We use cookies to provide you with a better experience. By continuing to browse the site you are agreeing to our use of cookies in accordance with our Cookie Policy.
There is always a buzz during bull sale season about the body condition of bulls. Seedstock producers have done a tremendous job over the past decade at improving their development strategies to ensure bulls are not overconditioned.
Once characterized by handshakes and in-person greetings, the process to purchase bulls is changing swiftly to include more technology and less sitting elbow-to-elbow.
Five thousand dollars – that’s what the average commercial producer spends on a bull. While most commercial producers don’t spend that kind of money on their females, it’s safe to say bulls are a big investment, one producers shouldn’t overlook come winter.
The value of bull breeding soundness examinations (BSE) is well known. Approximately one in five bulls do not meet the minimum BSE standards established by the Society for Theriogenology. Bulls not meeting these minimum standards are seldom infertile; they are usually subfertile and will have lower conception rates than those who meet these standards.
When it comes to raising cattle, management practices vary vastly between producers as they work to accomplish the goals of their operations and meet market demands.
Bull buying season is in full swing. When selecting bulls, one thing that is often overlooked but deserves consideration is the way in which the bulls were developed.
It is challenging, if not impossible, to have a profit-motivated cattle operation without using “modern” genetic selection tools. Admittedly, condensing data into information from which informed decisions can be made deserves more attention to enable cattle producers to better utilize proven technology.
In larger commercial cow-calf operations, multiple-sire breeding herds are typically used. These herds are easier to manage, with less reproductive failure risk, but more difficult to evaluate genetic improvement in your calf crop.
A complete breeding soundness evaluation (BSE) for every bull, 45 to 60 days before each breeding season, is critical. It takes sperm 60 days to develop and mature.
