A Lot of Bull
☆ May 5, 2010
Let’s demystify the bull, shall we?
I don’t pretend to be an authority on animal behaviour; I’m not an expert. However, I have studied the animals with whom I directly interact and I am an expert on them. These animals include four adult bulls (not including Sir Baby, who looks positively miniature next to these guys).
Bulls have been given the reputation of villain, monster, evil beast with a
terrible temper, and it’s unfair. It maintains a certain mythology.
It is a stereotype.
While I’m sure mean bulls exist, the bulls I know are shy, sweet, gentle, and dear.
They move slowly around me. They never challenge me. If one or two get out and find a haystack in which to bury their enormous heads, all I need to do is sidle between them and the hay and they will turn back to the pasture gate I have opened behind them. They don’t smash me; they don’t toss me out of their way like a ragdoll in order to get more hay.
Testosterone does not make them mean.
Testosterone does not make an animal “become” mean!
Of the intact male animals I have known ~ be it feline, equine, bovine, canine ~ none have been mean animals. None have been mean to people. They are just really difficult to control when a cycling female is in the vicinity.
This is precisely why I castrated Frisco ~ I want him to be a working ox. I do not want him distracted by the cows or racing off to breed one while pulling me in a cart behind him. This is also the reason I neutered Charlie ~ so that he would not have to deal with the internal conflict of wanting to stay with his pack (us) and wanting to fulfill an urge to breed.
Bulls will fight eachother for breeding rights (as males of so many species will do), but during the rest of the year, when they are not with the cows or once the cows have all been bred, bulls live together harmoniously.
It’s not that bulls aren’t dangerous.
It’s that there’s a difference between dangerous and mean.
It’s that any animal this size can be dangerous if you don’t pay attention or let yourself end up in the wrong place at the wrong time.
I consider Daisy as potentially dangerous as these bulls.
And I consider these bulls as inherently generous and good as Daisy.
So next time you see a bull, blow him a kiss, won’t you?
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78 Responses to “A Lot of Bull”
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May 5th, 2010 @ 7:51 am
They are so handsome! I marvel at the bulls that summer out near my mom’s place, near Centennial, WY. I sometimes wonder how they can stand up they are so massive.
May 5th, 2010 @ 7:52 am
From one who has been around cattle all my life…those are some big ass bulls!!
May 5th, 2010 @ 7:58 am
On that note, you might like this video of a little girl’s first encounter with cows. En-cow-nter, I should say. :P
She’s scared at first, but the dad makes friendly and approachable.
May 5th, 2010 @ 7:59 am
very well put…..
May 5th, 2010 @ 8:01 am
I LOVE it when you take pictures of the cows and the calves and the bulls! I love them so much! Daisy is impossibly beautiful, and these big black guys are just wonderful. I love the photo of the one singing. Just wonderful.
May 5th, 2010 @ 8:18 am
What stunning beings they are! As a child one of my favorite books was Ferdinand the Bull, by Munro Leaf. As an adult, I was drawn back to this sweet story–it’s on the shelf in the other room.
May 5th, 2010 @ 8:35 am
amen!
May 5th, 2010 @ 8:41 am
I have to tell you… I’ve been reading The Daily Coyote for about a year now and it’s a daily highlight. But THIS site is amazing to me. I am loving learning about how life is up there. And I adore how you talk about your animals. I’ve only ever been to a handful of farms and so I don’t know much about the animals there, and I’m a tad scared of horses (thanks to a trail horse on my second ever, and last, ride who just did not want to follow the other horses and I didn’t understand him enough to convince him to not run away with me on his back), but you make me wish I knew more animals like these. Thanks for the wonderful descriptions.
May 5th, 2010 @ 8:44 am
What a beautiful BIG BOY!!!!
