Bull

A bull is an intact (i.e., not castrated) adult male of the species Bos
taurus (cattle). More muscular and aggressive than the female of the
species, the cow, the bull has long been an important symbol in
many cultures, and plays a significant role in both beef ranching and
dairy farming, and in a variety of other cultural activities.

Contents
Nomenclature A Charolais bull
Characteristics
Reproductive anatomy
Behavior
Management
Beef production
Temperament and handling
Handling
Artificial insemination
Relationship with humans
Significance in human culture
See also
References
External links

Nomenclature
The female counterpart to a bull is a cow, while a male of the species that has been castrated is a steer, ox[1]
or bullock, although in North America, this last term refers to a young bull, and in Australia to a draught
animal. Use of these terms varies considerably with area and dialect. Colloquially, people unfamiliar with
cattle may refer to both castrated and intact animals as "bulls".

A wild, young, unmarked bull is known as a micky in Australia.[2] Improper or late castration on a bull
results in it becoming a coarse steer, also known as a stag in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand.[3] In
some countries, an incompletely castrated male is known also as a rig or ridgling.

The word "bull" also denotes the males of other bovines, including bison and water buffalo, as well as many
other species of large animals including elephants, rhinos, seals and walruses, hippos, camels, giraffes, elk,
moose, whales, and antelopes.

Characteristics
Bulls are much more muscular than cows, with thicker bones, larger feet, a
very muscular neck, and a large, bony head with protective ridges over the
eyes. These features assist bulls in fighting for domination over a herd,
giving the winner superior access to cows for reproduction.[4] The hair is
generally shorter on the body, but the neck and head often have a "mane" of
curlier, wooly hair. Bulls are usually about the same height as cows or a little
taller, but because of the additional muscle and bone mass, they often weigh
far more. Most of the time, a bull has a hump on his shoulders.[5] In horned
cattle, the horns of bulls tend to be thicker and somewhat shorter than those
of cows,[6] and in many breeds, they curve outwards in a flat arc rather than
upwards in a lyre shape. It is not true, as is commonly believed, bulls have A Scottish Highland bull
horns and cows do not: the presence of horns depends on the breed, or in
horned breeds on whether the horns have been disbudded (although in many
breeds of sheep, it is true that only the males have horns). Cattle that naturally do not have horns are referred
to as polled, or muleys.[7]

Castrated male cattle are physically similar to females in build and horn shape, although if allowed to reach
maturity, they may be considerably taller than either bulls or cows, with heavily muscled shoulders and
necks.[8]

Reproductive anatomy

Bulls become fertile around seven months of age. Their

fertility is closely related to the size of their testicles,
and one simple test of fertility is to measure the
circumference of the scrotum; a young bull is likely to
be fertile once this reaches 28 centimetres (11 in); that
of a fully adult bull may be over 40 centimetres
(16 in).[9][10]Bulls have a fibroelastic penis. Given the
small amount of erectile tissue, little enlargement occurs
after erection. The penis is quite rigid when not erect,
and becomes even more rigid during erection.
Protrusion is not affected much by erection, but more by The reproductive system of a bull
relaxation of the retractor penis muscle and
straightening of the sigmoid flexure.[11][12][13] Bulls are
occasionally affected by a condition known as "corkscrew penis".[14][15] The penis of a mature bull is about
3–4 cm in diameter,[16][17][18][19] and 80–100 cm in length.[20] The bull's glans penis has a rounded and
elongated shape.[20]

Behavior

A common misconception widely repeated in depictions of bull behavior is that the color red angers bulls,
inciting them to charge. In fact, like most mammals, cattle are red–green color blind.[21] In bullfighting, the
movement of the matador's cape, and not the color, provokes a reaction in the bull.

