FARMERS who are thinking about buying a bull this year should remember that it is one of the most important purchases for any beef breeding operation.
It’s worth giving this decision full attention because the genes of a new bull introduced to a herd will impact on a business for years to come in terms of:
* Profitability of a beef enterprise in terms of the number of calves born and how efficiently they reach market specifications;
* Ease of calving, especially if used over heifers;
* Overall improvement in production trends in a herd;
* Quality and quantity of females retained as replacements.
The average working life of a bull in Australia is less than three years so it pays to buy a quality animal that will go the distance.
Farmers should make sure they know their breeding and production objectives before they go shopping.
They should make sure they have a clear idea of the traits in their herd and of what they are aiming to improve.
The main things to look for when shopping for a bull are:
* Structural soundness – feet, legs, hips, stifles, and how well he moves;
* Sound reproductive organs without deviations, injuries or lesions;
* Fertility – scrotal circumference is the best indicator for testicle size. Testicle size is directly and positively related to sperm production. The minimum scrotal circumference for an 18 month old bull is 320mm, or 340mm for a 24 month old bull.
* Temperament – ask the breeder about how sale bulls are handled from birth and pay close attention to the bull’s behaviour in the pen.
* If possible ask to look at the dam of the bull as this will give you an idea of how the conformation and longevity of the resulting cows which will be coming into a herd.
If there are any concerns over the soundness of a bull, move on to the next one.
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