Stryker the Jersey Bull

Stryker is Daisy's bull calf.  He's a registered Jersey bull and is eighteen months old.  I'm not real good at estimating weight, but I'd guess he's somewhere between 450 and 500 pounds and will start to put on some more weight as soon as the Spring grass comes in.

Tricia and I have talked about it and have decided that we're going to put him up for sale.  We have 3 acres of pasture and right now we have Daisy, Rosie, Maggie and Stryker on it.  As soon as the Spring grass really comes in we'll separate the pasture into paddocks using temporary electric fence and begin rotational grazing.  The little dairy herd has eaten a lot of hay over the winter and we have 10 bales left.  Daisy, Rosie and Maggie are all expecting calves and our little 3 acres is not enough acreage to carry that many cows.  Someone has to go and it looks like Stryker pulled the short straw.

The other day as I was fixing the roosting bars in one of our chicken tractors, Stryker came and started knocking into the tractor with his head while I was in it.  It caught me by surprise and scared the devil out of me.  I'm not sure if he was being playful or mean, but I'm not taking any chances with him.


Curious Stryker

He and Maggie are in the same paddock together and I think they're buddies.  They share the same water trough and bales of hay.

Stryker and Maggie at the water trough

I'm going to put Stryker in the Market bulletin, Craigslist, and maybe put a sign out in front of the house letting people know that our registered Jersey bull is for sale.  In the meantime I'll do some research to see what a fair price to ask for him would be.  He is Daisy's second little bull in a row.  She's due in early May and we're hoping for a heifer this time.  

Stryker swishing his tail

I've also been doing some reading and confirmed that Jersey bulls are one of the most dangerous bulls there are.  According to what I've read they are unpredictable and vicious, and view you as competition for their "lady friends."  They will chase you, gore you, mash you and knock you to the ground.  They just snap.  They have been known to kill farmers and farmer's wives.  He hasn't shown any aggressive traits so far other than hitting his head against the tractor the other day when I was in it.  I do know this - I don't trust him and won't turn my back to him.

What are you looking at?

When we sell him Maggie will miss her buddy.  They'll lick one another and hang out together most of the day.  They are almost that same size and were only born two days apart.


Buddies

They'll also playfully headbutt one another.

Butting heads

Hopefully we'll find a new home for him quickly.