Management
Beef production

Other than the few bulls needed for breeding, the vast majority of male cattle are castrated and slaughtered
for meat before the age of three years, except where they are needed (castrated) as work oxen for haulage.
Most of these beef animals are castrated as calves to reduce aggressive behavior and prevent unwanted
mating,[22] although some are reared as uncastrated bull beef. A bull is typically ready for slaughter one or
two months sooner than a castrated male or a female, and produces proportionately more and leaner
muscle.[22]

Frame score is a useful way of describing the skeletal size of bulls and other cattle. Frame scores can be
used as an aid to predict mature cattle sizes and aid in the selection of beef bulls. They are calculated from
hip height and age. In sales catalogues, this measurement is frequently reported in addition to weight and
other performance data such as estimated breed value.[23]

Temperament and handling

Adult bulls may weigh between 500 and 1,000 kg (1,100 and
2,200 lb). Most are capable of aggressive behavior and require
careful handling to ensure safety of humans and other animals.
Those of dairy breeds may be more prone to aggression, while beef
breeds are somewhat less aggressive, though beef breeds such as the
Spanish Fighting Bull and related animals are also noted for
aggressive tendencies, which are further encouraged by selective
breeding.
A bull paws up dust in a threat
An estimated 42% of all livestock-related fatalities in Canada are a display
result of bull attacks, and fewer than one in 20 victims of a bull
attack survives.[24] Dairy breed bulls are particularly dangerous and
unpredictable; the hazards of bull handling are a significant cause of injury
and death for dairy farmers in some parts of the United States.[25][26][27] The
need to move a bull in and out of its pen to cover cows exposes the handler
to serious jeopardy of life and limb.[28] Being trampled, jammed against a
wall, or gored by a bull was one of the most frequent causes of death in the
dairy industry before 1940.[29] With regard to such risks, one popular
farming magazine has suggested, "Handle the bull with a staff and take no
chances. The gentle bull, not the vicious one, most often kills or maims his
keeper".[30]

However, and like other domestic animals, some bulls have saved human
lives. For instance, when the wolf-like Beast of Gevaudan terrorized people
in France in the 18th century, some people were saved by their bulls. The A warning sign for a bull-
first recorded sighting in 1764 was by a young woman tending to cattle occupied field
when the beast charged from the woods. Before it could reach her, the herd
bulls charged and fended the beast off twice.[31]

Handling

In many areas, placing rings in bulls' noses to help control them is traditional. The ring is usually made of
copper, and is inserted through a small hole cut in the septum of the nose. It is used by attaching a lead rope
either directly to it or running through it from a head collar, or for more difficult bulls, a bull pole (or bull
 staff) may be used. This is a rigid pole about 1 m (3 ft) long with a
clip at one end; this attaches to the ring and allows the bull both to
be led and to be held away from his handler.

An aggressive bull may be kept confined in a bull pen, a robustly

constructed shelter and pen, often with an arrangement to allow the
bull to be fed without entering the pen. If an aggressive bull is
allowed to graze outside, additional precautions may be needed to
help avoid his harming people. One method is a bull mask, which
either covers the bull's eyes completely, or restricts his vision to the
A bull with a nose ring, tethered to a
ground immediately in front of him, so he cannot see his potential
picket
victim. Another method is to attach a length of chain to the bull's
nose-ring, so that if he ducks his head to charge, he steps on the
chain and is brought up short. Alternatively, the bull may be
hobbled, or chained by his ring or by a collar to a solid object such as a ring fixed into the ground.

In larger pastures, particularly where a bull is kept with other cattle, the animals may simply be fed from a
pickup truck or tractor, the vehicle itself providing some protection for the humans involved. Generally,
bulls kept with cows tend to be less aggressive than those kept alone. In herd situations, cows with young
calves are often more dangerous to humans. In the off season, multiple bulls may be kept together in a
"bachelor herd".

Artificial insemination

Many cattle ranches and stations run bulls with cows, and most dairy or beef
farms traditionally had at least one, if not several, bulls for purposes of herd
maintenance.[32][33] However, the problems associated with handling a bull
(particularly where cows must be removed from his presence to be worked)
has prompted many dairy farmers to restrict themselves to artificial
insemination (AI) of the cows.[34] Semen is removed from the bulls and
stored in canisters of liquid nitrogen, where it is kept until it can be sold, at
which time it can be very profitable; in fact, many ranchers keep bulls Bullfighting
specifically for this purpose. AI is also used to improve the quality of a herd,
or to introduce an outcross of bloodlines. Some ranchers prefer to use AI to
allow them to breed to several different bulls in a season or to breed their best stock to a higher-quality bull
than they could afford to purchase outright. AI may also be used in conjunction with embryo transfer to
allow cattle producers to add new breeding to their herds.

