Page 8 - Ranui Catalogue 2021 ebook

Bringing your
home

Bringing your
When purchasing a bull, care and handling after the sale can be as important as the purchase itself.
new bull home
Looking after your bull well during the Initial stages of his working life may ensure longevity
and success within your breeding herd.

Purchase • Discuss with the carrier, resting procedures for long
trips, expected delivery time, truck condition and
Temperament is an important characteristic when selecting quiet handling.
a bull. Selecting a bull that may be flighty or aggressive • Give ear tag and brand numbers to the carrier and
will make life difficult for you each time he is handled. make sure you have the carrier’s phone number.
Note which bulls continually push to the centre of a mob, • If buying bulls from interstate, organise any necessary
run around, or are unreasonably nervous, aggressive or health tests before leaving and work out if any other
excited. requirements must be met before cattle can come
At the sale, note any changes of temperament by individual into another State.
bulls. Some bulls that are quiet in the yard or paddock When buying bulls from far away, you may often have to
may not like the pressure and noise of the auction and fit in with other delivery arrangements to reduce cost. You
become excited. Others that were excited beforehand get should make it clear how you want your bulls handled.
much worse in the sale ring and can really perform. Use
the yard or paddock behaviour as a guide, rather than the
temperament shown in the ring. Arrival
When the bull or bulls arrive home, unload them at the
Delivery yards into a group of house cows, steers or herd cows.
When transporting your new bull insurance against loss Never jump them from the back of a truck directly into a
in transit, accidental loss of use, or infertility, is sometimes paddock—it may be the last time you see them. Bulls from
provided by vendors. Where it is not, it is worth considering. different origins should be put into separate yards with
After purchase tips: other cattle for company.
• When purchasing, ask which health treatments he Provide hay and water, then leave them alone until the
has received. next morning .
• Treat and handle him quietly at all times - no dogs, The next day, bulls should receive routine health treatments.
no buzzers. Talk to him and give him time and room If they have not been treated before, all bulls should be
to make up his mind. vaccinated with:
• With more than one bull from different origins, you
must be able to separate them on the truck. • 5-in-1 vaccine;
• Make sure that the truck floor is covered to prevent • vibriosis vaccine;
bulls from slipping. Sand, sawdust or a floor grid • leptospirosis vaccine (if in areas like the Hunter
will prevent bulls from being damaged by going where leptospirosis exists);
down in transit.
• If you can arrange it, put a few quiet cows or steers on • three-day sickness vaccine (if in areas where
the truck with the bull. Let them down into a yard with this sickness can cause problems).
the bulls for a while before loading and after Give particular attention to preventing new bulls bringing
unloading. vibriosis into a herd. Vibriosis, a sexually transmitted disease,
• Unload and reload during the trip as little as causes infertility and abortions and is most commonly
possible If necessary, rest with water and feed. introduced to a clean herd by an infected bull. These bulls
Treat bulls kindly your impatience or nervousness
is easily transmitted to an animal unfamiliar show no signs of the illness. Vaccinated bulls are free from
to you and unsure of his environment. vibriosis, so vaccinating bulls against the disease should be
a routine practice.
If you use a professional carrier: Vaccination involves two injections, 4–6 weeks apart, at the
• Make sure the carrier knows which bulls can be time of introduction, and then a booster shot every year.
mixed together. Complete the vaccinations 4 weeks before joining.
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purchase delivery after purchase tips arrival mating new young bulls
managing older herd bull during mating northern australia