Parade of the bulls….
For the next few days we thought we’d highlight some of the bulls in our Thistle Hill inventory. The three bulls at the front of the parade here are just about two years old. “Tail end Charlie” is not a runt. He’s not even a year old and knows his place in the pecking order.
We’re indebted to Ken McDowell not only for his Rotokawa bulls but for the counsel he has provided on his many visits to Thistle Hill. We’ve combined Rotokawa genetics with our best females to produce animals that we think are particularly suited for American pastures.
All Thistle Hill bulls come with a money back guarantee…a guarantee that not only are they fertile but healthy, vital and docile. Oh, and beautiful, too.
We’ll start with our herd bulls tomorrow and eventually work our way down to “Charlie“, who is really Thistle Hill Falcon.
7 Comments
Regina Tesnow
As a repeat buyer of THF bulls I would like to put a plug in here. I believe THF Magic will play a significant role in American Devon history. We are enjoying THF 243-41 “Casino” who is by far the most docile and pleasant to be around bull we have ever owned. THF bulls are wonderful specimens of Devon genetics or they are not offered to the public!
mike ortwein
If I put my two bulls together with a female in the same pasture we have a lot of head butting. If no females are present they get along reasonably well. It is the women who create all the problems—this ought to stir the pot!
red ruby heifer
Just like young men when there’s just one girl in town! Seriously though, we always like to work 3 rams in a reasonable number of ewes – just so if 2 are fighting (over hormones-in-the-air), the 3rd is getting on with the job in hand!
red ruby heifer
Liking what we see…
David
I’ve seen studies that, when you put several bulls in with a herd, just one accounts for the great majority of pregnancies…more than 70%, I believe. The competition for the female is a good thing; the most virile sire “wins” and better calves make a stronger herd (and breed).
We’ve had no trouble keeping 6 to 8 bulls in a pasture together as long as they grew up together. And we routinely introduce a younger bull.
(See Mike; we’re taking you seriously!)
mike ortwein
If all your bulls are in the herd at the same time, how do you know who the father is of your calves? Do you use DNA? How do you keep young heifers from getting pregnant?
David
No, we don’t put more than one bull in with the herd. But we do keep them together when they’re not on the job. I would imagine DNA would be the answer. If you’re raising commercial cows, of course, it really doesn’t matter.