Relationship with humans

Aside from their reproductive duties, bulls are also used in certain
sports, including bullfighting and bull riding. They are also
incorporated into festivals and folk events such as the Running of
the Bulls and were seen in ancient sports such as bull-leaping.
Though less common than castrated males, bulls are used as draught
oxen in some areas.[35][36] The once-popular sport of bull-baiting, in
which a bull is attacked by specially bred and trained dogs (which
came to be known as bulldogs), was banned in England by the
Cruelty to Animals Act 1835. An aurochs bull in a cave painting in
Lascaux, France
 As with other animals, some bulls have been regarded as pets. The singer
Charo, for instance, has owned a pet bull named Manolo.[37]

Significance in human culture

A bull used in heraldry: Coat
of arms of Mecklenburg
region, Germany
Bulls have held a place of significance in human culture since before the
beginning of recorded history. They appear in cave paintings estimated to be
up to 17,000 years old. The mythic Bull of the Heavens plays a role in the
ancient Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, dating as far back as 2150 BC. The
importance of the bull is reflected in its appearance in the zodiac as Taurus,
and its numerous appearances in mythology, where it is often associated
with fertility. See also Korban. In Hinduism, a bull named Nandi, usually
depicted seated, is worshipped as the vehicle of the god Shiva and depicted
on many of the images of that deity.

Symbolically, the bull appears commonly in heraldry. Bulls appears as charges and crests on the arms of
several British families. Winged bulls appear as supporters in the arms of the Worshipful Company of
Butchers.[38] In modern times, the bull is used as a mascot by both amateur and professional sports teams.

See also
Cow-calf operation

References
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2. Sheena Coupe (ed.), Frontier Country, Vol. 1 (Weldon Russell Publishing, Willoughby, 1989),
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3. "Sure Ways to Lose Money on Your Cattle" (http://www.spiritwoodstockyards.ca/losemoney.ht
ml). Spiritwoodstockyards.ca. Retrieved 2012-08-06.
4. C. J. C. Phillips, Principles of Cattle Production (2010), p. 50.
5. Woods, Katie (30 July 2015). "How to determine if cattle are bulls, steers, cows or heifers -
Farm and Dairy" (https://www.farmanddairy.com/top-stories/how-to-determine-if-cattle-are-bulls
-steers-cows-or-heifers/274534.html). Farm and Dairy. Retrieved December 27, 2017.
6. Klaus-Dieter Budras, et al, Bovine Anatomy: An Illustrated Text (2003), p. 36.
7. "Muley" (https://www.thefreedictionary.com/muley). The Free Dictionary. Retrieved
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8. TIM TRAINOR Montana Standard (2010-04-28). "Example of large steer" (http://missoulian.co
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9. "A P Carter, P D P Wood and Penelope A Wright (1980), Association between scrotal
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9.htm#reasons), Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, June 2007.
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25. "Larry D. Jacobson, Extension Agricultural Engineer, Safe Work Practices on Dairy Farms,
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029/http://www.extension.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/DI0878.html). University of
Minnesota - Extension. www.extension.umn.edu. Archived from the original (http://www.extensi
on.umn.edu/distribution/livestocksystems/DI0878.html) on July 12, 2013. Retrieved 10 January
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dairy bulls"
26. Cumberland County (Pa.) Sentinel, Shippensburg, Pa., February 12, 2008 (http://cumberlink.c
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ml) A farmer in Southampton County, Michigan, was killed by a 2000-lb Holstein bull in
Cumberland County, Pennsylvania, in February, 2008.
27. The Reading [Pennsylvania]Eagle, March 1, 2010 (http://readingeagle.com/article.aspx?id=20
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29. O.C. Gregg, Ed., Minnesota Farmer's Institute Annual No. 15, Pioneer Press, St. Paul, Minn.
(1902), at p. 125; The James Way, The James Manufacturing Co., Ft. Atkinson, Wisc. (1914),
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31. Todaro, Giovanni (1 January 2014). "The man-eater of Gévaudan" (https://books.google.co
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38. Arthur Fox-Davies, A Complete Guide to Heraldry, T.C. and E.C. Jack, London, 1909, 205-
207, https://archive.org/details/completeguidetoh00foxduoft.

External links
 Quotations related to Bull at Wikiquote
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