Farewell to Billy Boy

Billy Boy is a Devon bull.  He's got a heart emblem on his right shoulder (see below photo) and that is appropriate, because that's why he's been on our pasture for the last couple of months.  His job was to romance, woo, and breed Rosie and Elsie.  It is time for him to go.  Our grass, with the lack of regular rains, is in short supply.

Our friend that loaned him to us has a sale for him in St. Francisville.  Perfect!  I borrowed some panels from my friend and set up a makeshift corral.  One morning this weekend, I brought some hay and sweet feed into the corral after closing the nosy goats in the barn.  The three cows and Billy Boy followed me into the corral.  I quickly escorted the ladies out and closed up Billy Boy.  It was nice and easy.

He didn't like being confined.  He used his horns to lift the corral, but he wasn't successful in breaking free.  His horns, however, got a nice, green paint job!  I watered him and then called my friend to come get him at his convenience.

He backed his truck up to the gate and I cracked the gate to the corral.  Alfalfa hay was tossed into the front of the trailer.  Ol' Billy Boy sniffed at it and walked slowly toward it.  I got behind him and just like that, he was up in the trailer.  The back gate was closed and Billy Boy was ready for a road trip.

So, was Billy Boy successful in breeding Rosie and Elsie?  That's a good question.  We saw them breed - several times, in fact.  Elsie came back into heat several times, but this last time, it appears she was successfully bred.  We didn't palpate them, so we don't know for sure.

We'll have to wait and see.  LuLu, we think, was bred by the registered Jersey Bull, Nick, who came courting.  She should be calving later this summer.  It has been a drama-filled summer with Billy Boy and his horns.  It'll be nice to have only our docile, horn-less Jersey cows in the pasture.  Peace.  At last.