Cyclist Paul's Travels: Zug and Baar, Switzerland (Part 2) Running with the Bulls

So, here I am cycling around Zug with dozens of modern office building left and right when I spot several pickup trucks with trailers waiting to turn into what looks to be a county fairgrounds complex. A private security guard is directing vehicles onto the grounds. I spot two guys walking in and find they speak English. 'what's going on here", I ask. Turns out it's a cattle auction but won't be open to the public until tomorrow. I tell the two guys I'm only here for today and ask if it's possible to accompany them inside. They agree but, warn me stay way back from the bulls. In this photos the big bulls are being weighed on a scale and measured.

So, I end up hanging out for more than a hour. Notice the office buildings in the background.

Some of these bulls are massive and so are their cajones! They're being auctioned off for breeding.

I talked to a veterinarian who was here to give each bull a visual inspection. I ask, "How much can one of these big bulls fetch?" "Maybe two or three thousand" he answers. (2,000 Swiss francs equals $2,085). "How long can these bulls breed?", I ask. "Maybe seven years then they start to have health issues", he answers. I ask, "Getting all these bulls together, don't they fight?" "No", the vet answers. "Sorry to ask all these questions but, when a cow quits giving milk what happens? do they become hamburger", I ask. The vet answers, "yes". The veterinarian goes on to say most cows give milk for three years but, for Swiss cows it's up to 10 years.

This was funny to watch. This is a weighing scale used for smaller bulls. The bulls are lead in and their weight recorded. See next photo.

This bull decided to just lay down right in front of the scale. Four guys attempted to push, pull, yank, lift and splash with water but, he wasn't moving. You can see in the background there's a line of bulls waiting to be weighed.