Need advice on a Bull

[NewRenoFarmsInKY]

Good morning y'all,

I had thought about posting yesterday, but sitting here with my coffee before heading out to feed the cows, decided I would throw this out there.

I bought two beautiful bulls at the University of Tennessee bull test this past Thursday-one Angus and one Hereford. It was a long trailer ride home, about three and a half hours, but I turned them out Thursday evening and they went straight to work.

Saturday morning I noticed a slight limp on my Angus. It's not horrendously bad and no obvious injury. He has been breeding like crazy and my first assumption was likely a sprain from dismounting on this muddy ground (my terrain isn't great even when it's dry.)

Yesterday it didn't seem any worse; however, it wasn't any better either.

So last night I put the big boy in the chute to make sure he hadn't gotten anything in his hoof. While it was a job, after checking his hoof and ankle it didn't feel as though anything was off, it wasn't hot, no obvious injury. So I've decided to force rest him for 2-3 days in the holding corral. I put him in with a cow that isn't cycling currently to help keep him calm.

How long should I keep him penned up do y'all reckon? I'm thinking a maximum of three days before he heads to the vet.

The problem is there are no traveling vets and the large animal vet I use is an hour away-and for a leg/ankle issue I'm reluctant to get him in the trailer and make him ride for 2 hours round trip-or he'd be at the vet today.

I'm probably stressing too much about it. Limping cows aren't terribly uncommon, and they seem to be fine on their own after a couple of days with no special treatment; however, I paid through the nose for this guy and while I take great care of all my cattle-my nerves are a little on edge about this fella since he cost me so much.

Any thoughts, comments, words of assurance are appreciated.

Edit: it appears to be his left front, I didn't specify that in the post.

 

[alacowman1]

Well he's gonna walk a hole in the ground when you put him up. angus are aggressive breeders . Was he fighting with the Hereford?.good looking bull

 

[Redgully]

Front foot limp i wouldn't worry to much, if it was the back foot i would be quite concerned.

 

[Ebenezer]

Short story, if the bulls were in a test station setting, it would be wiser to let them condition on the farm and drop some weight before dropping them in the pasture. My opinion.

 

[NewRenoFarmsInKY]

He's been head butting with the Hereford some, but not very aggressively. I have enough mommas cycling right now that they've been able to breed different cows and not fighting much over onesies.

Called my large animal vet this morning and he said to Draxx him in case there was some penetration of something and hold him up for 30-90 days and fussed at me for turning them right out with the cows . All I can think is holding him for more than a few days will wind him up more than it will help. But I'm not a vet…

 

[NewRenoFarmsInKY]

Short story, if the bulls were in a test station setting, it would be wiser to let them condition on the farm and drop some weight before dropping them in the pasture. My opinion.

Well your advice is what the vet said, so I'm inclined to agree. But can't put that genie back in the bottle at this point…

 

[faster horses]

If he was with the cows, and isn't any worse by now, I'd just put him back with the cows since it is a front foot. He's gonna travel being shut up, is my opinion and you bought him to breed your cows.
You checked him and found nothing, so it could just be muscle. He'll take care of it on his own, they usually do. Good luck!

P.S. My advice is worth just what it costs.
Let us know how you (he) gets along.

 

[50/50Farms]

30-90 days, though it would've been a good idea, at this point probably isn't realistic unless you want them all of them off of the Hertford. I'd give him a few more days rest and let him get after it.

 

[coachg]

What 50-50! said . Give him the meds and rest him a couple of days and turn him out . Good looking black bull !

 

[NewRenoFarmsInKY]

Thanks for the responses fellas, I appreciate it!

 

[gcreekrch]

Nice bull, turn him out and keep watch.

 

[NewRenoFarmsInKY]

A quick update on my bull:

Draxxed him Monday about noon, seemed to be a little better by that evening. Then yesterday morning he was walking fine in the pen-had a little bit of hobble when he would turn, but looked fine otherwise. Looked no worse this morning, so I turned him back out. The holding pen has turned into a muddy slog pit and I didn't see any benefit to keeping him in any longer. I'll keep a close eye on it, but fingers crossed he'll continue doing ok.

Of course he's already back to mounting cows, so that won't help anything but his morale-so we'll see how it goes.

Thanks again everyone!

 

[50/50Farms]

Well, mounting cows is kind of what you bought him for.

 

[Lazy M]

Nice bull. I'd want him to cover all that he can.

 

[coachg]

He'll soon have his job done and can rest .

 

[Jeanne - Simme Valley]

Mounting cows keeps the weight off his front feet.
Yes, bull is nice. How about a pic of your Hereford?
A Simmental would look good out there!! (I'm prejudice)

 

[NewRenoFarmsInKY]

Mounting cows keeps the weight off his front feet.
Yes, bull is nice. How about a pic of your Hereford?
A Simmental would look good out there!! (I'm prejudice)

Thanks! I like those Simmies too-but for my smaller cows this Angus was hard to beat. Great looking and fantastic numbers . I'd be happy to share one of the Hereford, thanks for asking! The herf is a breeding machine so far…

 

[NewRenoFarmsInKY]

I'll add one more, he was actually the cover bull for the sale catalog

 

[Travlr]

Good morning y'all,

I had thought about posting yesterday, but sitting here with my coffee before heading out to feed the cows, decided I would throw this out there.

I bought two beautiful bulls at the University of Tennessee bull test this past Thursday-one Angus and one Hereford. It was a long trailer ride home, about three and a half hours, but I turned them out Thursday evening and they went straight to work.

Saturday morning I noticed a slight limp on my Angus. It's not horrendously bad and no obvious injury.

Edit: it appears to be his left front, I didn't specify that in the post.
View attachment 25016

That IS a nice bull. Decent length and deep muscle into the hock, and not a pot gut like so many. Hope his problem stays solved and he's back to health. And I second @Jeanne - Simme Valley and want to see a pic of the Hereford.
Edit: Oh, you were too quick for me. That's a nice bull too, from what I can see. Better pic?
Edit again: How many cows are they covering?

 

[coachg]

Don't know what you paid but you picked 2 nice looking bulls !