May 5th, 2010 @ 8:44 am
My mom grew up on a farm and she always said that the meanest animals they had were (in order from most mean to least mean): A rooster, her brother’s mare, and finally, their neutered dog (named Happy ironically enough). She never had any problems with any of the other animals they had (other horses/chickens/dogs, cats, cows, sheep, goats, and ducks).
May 5th, 2010 @ 8:46 am
Great insight! Fabulous photos!
May 5th, 2010 @ 8:55 am
MWAH!
May 5th, 2010 @ 8:57 am
Well said!
At age 4 my leg was broken by a horse simply being a horse. While I was playing in the horse pen, one mare, Mandy came over to say hi. Mindy, another mare and higher on the equine pecking order, decided to do so as well.
Mindy played miss dominant over Mandy, nipping and such, Mandy spooked and bolted…right at me. I tried to get out of the way, tripped and fell, and Mandy’s hoof met my lower leg.
It was an important lesson. Most animals aren’t malicious but if you are in their world its possible to get caught in their little games. And we little Humans are rather easy to harm. So you pay them the proper respect and be forgiving of interspecies miscommunication.
I’ll never forget, while bawling my eyes out and dragging myself past the fence line, Mandy coming to stand next to me and gently nuzzle me. I’ll always love horses.
May 5th, 2010 @ 9:02 am
Love it! It is a similar issue within the dog/pit community. I don’t understand why people always make it about themselves. An animal is an animal. Respect it.
May 5th, 2010 @ 9:02 am
My perception of the bull was forever altered by Elvis the Bull as profiled by Jon Katz. He wrote Elvis, the world’s smartest cow for Slate and I was smitten.
Since then I’ve progressed from having cats to fostering animals to wanting a farm of my own. A proper small one, with donkeys and a goat or two and perhaps some chickens. I have not yet graduated to a desire for a cow, but I’m sure I’ll get there.
Animals are wonderful.
http://www.slate.com/id/2140552/
May 5th, 2010 @ 9:09 am
I love this post. And I am finding it harder and harder to eat meat. I mean, how on earth do you eat a personality!???
May 5th, 2010 @ 9:16 am
Thank you for showing this stereotype to be not true! There are so many stereotypes out there that need to be destroyed! For example, sharks have such a bad rep for them, but people need to understand they are not mindless killing machines and they are not prowling the oceans in search of human prey. I constantly hear about how horrible and scary sharks are and it truly saddens me, because they are intelligent, beautiful and important creatures necessary in keeping our oceans healthy. Just had to get that out! Really enjoying the new site :)
May 5th, 2010 @ 9:36 am
Stephen ~ I don’t really see how that comment was the “flip side” of this post ~ and please pardon me if I missed an obvious point. I was more aware of your negative tone than any point you were making.
I need to make sure my comment section doesn’t degenerate into needless antagonism and therefore nip things in the bud, perhaps too early, sometimes. But I can’t and won’t babysit this site and therefore err on the side of nipping early.
Everyone can see my comment policy by clicking the link at the very top of the page that says “contact & comments”.
Thanks for understanding ~
~ S.
May 5th, 2010 @ 9:39 am
Shreve, I’m with atpanda. I love the Daily Coyote, but I love this site too. I live in the city, and when do I ever get to see and read descriptions of cows, horses, bulls, coyotes, and geese? Never! And my soul misses it, I know.
I have always thought my spirit guide was a cow, but now I’m thinking maybe it’s really a bull. Thanks for opening my eyes, every day.
May 5th, 2010 @ 9:40 am
You made an important distinction in your post – it is essential to know the animal as well as how to behave around him. I agree that there are mellow bulls out there, when they are fully tamed, and particularly among the beef breeds.
Dairy bulls tend to be much more aggressive regardless of whether there are cows or other bulls around. A large animal veterinarian friend of mine once said that dairy bulls have had the mellow bred out of them and they should always be treated with a maximum of care.
I live in a farming community where 2 people have been killed by bulls – both were experienced farm hands. I have also tangled with (wild) range bulls and they are no picnic either.
