There are a different cattle bedding formats: deep-bedded
sheds, where the straw is built up each day and then the bedding is removed
after a certain timeline (1 week, 1 month, etc), free-stalls, where there is a
shed set up for each cow/calf and the bedding is removed each day, and
tie-stalls, which literally chain the animal in place. There are also calf
sheds and bull sheds to keep them separate. It really depends on what the size
of the herd is and the format the farm uses. A small farm might house the cows
and calves together due to space issues. In almost all of the farm formats
though bulls are kept separately because they are aggressive. "Stock Bulls
are dangerous, bulls were responsible for 59% of fatalities caused by animals
from 2000 to 2010 according to a recent HSA report" (A Stock Bull vs
Artificial Insemination (Beef), n.d.) . As for rates, it
depends, one study showed in Ireland infertility rates around “25% of all
working bulls are sub-fertile or infertile (10%** are infertile)” (A Stock
Bull vs Artificial Insemination (Beef), n.d.) . Veterinary manuals
show A.I. rates between “50%–60% …[on the] first service, the same percentage
on second service” (Statham,
n.d.) .
**Objective comparison of artificial insemination and the
stock bull in Irish dairy herds - Donagh Berry*, Andrew Cromie†, Sean Coughlan†
& Pat Dillon** Teagasc Moorepark, †The Irish Cattle Breeding Federation April
2005.
References
A Stock Bull vs Artificial Insemination (Beef). (n.d.). Retrieved February 5, 2017, from
Progressive Genetics:
http://www.progressivegenetics.ie/Blog/Post-Detail/Beef-A-Stock-Bull-vs-Artificial-Insemination
Statham, J. (n.d.). Breeding in Cattle
Reproduction. Retrieved February 5, 2017, from Merck Manual Veterinary
Manual:
http://www.merckvetmanual.com/management-and-nutrition/management-of-reproduction-cattle/breeding-in-cattle-reproduction
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