend to get a bit more difficult to manage as they go on though.

If the bull's a good line is there no chance your Dad would consider selling him on and just using the AI man in future? It's an easier path to good husbandry and no bull to contend with!

Can’t believe someone suggested Jimmy Doherty! Surely Adam Henson would be a better bet?

AI man time I think OP!

Depends on the race. I live in sw France and it's all Limousin cattle here. The bulls cows and calves are generally all together.

The bulls are about half the size of a Friesian one.

Forgot to ask the breed of the bull. Must ask him now.

It's only the last 20 years or so that he's had a bull - prior to that it was the AI man. I think he likes having a bull for some reason haha. You can get a fair puck from a ram too. Yesterday he was cleaning out a shed to house calving cows, and me being me and knowing nothing about farming was like - oh - does it need to be sterile? PMSL. His response? 'No, a cow could turn on its back and not be able to get up if there's too much shite in there'. So I asked could he not just turn the cow over? Nope. Apparently you'd need ropes and a few men as it's about 7-800kg. So I suppose that's fair enough. As children we weren't allowed out on the farm really - consequently I know nothing about it.

Anyway - as things stand, bull is in a field with cows. So it's probably content enough. He only goes in with the jeep, not on foot since he was attacked before. So I suppose he has learned the hard way. Because he's nearly 70, I do worry about him, but he's as fit as a fiddle, so a working life suits him. He doesn't look 69. He looks about 50. But it's kinda strange when you realise his age, that you realise that he's not so young anymore. Hence the worry. I suppose he knows what he's doing.

Reading this with interest as one of the fields we regularly walk through now has a bull in it. New handmade sign saying 'Bull in field'. It is a public footpath and has in it other cows and some horses too . And recently some sheep moved from another field. Has put the fear of God into me as I know it is very unlikely but what if ???

Mizu - I wouldn't go into a field with a bull.
Unlikely that you'd have a bull, cows, sheep and horses in the one field, so the sign may be just to deter you.

Odd to mix all three together in the first place!

Ok. Spoke to my father. It's a Charolais bull.

Asked why not the AI and apparently it's because you'd only have half of them (cows) going into calf every year, as you can't just pick a day for them because you might not see them a-bulling. But Mr. Bull knows when they're 'a-bulling' so he services them all. He's a fierce obliging sort. PMSL.

So there's your biology lesson for today!

Also apparently it's normal enough to have cattle and horses in together as the bull will stick with the cows.

Apparently you might miss when a cow was abulling, but Mr. Bull doesn't miss a trick. So you might miss when a cow was 'ready'. Mental stuff.

It's all kinda gross. Farming.