I agree that the “all bulls are dangerous” stereotype is inaccurate. Your farmily proves it. I just hope your readers don’t equate your bulls with all bulls.
May 5th, 2010 @ 9:52 am
What gorgeous animals! Cows and bulls are animals with which I’m not very experienced or familiar, so I love reading your posts about them. Bulls sound a lot like rams: I’ve often been warned to watch myself around them, but I’ve never met one that wasn’t a total doll. I always watch myself around the farm critters because some of them ARE capable of hurting me accidentally, but there isn’t a malicious bone in any of their bodies.
May 5th, 2010 @ 10:00 am
Great pics! Beautiful animals but huge. I would definitely be intimidated by them.
May 5th, 2010 @ 10:06 am
Whoa!! These boys are HUGE! Shreve, they seem to have some bison characteristics, no?
May 5th, 2010 @ 10:36 am
I married into a black angus ranch. Tim, who has now left this Earth, (bad hips, had too many “good times”) was huge. Every time I saw him I marveled at his size. My husband taught me to be cautious around him, not because he was mean, but because of his immense size. I learned to be alert but also Tim’s friend. He loved apples and a scratch between the ears. He lived out the rest of his days in an meadow with an apple tree and peacocks.
Thanks for sharing these pictures. They remind me of the good times Tim and I had.
May 5th, 2010 @ 10:50 am
My highschool boyfriend worked on his grandfather’s farm so I spent more than a few hours surrounded by cows. I was definitely no expert with any of them but I did enjoy spending time there. There were two bulls on the farm, the young one that would take the place of the old one when it was time. The old bull was pretty indifferent to me unless I had hay or treats. The younger one had a much bigger reaction. He would ram and pound his hooves at anything that stood between us. I was always too scared to figure out if he loved me or hated me…
May 5th, 2010 @ 11:01 am
I’m a big Ferdinand fan, too, and had the (mis)fortune of growing up with a lot of family members who were farmers and to whom bulls, cows, hogs and fowl were food or money to be made and not personalities. One cousin’s mouth actually dropped open when I wanted to pet a pig. They never let me get to know a bull. Then my brother moved into a farmhouse next to a cow pasture and I got to scratch some bovine noses and heads. I’d love to have one but have no place for him or her to live, so I have to live vicariously through yours, Shreve. Thanks for sharing.
May 5th, 2010 @ 11:22 am
Another great essay on rural living and animals. You have a gift for putting such things in a common-sense way.
I grew up visiting the horses and beef cattle of my family’s ranch. I was taught early on to be careful around animals, to PAY ATTENTION, especially when close to the big ones.
The one occasion my sister and I ran across a bull with his cows, he made it very clear with his posture: he was protecting his herd and we should find some other place to go. We did.
There was a little tension on our part, but as soon as we started backing up, he was satisfied and just watched us out of sight. No pawing, no head-tossing. Just an motionless, alert stance between us and the cows.
May 5th, 2010 @ 11:23 am
Can you put names with the gentlemen…er bulls, in the pictures?
Thanks!
May 5th, 2010 @ 11:25 am
I don’t know about bulls and cows, but I never once looked at their faces and thought they look “mean.” In fact, I think they have very sweet faces. Again, I know nothing about their disposition, but I love the pics and the boys look very SWEET! Thanks for sharing!
May 5th, 2010 @ 11:28 am
My grandfather was a dairy farmer and from the time I was two, he would take me out to pet, kiss, and give apples to Henry the Bull. I have never thought of bulls as mean and I’m glad to see someone say it so elequently.
May 5th, 2010 @ 11:30 am
what i know about bulls you could put in a thimble, but i think these are some mighty magnificant specimens of bulls. i do love to watch PBR and some of those bulls are just plain cantankerous. i always root for the bull not the bull rider; i think most of those bulls range are “just plain cute”. in most of these pictures which bull is it? your “farmily” is definitely not the norm though; i mean that as a compliment!!
