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Bull Facts & Worksheets

A bull is a fully grown adult male of the Bos taurus species. Bulls are a key signifier in many religions.

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A bull is a fully grown adult male of the Bos taurus species. Bulls are a key signifier in many religions, as well as for sacrifices because they are stronger and generally more aggressive than females from the same species (i.e., cows).

See the fact file below for more information on the Bull or alternatively, you can download our 30-page Bull worksheet pack to utilise within the classroom or home environment.

Key Facts & Information

NOMENCLATURE

  • These animals are essential in raising beef cattle, dairy production, and a wide range of cultural and sporting activities, such as bullfighting and bull riding. Their monetary value includes their use in herd maintenance.
  • A cow is a female counterpart to a bull, and a castrated male of the species is referred to as a steer, ox, or bullock, though in North America, this last term refers to a young bull. The usage of these terms differs greatly depending on location and dialect. People who are unfamiliar with cattle may relate to both castrated and intact animals as “bulls”, colloquially.
  • A wild, young, uncleared bull in Australia is called a Micky. 
  • When a bull is castrated incorrectly or late, he becomes a coarse steer, also identified as a stag in Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. In some countries, an uncastrated male is also referred to as a rig or a ridgling.
  • The term “bull” also refers to the males of other bovine species, such as bison and water buffalo, and other animals like elephants, rhinos, seals and walruses, hippos, camels, giraffes, elk, moose, whales, and antelope.

DISTINCTION AND REPRODUCTION

  • Bulls have thicker bones, larger legs, very muscular necks, and large, bony heads and horns. The skull has larger protective ridges over the eyes compared to cows. These characteristics aid bulls in their fight for dominance over a herd, granting the victor direct exposure to cows for procreation.
  • The hair on the body of a bull is generally shorter, but the neck and head frequently have a “mane” of curlier, woolly hair to protect the skin. Bulls are typically the same height as cows or slightly taller. And because of their greater muscle and bone mass, they weigh significantly more. A bull usually has a hump on his shoulders.
  • Bull horns are thicker and shorter than those of cows in horned cattle.
  • In several breeds, they curve outward from the center in a flat arc instead of upwards in a lyre shape.
  • The presence of horns is determined by the breed or whether the horns have been disbudded in horned species.
  • Furthermore, cattle that are born without horns are known as polled or muleys. Castrated male cattle have a similar build and horn shape to females, but if allowed to mature, they can grow to be larger than cows and castrated bulls, with muscular shoulders and necks.
  • Bulls become fertile around the age of seven months. Their fertility is closely linked to the size of their testicles, and one simple test of sperm quality is to measure the circumference of the scrotum: a young bull is likely to become fertile once the circumference reaches 28 centimeters. An adult bull may have a circumference of more than 40 centimeters.
  • The penis of bulls is fibroelastic. Because of the tiny portion of erectile tissue, there is little enlargement after erection. When not erect, the penis is relatively rigid, becoming more rigid through erection.
  • A common misconception in the representation of bull behavior is that they are enraged by the color red. Cattle, like most mammals, are colorblind in the red-green spectrum. In bullfighting, injury and harassment by the matador, and the movement of his cape, not the color, causes the bull to react.

