Bull Hiring

I was asked for some guidance on hiring out a bull. As I finished the email reply I thought my experiences would be of interest to other members.

Try to make sure the people hiring your bull have insurance. One of our group members thought it wasn’t her responsibility when the bull she hired got through her fences and served another farmer’s beef heifers!

I charge £50 per cow served but mine are linear assessed with VG scores. John Garratt told me he used to charge £35 (at the time I think I was charging £25) As a comparison I found that Genus charge around £60 per visit plus VAT and there’s the cost of buying the semen beforehand (and paying for storage) . On the other hand the bull is elsewhere eating their grass and possibly poaching their ground and you don’t have to worry about your cows!

BVD vaccination is a good idea.

If you have to deliver him then I charge £10 for delivery within about 10 miles, collection the same amount. Further afield is more. Google maps and directions are very useful for mileages! As, of course, you have to return to base it is double the mileage so usually works out about 45p a mile -which is all you can claim tax wise. And that doesn’t take into account cleaning the trailer when you return which takes about an hour even with a pressure washer!

I treat for Lice when they return (the new stuff, Swish, controls both biting and sucking lice) as one winter the bulls brought lice back, all the cows caught them and they all looked like moth eaten fur coats!

I also remind people that the bull is ‘working’ and to give him, say some sugar beet or cattle nuts.

People think you just need to pop the bull in with the cows and he will do his stuff. Unless there is unlimited grass (spring and early summer) the cows need to be on a rising plane of nutrition to get in calf successfully. So other times of year they need a bit extra for success. Once in calf feeding can be cut back to normal levels so they don’t get overfat.

I like to only hire to Society members who will birth notify the calves and preferably only to group members.

If you have to collect then ask them to have the bull ready and confined in a yard or loose box – one year Poppadom was loose with the cows, the guy was at work and it was only Poppadom’s love of sugar beet nuts and the fact he was wearing a head collar that we managed to catch him!

We have insurance for any one load in transit and both of us go in case of problems or breakdowns etc.

Also check the TB status of their herd. If they are on 4 year testing there’s no problem but if it is 1 year testing the bull will need a test before returning home unless he comes home within 57 days and you have either just had a clear test or you live in a 4 year testing area. If you are on annual testing he can only move if he has had a clear test within 57 days.

Chris Sparrow