May 5th, 2010 @ 11:43 am
Great post. I’ve found the same with stallions and the mean ones I’ve met… the meanness is directly tied to their treatment by the owner.
Love the top photo! Amazing how you got details in the black without it looking gray. I know your a pro photographer and all, but I’m still impressed with your skill :)
May 5th, 2010 @ 11:46 am
Shreve, have you seen this video of a bull and a horse playing together? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bzfFyPNQL_U
I have no experience of bulls, but stallions have a similar reputation–and what you say is so true. I love stallions (but will geld if they’re not to be breeding animals). My favorite riding horse in the world is an active breeding stallion (no, dear, you do not need five legs for saddle work, even if there is a mare at ringside). The extra edge means I have to be on my toes always, but it gives him so much more intensity and dedication to his work. He’s also one of the sweetest horses you’ll ever meet.
It’s lovely to learn that bulls are like this, too. It makes me want to meet one.
May 5th, 2010 @ 11:54 am
My mother was the daughter of a dairy farmer; so we always had a great farm to visit when I was growing up. But if there was a bull around when we visited, we were given stern warnings to stay well away from the field that housed the bull. My mother, to this day, refuses to entertain any suggestion that bulls are not evildoers by their very nature. So I love your posts about the bulls, Shreve. I love having a long-held belief challenged by new information and a new way of thinking!!! I absolutely adore these photos.
May 5th, 2010 @ 12:00 pm
sorry that last post was sort of confusing. the word “range” should not be there. maybe it will make more sense now! sorry!!
May 5th, 2010 @ 12:07 pm
I’m bullish on your blog! Your tenderness and empathy shine through in your writing.
Would it be wrong of me to think “gee, I hope she doesn’t want to have kids”? This world needs more people like you, spending your days doing what you’re doing with animals, than we need more baby humans in this world. I hope I’m not out of line. If you want children, I’m sure you’ll be a great mom too.
May 5th, 2010 @ 12:40 pm
The same is true of bull elephants, which are massive and twice the size of female elephants. When bulls enter musth, their testosterone levels skyrocket, making them more aggressive and territorial, and therefore dangerous. However, elephant researchers have nothing but lovely things to say about the bulls they study. Most are placid, sweet-natured, patient, and tolerant, in addition to being massively intelligent (as all elephants are).
And they are very polite with the ‘ladies’ (mainly because elephant society is matriarchal and the females are in charge!).
May 5th, 2010 @ 12:42 pm
Here is my wish list : Weekly pictures of Cisco, Sir Baby, and Elie.
And of course Ricardo.
Thanks.
May 5th, 2010 @ 1:11 pm
P.S. Just want to express big thanks to Judith Tarr who linked to the wonderful video of the bull and stallion playing. I don’t know what I enjoyed more, the animals having fun or the joy in the voices of the people watching.
May 5th, 2010 @ 1:31 pm
Janet ~ I am cracking up. You’re not out of line for having that thought, in my opinion! And… yeah, never really had the urge to have children, so, we happen to be on the same page, too. :)
May 5th, 2010 @ 1:37 pm
THat video!! Thanks Judith!
May 5th, 2010 @ 2:03 pm
Beautiful animals, Shreve! I have to admit I’ve got a slight fear of cows, just their sheer size scares me. It’s diminished though the more time I’ve spent around them. Cheers!
May 5th, 2010 @ 2:10 pm
Okay, so that first portrait? HANDSOME. What a fantastic regal expression.
May 5th, 2010 @ 2:31 pm
How beautifully put. I grew up on a farm and occasionally the bull from “next door” would wander over to say hello. He was never mean and never hurt a soul. His immense size terrified people, but as a little girl, I just looked at him as more to love and he was always kind and gentle in return.
May 5th, 2010 @ 2:33 pm
Do you think any animal is capable of meanness? Or conversely, of kindness?
