DANGEROUS BULLS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 September 1929, Page 8

DANGEROUS BULLS

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES. CHRISTCHURCH, Sept. IG. Several fatalities caused by bad-tem-pered bulls have occurred recently. Interviewed by a reporter yesterday, an experienced farmer said that the crop of accidents was a sign both of the breeding season and of the increase in the number of Jersey buffs in New Zealand.

The Jersey breed, lie said, was the most treacherous there was, and because of the breed’s value from a dairying point of view an increasing number were making their appearance on dairy' farms every year. All bulls became more bad-tempered and difficult to handle during the breeding season, which was just the time when more work had to be done with them. The farmer stressed the danger of allowing a Jersey bull to run with the cows. Boys and girls frequently went out to yard the herd, and the presence of the bull was always a danger.

The best plan was to provide a small well-fenced bull paddock with a yard in one corner and a race. By this means cows could be put in the yard and the bull admitted without anyone having to be in tlie. paddock with him at all. This plan had been successfully adopted by a well-known Jersey breeder in Marlborough. The bull should also be provided with a shelter shed where he could be fed during the winter when grass was scarce. . . Another safety method was to plant in all cow paddocks single trees, If a man kept his head no bull had a hope of getting him once he was behind a tree. The man could go round the tree three times to the bull’s once, but, as a mattr of fact, a bull would not try to follow round the tree.

Many years ago the owner of a farm not far from Christchurch had a narrow escape from being caught by a bull. He made a resolve not to have the occurrence repeated, and at once planted a single willow tree in the entre of each paddock. The property from that time, onwards got the name of “One-tree farm.” When told of another man’s experience of dodging a charging bull in an open paddock, the farmer interviewed admitted that was possible, but said that few people could their heads sufficiently to stand still until the charging, animal had almost reached them.

There should be little danger from bulls on Banks Peninsula as most of the animals; in that district were Shorthorns, which were usually very safe. The public were not likely to encounter bulls on public roadways because the law was very strict in that direction, and inflicted a heavy penalty on the owner,;,of a bull found at large. In nearly every case a hull that had once gored a man was shot, for the animal was always unsafe afterwar,ds, said the farmer.,.

There was no doubt that the subsequent temper of a bull was greatly affected by .the treatment received as a calf. Frpjn the calf stage onwards, a young hull./should he carefully and firmly handled, without being abused. Above all he should not be handled about the head, for that provoked the fighting instinct, which might develop dangerously in the fully grown animal.