Do You Know Where Your Bull Is?Do You Know Your Bull’s Physical and Fertility Conditions?Do You Know the Importance of Breeding Soundness Evaluation?
Floron C. Faries, Jr., DVM, MS
Texas AgriLife Extension Service
College of Veterinary Medicine
Texas A&M University
http://extesionvetmed.tamu.edu
Do You Know Where Your Bull Is?
He’s not staying with the cows.
He’s not serving the cows.
He’s not staying with the cows.
In the shade
Lying down
Unable to find cow in heat
He’s gone
In the shade:
pinkeye cancer eye fat hot lazy tired low libido
Lying down:
thin, weak, tired, low libido
foot crack, foot corn, foot rot, toe fracture, long toes
bursitis (hip, stifle, hock, ankle, shoulder, spine)
fever (sinusitis, bronchitis, pneumonia, pleursy, peritonitis, abscess, gastroenteritis, orchitis)
anemia (lepto, anaplas)
Unable to find cow in heat:
pinkeye cancer eye sinusitis
He’s gone:
no grass
no cows in heat
He’s not serving the cows.
Unable to mate
Unable to ejaculate
Unable to conceive
Unable to mate:
foot problem
bursitis
penis problem (infection, hair ring, broken penis, warts, frenulum, spiral penis)
sheath problem (infection, prolapse)
Unable to ejaculate:
seminal vesiculitis
scrotal hernia
Unable to conceive:
low sperm count (inherited small testicles,
orchitis, epididymitis, scrotal adhesions, pointed
scrotal shape, straight scrotal shape, fat, thin,
inheritable)
low sperm motility (inheritable)
high abnormal sperm (inheritable)
Do You Know Your Bull’s Physical and Fertility Conditions?
You make observations and evaluations.
Your scoring criteria.
Have a veterinarian conduct a breeding soundness evaluation (BSE).
Scoring criteria for BSE by veterinarian.
Rating of BSE by veterinarian.
You make observations and evaluations.
physical observation
serving observation
bull to cow ratio evaluation
pregnancy evaluation
Physical observation:
injury
lameness
illness
conformation abnormalities
penile abnormalities
Serving observation:
ability to mate
ability to ejaculate
libido and serving capacity
Bull to Cow ratio evaluation:
1:10 to 1:60
Pregnancy evaluation:
60 – 100%
Your scoring criteria.
normal physical observations
able to mate (physical and learning factors)
able to ejaculate
moderate to high libido and serving capacity
Moderate to high libido and serving capacity:
genetically influenced
unrelated to semen quality and masculinity
1 or more services in 1 cow in 10 to 15 minutes
3 or more services in 4 cows in 40 minutes
Have a veterinarian conduct a breeding soundness evaluation (BSE).
one to two months before and immediately after breeding season.
external physical examination:
internal physical examination:
semen evaluation:
External physical examination:
age teeth flesh cover nose eyes feet legs
External physical examination:
prepuce penis frenulum testicles (size, shape, consistency) cords epididymis scrotum (shape, free)
Internal physical examination:
seminal vesicles
inguinal rings
Semen evaluation:
sperm motility
sperm morphology
Scoring criteria for BSE by veterinarian.
physical examination
scrotal circumference
sperm motility
sperm normality
Physical examination:
normal
Scrotal circumference:
15 months – 30 cm minimum
24 months – 33 cm minimum
Sperm motility:
30% minimum
Sperm normality:
70% minimum
Rating of BSE by veterinarian.
satisfactory potential breeder
classification deferred
unsatisfactory potential breeder
Do You Know the Importance of BSE?
High breeding ratio. High conception rate. Short breeding season. Short calving season. Heifer progeny.
High breeding ratio.
1:40 to 1:60
High conception rate.
greater than 90%
Short breeding season.
less than 3 months
Short calving season.
increased total weaning weight
Heifer progeny.
younger puberty age
regular heat cycles
greater lifetime productivity