I think no. But I’ve seen cats come eerily close on both counts, so my opinion isn’t set in stone.
May 5th, 2010 @ 5:10 pm
Sure, I can do that. As long as we’re on opposite sides of the fence…
May 5th, 2010 @ 5:50 pm
I would love to be surrounded by animals!! Kisses to the bulls~~
May 5th, 2010 @ 6:00 pm
Your right Shreve. People have a misconception about bulls. I think it is their sheer size that puts that thought into peoples’ heads. I remember once, many years ago, going up to a bull and just rubbing his head between and just above his eyes. He loved it. The farmer said he had never seen his bull just stand there and let someone touch him. Maybe he sensed that I was not afraid, I don’t know. He was a handsome brute as well.
I think your guys are wonderful, and you are right. You need to use common sense around any animal.
I love this site, just as much as the Daily Coyote. Good to see Eli the other day.
May 5th, 2010 @ 6:04 pm
Love it! Written with thoughtful wisdom and humanity in your heart!
May 5th, 2010 @ 6:55 pm
Jonelle – That’s one of the reasons I’ve been a vegetarian for 30 years.
My only up close experience with a herd of cows was many years ago when I was in some woods bordering their pasture. They all came over to see me and it was quite intimidating to have these huge creatures so close. They were just curious. It was wonderful.
May 5th, 2010 @ 6:59 pm
It’s always heart-warming to see the different personalities that animals have. They have been treated so badly on this planet.
May 5th, 2010 @ 7:13 pm
Here Here! All bovine can injury a human due to their size. Just as a horse, donkey, mule, goat, sheep…. you have keep your wits and know where you are in relation to the animal. Give Daisy a neck rub for me. I just love her smile.
May 5th, 2010 @ 7:18 pm
Thanks for this celebration of all things Taurus! We’re not mean — you just gotta know how to behave around us :-)
May 5th, 2010 @ 7:34 pm
I just remembered a story of a family who raised a buffalo named Bailey. Here’s a link with a slide show of Bailey and his family.
http://www.life.com/image/3222491/in-gallery/22440/meet-my-pet-buffalo
May 5th, 2010 @ 8:01 pm
Lesley ~ OMG!!!! Now they have guts ~ a buffalo in the house + white carpets ~ ha!
May 5th, 2010 @ 9:23 pm
Currently we have 4 bulls all various ages. One bull who will be three years on 5/9 I bottle fed as his mom had to be put down. They are wonderful, generous animals, but I give them plenty of respect. I love your pictures — such majestic creatures.
May 5th, 2010 @ 9:38 pm
Stunningly handsome! That first photo is mesmerizing.
Love the photos of buffalo Bailey in the house! And I thought I had it tough wiping 4 sets of dirty dog paws when it rains out! Yikes! LOL
May 5th, 2010 @ 10:14 pm
I’m not sure if “the camera adds 10 lbs” goes for bulls, too, but dang that’s a big boy!! I have ZERO experience with or knowledge of the bovine species, but I once met a Jersey Cow who stole my heart with a look and a wink :)
May 5th, 2010 @ 11:29 pm
I just had to comment! While I’m not a big cow fan, my neighbor’s bull does make me giggle frequently. See, his name is Elvis, and when he’s not romancing the girls, he lives in the pasture next to my neighbor’s house. His name is Elvis because he sings to her whenever he sees her! Makes me laugh everytime I hear him!
May 6th, 2010 @ 7:48 am
great post as usual!
May 6th, 2010 @ 7:51 am
THANK YOU! My two Bulls are the mellowest guys…:O)…and the FIRST to come and eat browse from me when I trim trees, etc…
May 6th, 2010 @ 9:00 am
That was well said Shreve…why do people always say Mares are bad? I adopted a BLM Mustang mare and everybody says “oh no!!” Maybe only I can see her gentle eyes.
