Thursday, February 17, 2011

The Tough Guys…

Today Dad and I went out to take pictures of the bulls; a.k.a. the male cattle that are intact, meaning they have the ability to mate with a cow and produce offspring.  It always makes me laugh when we go check the bulls because they all think they are “boss”, and have that tough, studly look about them.

IMG_2673 See what I mean???IMG_2690

Sometimes they fight, butting heads to determine who will be the “head honcho”…typical males!

IMG_2737 Right now the bulls are on wheat pasture. They will stay there until March 15.  It’s important that they are off at that particular time to ensure that none of the wheat is damaged and it can be harvested for feed.

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Some of the bulls hanging out and enjoying the warm sunshine!

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This Spring, my family will sell these bulls to other cattleman in the area to use in their herds. But before the bulls can be sold, they will all have to pass a Breeding Soundness Exam. In order to pass this physical exam, they must be healthy and their semen must be of high quality and pass certain parameters. Once this exam is passed, they can be sold and the buyer can feel confident that the bull will be able to generate offspring in his herd.  Purchasing the right bulls and making sure they are healthy is one of the steps that cattleman take to be sure that consumers receive a wholesome, safe, and nutritious product at the grocery store! 

Do you have questions about bulls, cattle, or agriculture in general?? Feel free to post a comment!

1 comment:

City Life to Ranching Wife said...

they look "boss like" to me! ;)