Don't Forget About Your Bulls

As we get closer to winter and the weather turns cooler, most cattle producers have their cows on stockpiled forages or crop residue. Our calves are weaned and are being backgrounded in the feedlot, on grass, or cover crops. The one group of cattle that often gets overlooked this time of year are the bulls. For most of us our bulls have been grazing and recovering from breeding season, but now as the weather turns cold we need to make sure that we pay extra attention to them.

Yearling and even two-year-old bulls are still growing and developing. Much the same as a football player or wrestler who has been working hard and losing weight throughout the season, our bulls do the same. It is important to remember that they need to first recover the weight they have lost and then continue to gain and grow as they mature. Protein tubs like the Crystalyx HE-20 provide protein to maintain and slowly gain weight. For bulls that are green, Kent 25 energy tubs have 25% protein and extra fat to assist in the recovery process. Kent Range Cubes are another quick and easy way to feed bulls a high protein feed in a way that doesn’t dump too much energy into the diet.

Mineral is always important in our mother cows, but a bull is just as important to the reproduction as the cow. Using good mineral programs like Blueprint or SFG Cattle mineral with organic trace mineral or Avila 4 not only build up levels that are depleted in breeding season, but also help in getting the most out of every pound of feed delivered to our bulls throughout the winter.

Don’t over-feed though, as there is such a thing as too much of a good thing. Often farmers want to put weight on bulls by feeding cracked corn and higher protein tubs. If your bulls need this that can be fine. On young bulls, they often get too fat too fast, never grow into their frame, and slowly ruin feet over time. Old bulls on too high of an energy diet just get unathletic and struggle as they get turned back out on grass, most of the time not getting cows bred or getting sick.

With bulls, much like cows, every operation is not the same and what works on my farm might not work on my neighbor’s. But it is important to remember that slow steady growth on young bulls leads to increased longevity, better structure, and bulls that stay in better condition year after year.

Our bulls are often the most expensive and largest genetic influence we make. We want to maintain that investment as long as possible. If you are looking for the best protein tub, mineral, or ration to feed your bulls, contact us today and we would be happy to assist in any way.