Bulls of Recognised Breeds?

Q. Why are bulls over ten months of a recognised dairy breed (Ayrshire, British Friesian, British Holstein, Dairy Shorthorn, Guernsey, Jersey and Kerry) banned from fields crossed by public paths, whilst other bulls (non-recognised breeds) only banned unless accompanied by cows or heifers?

Are non-recognised breeds inherently less dangerous?

Ged Garbutt, Kenilworth

A. If you've got a dog with you, any cattle can be a bit scary. Bulls with cows and calves are usually pretty docile and, basically, seem to be too lazy/uninterested to bother.

Bullocks and young bulls will appear aggressive but are easily scared off by an assertive approach. Cows with calves on the other hand can be a bit wild and are best avoided. Take the long way around the edges of a field,or use another field if they seem a bit frisky.

Use judgement - If you're on a popular path where the cattle are used to passers-by, I would guess that you're less at risk than if the cattle aren't accustomed to being disturbed.

Pigs, on the other hand, are a different matter....

Mike Knipe, Crook

A. Hi, There was no date on this thread, so I'm not sure if anyone is following this still! The original question, "Why recognised dairy breeds over 10mth banned, but non-recognised (i.e. non-dairy breeds) OK with heifers/cows" The answer is simply that dairy breeds are generally quite a bit less predictable & as a simple rule of thumb, the quieter the cow, the stroppier the bull! Those lovely little jersey cows all had very anry little jersey bull fathers! Hope this helps, Jim (I'm a cattle only vet)

Jim Wiltshire, Berkeley

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