Post by elliecow on Jan 28, 2015 22:12:24 GMT -5
Hi Everybody,
So I don't know if anybody remembers, but this last October I got on here and asked about a milk cow that had to be put down (and I proceeded to have a freak out about what it was she might have been sick with - sorry about that :. Anyway, this cow's bull calf lived and continues to do very well and is now living with four other calves, two of which are now 6 month old heifers. The calf hasn't been castrated yet because there was some discussion about possibly keeping him as a stud bull, personally I don't think that this is the best idea but in the end the decision isn't up to me. Though to be honest I think the main reason he hasn't been cut yet has more to do with "wouldn't it be nice" kind of thinking rather than actually stopping to consider the logistics of keeping a bull. Anyway, recently I've noticed this calf taking a particular interest in the older heifers, smelling their pee a lot and doing the flehmen response, for instance. Now, I was under the impression that this type of thing is characteristic of bulls, but this calf isn't even five months old yet. I know that Jerseys can mature early but is he old enough to be acting like a bull? Or am I totally wrong and this is just normal behavior? I guess the reason I'm asking is that there is a 6 month old Jersey steer that is also in with these calves and I've never noticed this kind of behavior from him, or any of the other steers we've had for that matter. Obviously if the bull calf is old enough to be trying to breed those heifers they need to be separated immediately (and him preferably steered). Any thoughts?
So I don't know if anybody remembers, but this last October I got on here and asked about a milk cow that had to be put down (and I proceeded to have a freak out about what it was she might have been sick with - sorry about that :. Anyway, this cow's bull calf lived and continues to do very well and is now living with four other calves, two of which are now 6 month old heifers. The calf hasn't been castrated yet because there was some discussion about possibly keeping him as a stud bull, personally I don't think that this is the best idea but in the end the decision isn't up to me. Though to be honest I think the main reason he hasn't been cut yet has more to do with "wouldn't it be nice" kind of thinking rather than actually stopping to consider the logistics of keeping a bull. Anyway, recently I've noticed this calf taking a particular interest in the older heifers, smelling their pee a lot and doing the flehmen response, for instance. Now, I was under the impression that this type of thing is characteristic of bulls, but this calf isn't even five months old yet. I know that Jerseys can mature early but is he old enough to be acting like a bull? Or am I totally wrong and this is just normal behavior? I guess the reason I'm asking is that there is a 6 month old Jersey steer that is also in with these calves and I've never noticed this kind of behavior from him, or any of the other steers we've had for that matter. Obviously if the bull calf is old enough to be trying to breed those heifers they need to be separated immediately (and him preferably steered). Any thoughts?