Which bull do I pick-live bull not semen selection

[Tricia]

So we purchased 5 hereford/belted galloways a couple of weeks ago. 2 steers and 3 bulls- all will be 1 year old in July.
The look belted for the most part- like a big 4 legged oreo...
So they met our criteria- not expensive $500 each, beef crosses, grass fed and local. PLUS we know the family- have for years, and they delivered them.

We are going to keep 1 bull for breeding purposes and the other 2 bulls will become steers. Then the 4 steers will be beef next summer/fall.

All 3 are different coloring so easy to tell apart.
DH and DS like one that has more black and a very skinny white belt. He also has curly hair on his forehead. Both are partial the curly hair since our old bull who died last fall had the curls. He is also slightly smaller than his brothers also a bit more timid around the herd.
Another has Panda spots over his eyes, a good build- I think. But the guys think he has something off about him. Nothing specific... so they say.
The thirds has a very wide white belt. He was called Double Stuff. He is the larger of the 3 overall. The guys think he has a mean look in his eye. I don't see it all.
We are all grass fed. We only have 1 beef cow right now- a hereford. Plus Molly- her majesty the jersey. We are working on adding a few more cows this year. Beef mostly but maybe a milking breed nurse cow to raise dairy calves (again mostly jersey). We'll work our way up to 6 or 7 mom cows.
We are looking for a bull that his calves will size up nicely in 2 years on grass. A good temperament and of course good stature overall. If he works out well we'll keep him for a few years. If not he'll taste good.

What do I look for? Any websites with pictures you recommend?

[susanhanna]

Do you know what cow bull each came out of? Genetically which might be the better choice? Birth size of each?

[Jenn]

The men are going to get a different "look" than you are...you are not a threat. Take their word for it.

-Jenn

[Tricia]

No actually I didn't ask. But I will stop today and ask about the genetics.

Yeah well my guys have been wrong before......
DH can discriminate too... he said all grey cats and only grey cats are friendly. Of course we have a very friendly grey cat....
Also he lead the adventure into the Scottish Highlander herd (that we started with ) because they were cool looking (I kid you not and I FELL FOR IT!).... I don't fall for his comments on animal looks anymore. I want a checklist....
Plus he picked out the BorderCollie cross dog said she would make a great herding dog for the new herd of highlanders (back 9 years ago). Samantha hates cows, is scared of pigs, will not go near chickens unless to eat their poo...... I took her to be trained for sheep, she ran around the group barked once then came back to lay down. He picked her........ great at herding the dog bed for a nap.....

[Jenn]

LOL...ok...then just pick the one YOU like!

-Jenn

[marseydoats]

You didn't tell us which one you like? I'd look up their bloodlines, and trace them back a couple generations, if you have the option.
Just from your description, I'd go for either Double Stuff or the curly coat that ds & dh like. My limited experience has been that slightly timid bulls are pretty easy to work with. I never worry about my neighbors bull when I cut thru his pasture. His COWS have no problem chasing me, but the bull urinates all over himself and goes the other way.

[Tricia]

I'm going to see if they will pose for pictures when the sun is out tomorrow.

[Claire]

Pictures will help. I'd go for the bull with the best conformation/build and body condition on grass. I'd also see if you can find out sizes there were at birth so you know he'll be safe for heifers down the line.

[parndt]

but the bull urinates all over himself and goes the other way.

Thanks for the laugh!
I'm no help on a bull choice cause I kept the first one that came along but I am curious about what happened with the Scottish Highlands just cause I love them and I'm nosy.

[Tricia]

But what constitutes a good body build? I need a checklist or book or something that I can stand in the field and look at this part and say...... good bad, ugly.. NO< NO NO... yes yes yes!!!

See highlanders were cool... but after all these years and trying to turn a profit with them we decided to retire them. It's a long long story.

[wyomama]

Basically, you want to look at "butts, guts, and nuts" You want a beef bull to have a heavily muscled rear end. You want him to be fairly heavy bodied, You want him to have a large, well-shaped, balanced scrotum. He needs to have legs that are heavy enough to carry his weight, straight, not turned in or out. His top line needs to be straight. His body length needs to be proportional to his size. Unless you are breeding for registered animals where color and pattern matter, you need to IGNORE curly or straight hair and shape and size of belts. You need to realize that the width and shape of the belt can distract your eye from looking at over all conformation - so you need to look beneath the belt.

If they are of a similar age and have been managed the way you want them to prosper, you'll want to lean towards the one in the best condition as well.

[Jenn]

A less flighty animal will gain more. A "buffalo" look will gain well on grass,or rectangle vs wedge.

-Jenn

[Tricia]

We ruled out one bull so far. He has a bit lighter build. Actually the one the guys liked but once we started looking for more specifics he lost out. So the other 2? It is a toss up. I'm observing and observing....... same temperament so far, similar body build.
I'm going to look at the proportions like Wy said. Be easier if I could get a darn picture! Stand still boys! actually they are much better now that we are doing rotational grazing now. I'm out every morning moving their fence then again in afternoon with DH check on them. oh and they are near the road so lots of people stopping to watch the group grazing.
Oh and double stuff with the wide belt? um he is steered already. Not sure how we got that all mixed up either! Need glasses? Now I look at ear tags!
They are getting better about posing for the camera but so far the pics come out terribly blurry. It may come down to who poses better for the camera! (joking, really...)