This is Cheeseburger. Or Hamburger Helper. Or something like that. I’m not sure I’m remembering his name right, but it’s one of those names, connoting his final destination. There are actually several bulls at Skip’s farm, in various stages of developing their Porterhouse steaks. Skip won’t butcher a cow until they’re at least two years old (for the premium meat development), so there are several of them of varying ages wandering around.
This one is one of the older ones and was quite interested in BP when we brought her over there over three weeks ago. (The following photos are from three weeks ago.)
Right before I took this picture, he had been trying to mount BP. Another of the young bulls had also shown up and had also been making attempts to woo. Then Adam showed up. (The black Gelbvieh-Angus cross.) Notice the red bull heading off after being dispatched by Adam.
Here is a young black white-faced bull, who had arrived along with the red bull before Adam.
Adam dispatched him posthaste as well. (Also notice BP with her head on Adam’s shoulder as he runs off the other bull. The girls display a natural preference for the dominant male to father their children.)
And then all was right with Adam’s world.
And he and BP went on their second honeymoon.
Note that Adam doesn’t have one of those names that suggests there is a backyard grill in his future. He is the dominant bull, the main man, the sultan of the harem. During the first heat time when BP was there, and the second time (three weeks ago), Adam was in full possession of BP round the clock. When her heat is over, Adam disappears. He has other women to attend. I have not seen hide nor hoof of Adam since BP’s last heat three weeks ago. Yesterday was Day 23. No Adam. However, Cheeseburger (or whatever) was hanging around. (Back to current photos, from last night.)
WHAT DOES THAT MEAN?
He wasn’t paying any particular attention to BP. Or to Glory Bee, either, by the way.
I’m not sure they actually arrived together. By the time I got there, BP and Glory Bee were already near the corral, positioning themselves for dinner, and Cheeseburger was nearby. Sometimes there are other cows around. There are, after all, a lot of cows there, spread over several hundred acres, and they go where they want. None of them have caught on, or at least started a routine, related to BP’s dinnertime. They seem to grasp that it’s not for them. When they are around, I shut the corral gate while BP and Glory Bee eat. The only times I’ve let another cow in with them while they were eating was when Adam was attending BP in heat because at those times, he was absolutely inseparable from her and I really don’t want to argue with him.
There has been no Adam this weekend. And yet the mere presence, even if possibly accidental, of Cheeseburger is unsettling and throws a wrench in my certainty. I’ll have to see if BP bellows on August 11 (the next 21 day mark).
In the meantime, tomorrow, BP is coming home!
lavenderblue says:
Maybe Cheeseburger is just a dippy randy teenager, you know how they can get.
Yea! for BP coming home. :snoopy: And I assume GB, as well. No more traveling miles for milking time. No more great big HUGE bulls hanging around. You may feel as if you have more time in your day. You can make poor, neglected Clover some cookies! Just how I’m sure you want to spend your time.
On July 24, 2011 at 9:57 am
bonita says:
Suzanne, from a ROT (return on time) investment, BP’s calf, given that there is one, is certainly very expensive. In addition to your travels to feed BP and GB, there is the work of reweaning GB. Add to that the time you spend wondering/worrying/obsessing. Perhaps next time you might consider AI. It’s probably expensive in $, but in time it’s one and done. Just a thought.
On July 24, 2011 at 11:40 am
Sheila Z says:
Maybe the upstart Cheeseburger is hoping to push GB into heat by his presence. She is almost a year old and will be coming into heat soon.
On July 24, 2011 at 12:06 pm
whaledancer says:
Aw, Cheeseburger probably just has a puppylove crush on BP. He thinks she’s booootiful and is dazzled by her mere presence.
Don’t they have some kind of dipstick pregnacy test for cows?
On July 24, 2011 at 12:48 pm
bbkrehmeyer says:
Yup, the dip stick test is that a vet encases his hand and arm up to his shoulder in a plastic bag, sticks it up the cows nether parts, and palpitates her uterus, just like the Gyno’s do it check a woman,s pregnancy. I think a AF is done the same way. Very interesting to watch …..
Is there an age when a cow is no longer fertile even tho she may still come into heat? I should know that, but have never thought about it. Our cows were usually sold off at about 7 or 8 because they were no longer productive. ( I should say after 7 or 8 calving)
On July 24, 2011 at 1:18 pm
bbkrehmeyer says:
BTW , that strange bull looks more like some cross bred Texas long horn!!! Why does he have all different breeds of bulls in with his cows?
On July 24, 2011 at 1:20 pm
Suzanne McMinn says:
Re why Skip has so many different breeds–he sells them for meat. He’s not real concerned about the breed other than that they are meat cows, though he does have one Jersey girl in there. He got Adam because he’s a Black Angus/Gelbvieh cross and “Black Angus” beef sells for more. If he can say there’s Back Angus in a calf, it brings a higher price. I think he enjoys having the different breeds.
On July 24, 2011 at 1:29 pm
Liz Pike says:
Oh my, I’m on the edge of my seat with this drama!! I think you need to give Clover’s tiara to BP!!
On July 24, 2011 at 4:28 pm
Julia K says:
I’m so glad tomorrow is BP’s return home. She has been “honeymooning” for so long and there is no place like home.
On July 24, 2011 at 6:58 pm
Donna says:
My bet is Cheeseburger got to thinking about his name and his fate in life, and is just hanging around to make you and Skip think that he’s really a studly candidate, so to speak… that or is just a dirty old bull, checkin’ out the babes… LOL! :clover:
On July 24, 2011 at 8:04 pm
bbkrehmeyer says:
I recognize Adam as probably Angus?
We raised Galloway,Santa Gertrudis,Angus,Hereford and Brahma. I’m sure that you can tell by that list we were not dairy farmers!
Some of our best meat producers were the Angus Hereford cross… We ran herds of about 5,000, so there were many many calves shipped to market each year. With that many, you never get attached to any one. (Unless he is raised for 4-H) then its very very sad to see him go…. I would not eat meat purchased from the Safeway store for at least a year after my beef were sold. (Safeway always bought them) Even tho we had our own beef, I always asked if it came from Safeway!
On July 26, 2011 at 2:54 pm