How do you pick a good bull for breeding?

Bulls provide the biggest proportion of calf crop genetics, so it is important to select a herd sire that can produce desired offspring. Basics to consider in selecting a bull include breed type, parentage (pedigree), physical appearance, performance records and genetics.

How can you tell if a bull is fertile?

After the general exam, the veterinarian will measure the bull’s scrotal circumference. Bulls with larger scrotal circumferences are more fertile and have daughters that are more fertile and mature earlier. The vet will also collect a semen sample and determine the percentage of motile sperm and normal sperm.

What are desirable traits in a beef bull?

Some examples of these traits are temperament, polledness, structural and udder soundness, disease and pest resistance, heat tolerance, doing or “fleshing” ability, mothering ability, and calving ease. Many are not highly heritable but contribute to the ease of participating in and enjoying the beef cattle industry.

What is the best age for a breeding bull?

The breeding ability of bulls usually is at its peak about 36 months of age, and it declines after 5 or 6 years of age. An extra calf crop can be sired by using bulls as yearlings. However, if you’re a new owner, it’s to your advantage to grow out young bulls in a satisfac- tory manner.

What can affect bull fertility?

Top 6 Factors Affecting Bull Fertility
  • Disease. A good herd health program is invaluable, especially for the bulls. …
  • Physical Characteristics. You can identify subfertile bulls with the help of a breeding soundness exam ( BSE ). …
  • Nutrition. …
  • Bull-to-Cow Ratio. …
  • Inattention to Bull Behavior. …
  • Heat Stress.

What causes a bull to become infertile?

Bulls can temporarily have a reduction in sperm production for a number of reasons including heat stress, fever, lameness and stress. The semen also has to be of a good quality and this can be assessed by looking at a sample under a microscope.

Can you breed a bull back to his daughter?

You can have father-daughter matings in beef cattle, but it is not recommended. This type of breeding practice is called inbreeding or close breeding. Again, this breeding practice is rarely practiced today, although it was common in the foundation animals of most breeds.

Can you breed a bull back to his mother?

What are the do’s and don’ts of breeding a bull to his daughter, mother, granddaughter, or sister? Mating any of the above would result in a high level of inbreeding. Generally speaking, inbreeding of this nature should be avoided.

How many cows can 1 bull breed?

Bull Breeding

that a mature bull can service 25 to 35 cows; however it has been shown that highly fertile bulls can service up to 50 cows.

How long does a bull stay fertile?

Breeding bulls can remain fertile with high quality semen for ten plus years. However, breeding bulls may exhibit infertility at any age. Low fertility can be caused by a number of factors including, frost damaged testicles, testicular infection, poor nutrition, physical injury and genetic predisposition.

Can you breed a bull back to his mother?

What are the do’s and don’ts of breeding a bull to his daughter, mother, granddaughter, or sister? Mating any of the above would result in a high level of inbreeding. Generally speaking, inbreeding of this nature should be avoided.

Can you breed a bull to his daughter?

You can have father-daughter matings in beef cattle, but it is not recommended. This type of breeding practice is called inbreeding or close breeding. Again, this breeding practice is rarely practiced today, although it was common in the foundation animals of most breeds.

How do they test bull sperm?

The semen is scored for volume, concentration and contamination before being examined under a microscope. All this takes place on-farm. Under the microscope, the sample is examined for gross motility and motility of individual sperm cells.

What happens if a bull breeds his sister?

Mating of beef cattle that are close relatives (brother-sister, sire-daughter, son-dam) produces high levels of inbreeding. Inbreeding generally is detrimental to long-term reproductive performance and growth. Highly inbred cattle are also more susceptible to environmental stress and health problems.

Can you put two bulls together?

We recommend turning both bulls out together. Bull A ‘s dominance, experience, maturity and capacity will enable him to settle the largest number of cows early. Remove bull A from the breeding pasture to rest after a month, or earlier if he drops a full body condition score.

How often should you change bulls?

First, you can replace your bull every third year (use him for only two consecutive breeding seasons). This is usually not a very popular choice, but it is a necessary one if you plan to keep replacement heifers from within your herd.

How many times will a bull breed the same cow?

The mating couple.

Usually a bull will mate with a cow once, but it’s not uncommon if it’s done several times, especially if she has garnered the attention of more than one.

Can you leave a bull with cows year round?

The good news is: It is possible to leave bulls with the cows year-round and still maintain a calving season of three months or less.

How long does it take a bull to breed a cow?

Mature bulls can breed up to 40 cows during a 60- to 90-day breeding period and sire a high percentage of these calves in the first 40 days of the calving season.

Can you breed a bull to his sister?

I’ve been asked by several breeders if it is “OK to breed two half-siblings” (usually, a bull and a cow that share the same sire). The short answer is that there is nothing “wrong” with breeding any two animals of any degree of relatedness, as long as one realizes the potential risks and benefits of the mating.

What is a good bull to cow ratio?

1 bull:20-30 females
General recommendations for bull:cow ratios: The textbook recommendation for bull:cow ratio is typically 1 bull:20-30 females, with mature bulls closer to the 1:30 ratio and yearling bulls at 1 bull:20 cows.

How many bulls do you need for 100 cows?

So, if your stocking rate is one bull to 30 cows (on 100 cows, as in the example), you basically have a little better than three bulls to cover a cow when she’s cycling. If you run a bull to 25 cows, you’ve got four bulls to cover each cycling female, and so on.

How long can a bull breed after banding?

How long after I band the bull until the scrotum and testicles drop off? This will vary with the size of the bull and environmental conditions. Generally, the scrotum and testicles will fall off in 10-50 days.