PRODUCTION AND HANDLING

  • Except for the few bulls required for breeding, the overwhelming majority of male cattle are castrated and slaughtered for meat before they are three years old. 
  • Castration is done to prevent aggression and unwanted breeding.
  • The exception to going to slaughter is when they’re needed to work as oxen for hauling. 
  • An uncastrated bull is usually ready for slaughter one to two months earlier than a castrated male, or female, producing correspondingly leaner muscle.
  • The frame score is an effective way to quantify the skeletal size of bulls and other cattle. Frame scores can be used to predict mature cattle sizes and help with beef bull selection. The score is determined by hip height and age. 
  • Adult bulls can weigh anywhere from 500 to 1,000 kg. Most are aggressive and must be handled carefully to protect humans and other animals. 
  • These dairy breeds may be more prone to aggression, whereas beef breeds are slightly less aggressive, although some beef breeds like the Brahman, and the Spanish Fighting Bull, which is noted for their aggressive tendencies, is encouraged further by selective breeding.
  • Bull attacks are estimated to be responsible for 42% of all livestock-related fatalities in Canada, with fewer than one in every 20 victims surviving. Dairy breed bulls are especially dangerous and unpredictable; the risks of bull handling are a major cause of death and injury for dairy producers in certain parts of the United States.
  • The necessity to move a bull into and out of its pen to cover cows puts the handler’s life and limb at risk. Before 1940, one of the dairy industry’s most common causes of death was being crushed, trampled, or gored by a bull.
  • In response to such dangers, one popular farming publication advised, “Handle the bull with a staff and take no chances; the gentle bull, not the vicious one, most often kills or maims his keeper.”
  • Rings are traditionally placed in bulls’ noses to help manage them in many areas. The ring is typically composed of copper and is implanted throughout a small hole in the nasal septum. 
  • A rope is attached to the ring, which can be tied around its neck or tied to a pole or fence. 
  • A bull pole can also be used to help handle particularly difficult bulls. This is a rigid pole about one meter (3 feet) long with a clip at one end that connects to the ring and enables the bull to be led and held away from his handler.
  • A bullpen, a robustly constructed enclosure, may be used to confine an aggressive bull, often with an arrangement that allows the bull to be fed without entering the enclosure. If an aggressive bull is allowed to graze in the open, extra precautions are required to keep him from injuring people.
  • One method is to use a bull mask, which either completely covers the bull’s eyes or inhibits his vision to the ground directly in front of him. This prevents him from seeing his potential victim.
  • Another method is to tie a length of chain around a bull’s nose ring. He will trip on the chain when he lowers his head and begins to charge. Alternatively, the bull can be hobbled or chained to a solid object.
  • In larger pastures where a bull is kept with other cattle, safety can be observed by feeding the cattle from a pickup truck or a tractor. The vehicle provides some protection from an angry bull.
  • Bulls kept with cows are generally less aggressive than bulls kept alone. Cows with calves are frequently more dangerous to people in threatening situations. Numerous bulls can be kept together in a “bachelor herd” during the non-breeding season.

BREEDING

  • Many cattle ranches and stations run bulls alongside cows, and most dairy or beef farms have traditionally kept at least one, if not several, bulls for herd management. However, due to the difficulties of handling a bull, many dairy farmers have resorted to artificial insemination of cows.
  • Semen is extracted from bulls and stored in liquid nitrogen canisters until it is sold.
  • This can be highly profitable; numerous ranchers maintain bulls exclusively for this purpose. AI can also be used to improve herd quality or to start introducing an outcross of bloodlines.

RELATIONSHIP AND SIGNIFICANCE TO HUMANS

  • Aside from reproduction, bulls are used in various sports, such as bullfighting and bull-riding. They are also seen in ancient sports such as bull-leaping and are integrated into cultural events and popular occurrences such as the Running of the Bulls.
  • Bulls are utilized as draught oxen in some regions, though they are less prevalent than castrated males. Bull-baiting, a once-popular sport in the Early Modern period in which a bull was attacked by fighting dogs, was outlawed in England by the Cruelty to Animals Act of 1835.
  • Since the start of recorded history, sacred bulls have held a special place in human culture. They can be found in cave paintings dating back up to 17,000 years. The mythical Bull of the Heavens appears in the ancient Sumerian Epic of Gilgamesh, which dates back to 2150 BCE.
  • The bull’s significance is represented in its presence in the zodiac as Taurus and its innumerable portrayals in mythology, where it is frequently associated with fertility.  In Hinduism, a seated bull named Nandi is worshipped as the vehicle of the god Shiva and appears in several representations of that deity.

Bull Worksheets

This fantastic bundle includes everything you need to know about the Bull across 29 in-depth pages. These are ready-to-use worksheets about the Bull, a fully grown adult male of the Bos taurus species.

Complete list of included worksheets:

  1. Bull Facts 
  2. Picture Reflection
  3. #SCRABULL
  4. Where’s the Bull?
  5. #Scattergories
  6. Bull and Cow
  7. Name the BULL!
  8. Bull’s Eye!
  9. Scavenger BULL Hunt!
  10. Bull Alphabet
  11. Tell A Story About…

Frequently Asked Questions

How long will a bull live?

Bulls usually live for ten to twelve years. However, they might only be able to stay with their herd for four or five years because of problems like poor feet and leg health, bad temperament, and other injuries.

How strong is a bull?

At a whopping 4,000 lbs of pure muscle and 7 feet tall at the shoulder, he can easily pull an astonishing 4,000 pounds while strolling.

What are bulls known for?

Cattle are essential for beef ranching, dairy farming, and other activities like bullfighting and bull riding. They also have a lot of financial value because farmers use them to help take care of herds.

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Link will appear as Bull Facts & Worksheets: https://kidskonnect.com - KidsKonnect, December 13, 2022

Use With Any Curriculum

These worksheets have been specifically designed for use with any international curriculum. You can use these worksheets as-is, or edit them using Google Slides to make them more specific to your own student ability levels and curriculum standards.

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