May 6th, 2010 @ 9:14 am
I loved this post! Do you think you can upload a sound clip sometime of the bulls or Daisy mooing?
May 6th, 2010 @ 10:08 am
I am not a vegetarian. I rarely eat cows and I do not eat pigs. I stick mostly to chicken and seafood. However, since reading about your bulls I feel bad if I eat meat. They say that if everyone had to work in a slaughter house more people would stop eating meat. That would be the worst job!!!
May 6th, 2010 @ 11:07 am
Laura ~ The other side is that if no one ate beef, these bulls wouldn’t be alive. Or, at the very least, they wouldn’t get to do their job (which is a pretty awesome job)…
No easy answers, that’s for sure. Making sure your beef is grass-fed, grass-finished, and humanely slaughtered is the key, in my opinion, for those who eat meat.
Actually, good stewardship practises (on the producer’s end) should be a factor in our decision-making when buying anything ~ food, veggies, clothing, etc. Oh, this topic is worthy of a post in itself!
May 6th, 2010 @ 12:27 pm
What a lovely post.
Much as I love Charlie’s blog, I do believe this one is becoming my favorite – I just love the stories, and how you write them.
May 6th, 2010 @ 12:42 pm
I have always, always loved bulls. Growing up visiting my grandpa’s farm and watching the bulls gave me that love. I am glad you feel the same way about them as I do.
May 7th, 2010 @ 10:56 pm
oh but that I could kiss these boys right on the schnozzz…so cute
May 8th, 2010 @ 2:20 pm
LOVELOVELOVE this blog… your photography… your perspective… your animals… your writing.
Thank you for sharing.
May 10th, 2010 @ 9:58 am
Sue Miller at #20 gives reasonable information about dairy bulls which matches what I learned in rural Virginia. I knew an experienced ox-handler who was killed by a Jersey bull.
Beef bulls are much less problematic than Jersey bulls.
May 16th, 2010 @ 12:24 am
Very cool post. That first fellow is simply amazing.
January 19th, 2011 @ 1:53 pm
I just love your posts- always interesting and a respectful embrace of life that surrounds us.
January 19th, 2011 @ 4:13 pm
When I am in the pasture with Rocky (sheep) there are other guys in the pasture too–emus, goats, all kinds of ex-pet pigs, and a huge longhorn. He’s old as the hills and prefers to be left alone. However, when approached and asked if he’s like a pat, he will bow his head and you must scratch right behind his horns. When he’s done, he will gently shake his head letting you know he’s done with the attention, never hitting you or hurting you.
One day I was laying in the hay in the loafing shed with Rocky and another little lamb Stella. We were napping and I felt Stella start and when I opened my eyes, Longhorn was quietly and gently walking through the loafing shed, stepping over my outstretched legs and blocking the sunlight!! I calmed Stella telling her it was a Longhorn eclipse and it would be over soon….
Then there’s Chester (the molester) a brangus brat. He’s loved on me and he’s tried to sneak up behind me (Longhorn ran him off) and he’s chased me around a gator just for fun. He’s a bottle baby and still doesn’t realize he’s not a calf that can play with humans…he doesn’t want to hurt us, he just wants to play…
January 20th, 2011 @ 6:42 am
I love to watch Temple Grandin lie down in the middle of a field of cows. You can see her do it here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46ycu3JFRrA
January 20th, 2011 @ 7:44 am
They are such handsome brutes..not said in a mean way. but just their size, speaks of power and strength…
January 20th, 2011 @ 11:50 am
I see this is an old blog, but must comment anyway.
One of the animal stereotypes out there that I run into a lot is that female dogs are so much more desirable than males. Even among people with otherwise seemingly healthy attitudes towards their pets. It’s unfortunate that this idea is perpetuated, because males often are just the sweetest thing.
So many people project their own images onto animals, rather than letting animals be what they are and having more real interactions with them. It’s heartening to encounter people who have true respect and true relationships with animals.
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