Figure 1. Yellow sticky card trap used to monitor western corn rootworm adults.

ELDON COLE

MT. VERNON, MO.
   As I wrote the item above and mentioned “turning the bull or bulls out” I thought of how many cow-calf producers in the area never pen the bull up in the first place. It should be a given, that the bulls have a designated time to be with the females, then back to the bull pen. With our usual split calving season, I see the bull being out 75 to no more than 90 days each season. Some will narrow the season down to 45 days in the spring and late fall early winter.
   The bull pen should be fairly handy to the farm headquarters. I suggest having around three acres per bull in a pasture type setting. Along with that, shade and windbreaks or sheds can be an asset. Of course it’s a given that it has a good source of fresh water either from a stream, pond or automatic waterer. An electric fence may be added to the basic wire fence for reinforcement.
A bull pen is a vital part of any well-managed cow-calf set up. It helps bunch calf crops and prevents bred heifers. It also helps you identify cows that are slow breeders that should be culled.
   If you don’t have a bull pen maybe you should consider leasing bulls for a designated period and let someone else warehouse them or even arrange with a neighbor to care for them and the neighbor may even have a different breeding season than yours. Remember you probably only need a bull 150 to 180 days a year if you have two calving seasons. If you have only one season, that translates to 75 to 90 days of need for a bull. ∆
   ELDON COLE: Extension Livestock Specialist, University of Missouri