When
a cow is in heat the spotter bull usually positions himself slightly to
one side of the cow.
He will often rest his chin on
the back or rump of the cow leaving small marks on her flank. This puts
him in a position to mount the cow.
When fully
mounted the chin ball marker may not even touch the cow. Most of the ink
is deposited when mounting and dismounting.
When sliding off the cow after a
mount the bull will leave long marks along the spine from the shoulders
back. These markings are a sure sign of heat.
Often there will be ink around
the shoulders and neck. This can be caused by the bull mounting the cow
backwards. Ink around the neck can also be incidental contact when feeding
so ink ONLY around the neck should not
be taken as a sure sign of heat.
Cows in heat will often try to
mount other cattle. Unless the cow on bottom stands still she is not
considered in standing heat.
Examples of ink markings
Filling
the ink reservoir on a Spotter Bull halter
Click on the pictures
to get a better view
The ball of the reservoir is
clearly visible. A spring rests behind the ball and keeps ink from leaking
out until pressure is put against it.
Using a pipe flange, set the
halter reservoir down into the pipe to hold it in place. This keeps the
ball from releasing ink while filling it.
Use an old feed bag or similar disposable
item under the pipe flange to catch any ink that spills
Clean away any collected dirt
around the fill plug. You may have to use a screwdriver to break it loose.
Don't allow any dirt to fall in to the reservoir as it will interfere with
the seating of the ball.
Once you have the reservoir
filled and the plug back in, check to make sure the excess nose strap is
secured. If not secured properly it will come loose much easier and the
halter will be lost.
Carefully secure the top strap
securely and you are ready to put the spotter bull back to work.
