Who’s a Pretty Boy Then? The Story Behind Mickey Bulls

Who's a pretty boy then? If you've been front and centre with a Mickey Bull like this fella above (Image by Cassandra Clark) - you know there's a solid yard railing between you and him. I've heard many a war story of 'Mickey' encounters either in the yards, on a bike or on horseback - mostly close shaves and uninjured, with many a ringer high tailing it up a tree; and other's who were not so lucky including injured horses from a Mickey's unclipped horns. Most of these bulls have not seen a human in their life, so look out when they do!

Basically, a Mickey Bull or Scrub Bull is a young bull that slipped through the muster and never got castrated or branded (thus the name 'Cleanskin' as they are also commonly called), in the US they are referred to as 'Mavericks'.

These cleanskin bulls, usually around 12–18 months old, later show up running with the cows and trying to breed when they shouldn’t be. Because they can throw unknown genetics into the herd, they’re usually drafted out pretty quickly when spotted.

So whilst station workers know what a Mickey is, the origin of the name isn’t exactly clear. Like plenty of bush yarns, there are a few different stories behind the name when I asked the question recently on the RFTTE FB group...

A popular theory links the name to the phrase 'taking the mickey', meaning to tease or cause trouble. A rogue bull sneaking into the breeding mob and serving cows could easily be seen as taking the mickey out of the station owner.

Some also believe the name may come from Irish bush slang, as many early drovers and stockmen were Irish, along the lines of a young cleanskin bull being a bit wild and unruly, like one of those 'young Irish Micks'.

There are also a few more bush explanations with a bit of 'mayo' on them. Some old hands reckon the name comes from the round ears of young bulls, which supposedly look a bit like Mickey Mouse ears. Whether that’s true or not is anyone’s guess… like most bush nicknames, it probably started as a joke and stuck.

Any other theories where the term Mickey cam from... or a picture of one? Let me know (simon@rfttejobs.com) and we'll add it to the blog.

VIEW JANE TAYLOR'S IMAGES: IN THE YARDS WITH A MICKEY BULL!