Bull Management Goals of Bull Development Program Keep

Bull Management

Goals of Bull Development Program • Keep costs to a reasonable level, but do not cut corners by having insufficient bulls to impregnate the cow herd • Bulls should be well developed as yearlings so that they can be used as breeding stock by 14 -16 months of age • Bulls must be in acceptable body condition (5. 5 -6. 0) and physically fit to be active breeders • Minimize health issues by having in place a well managed, well-defined health program • Provide proper environment so that genetic differences can be assessed

Bull Herd Health • Utilize young, virgin bulls as herd additions to reduce risk of introduction of vibrosis and/or trichomoniasis • Bulls should test negative for Brucellosis and Tuberculosis • Vaccinate & manage herd health along with cow herd (chapter 36, page 327)

Facilities • Proper bull traps are necessary to house bulls during periods other than the breeding season – Protection of your genetic investment – Hot wire suggested – Ample room for exercise • Feed and water at opposite ends of trap

Seedstock Pre-weaning Management • Recommend creep feeding of seedstock bulls prior to weaning for marketing purpose • Increase performance and weaning weights • Do NOT implant bulls with a pre-weaning growth implant • Causes sterility

Bull Prospect Development Programs Ø Must be well developed for marketing as well as breeding purposes Ø Sexual interest (6 -8 months of age) Ø Ejaculation/Fertilize egg (10 -12 months of age) Ø Typical natural service (13 -16 months of age) Ø Post weaning gain must be 2. 5 – 4. 5+ lbs. per day depending upon level of performance desired Ø Requires lush, vegetative pasture or high concentrate performance ration to achieve desired daily gain

Consider the diet …. - Wheat pasture/Cool Season Grass - excellent quality forage, bulls should consume 2. 5% of their body weight in dry matter - High Energy, Grain based Rations – consume 3% of body weight in dry matter - Accuration Type Products – designed for minimal intake to stimulate forage/hay consumption - Free Choice, good quality native grass hay suggested along with any feeding method

Bull Prospect Development Programs • Need to be developed to weigh in excess of 1000 lbs. at 12 months of age

“Growing Phases” or “Nutritional Periods” of a Bull’s Life 4. Post-Breeding Season In addition to gaining this ü Young Bulls can lose: Ø weight (from 100 to 300 lbs. ) weight back, the bull might need to gain ~ 400 Ø condition lbs. Ø muscle mass ü Bull should weigh 75% of his mature weight by the time he is 2 years old…

Critical Issue • Bulls that are developed on high concentrate rations have primarily a starch digesting rumen microbial flora population • Desire to enter breeding season in body score 6 • Often, if fleshy in body condition, may need to reduce body condition prior to breeding season • However, rumen microbial flora is not acclimated to forage diets • Bring fleshy or “fitted” bull home and turning him out on pasture is poor management

Proper “Fleshy” Bull Management • Bring bull home and start feeding high concentrate ration similar to ration previously used • Gradually decrease daily intake in stepwise fashion by 10% increments to 60 -70% of free choice intake • Allow consumption of hay free choice • Gradually adapt rumen microbial flora to forage based diet • Can further reduce grain intake as deemed desirable, but do not drop body condition below 6 • Increase exercise and conditioning! Place feed trough at one end of pen and water at the other to encourage walking and exercise

Bull to Female Ratio • Conservative estimate = One female per month of age • • • 12 - 15 month old bulls = 10 – 12 females 15 – 18 month old bulls = 10 – 18 females 18 – 24 month old females = 18 – 25 females 24 mo. & older = 25 – 35 females What is typical life expectancy of a breeding bull?

Ownership Costs of Bulls Purchase Price $2000 $3000 $4000 $5000 Total yearly costs $707. 50 $1013. 75 $1320 $1626. 25 Costs/cow mated 10 20 30 40 50 $70. 75 $35. 38 $23. 58 $17. 69 $14. 15 $162. 63 $81. 31 $54. 21 $40. 66 $32. 53 $101. 38 $50. 69 $33. 79 $25. 34 $20. 28 $132 $66 $44 $33 $26. 40

Social Behavior • Place bulls of similar ages and size together for several weeks prior to start of breeding season to allow for social ranking of bulls

Management Prior to Breeding Season • Proper number of bulls available • Breeding Soundness Exam at least 30 days prior to start of breeding season

Breeding Soundness Exam • Evaluation of the breeding soundness at a point in time (NOT a Fertility Test) – Physical Exam – Scrotal Evaluation and Circumference – Semen Evaluation

General Physical Exam • Evaluation of structural soundness, body condition, reproductive tract, scrotum, testes, prepuce, penis and general overall healthiness • “Physically able to breed a cow”

Scrotal Evaluation and Circumference • Scrotum – Evaluation • Feeding environment – performance test vs. pasture raised ( fat deposits in scrotum can increase circumference by 2 – 5 cm) – Circumference • Terminal sire - minimum of 32 cm at 12 months of age • Maternal sire – minimum of 34 cm at 12 months of age • Adjustment factor = 0. 04 cm per day of age

Why have breeding season? • Produce a more uniform calf crop • Make $ (decrease cost of production – it cost money each day to run a cow – each day you run a cow that is not bred raises the cost of producing a pound of weaned calf) • Know what is going on (Chapter 4)

Breeding Season Management • Goals – Get females settled as early in the breeding season as possible – Get cows bred to bulls of high genetic worth within economic reason – Be as economical as possible by optimizing number of breeding bulls (high conception rate with minimal bulls)

Social Behavior • Too many bulls in relation to number of females can be a major problem • Social dominance – controlled by age and seniority, but can be controlled by dominance (fighting ability) • Three sires per pasture (60 – 90 females) – Most dominant = 65% of cows – Least dominant = 15% of cows

Post Breeding Season Management • “Necessary evil or Unwelcome guest” • Proper facilities – Minimize chance of injury • Keep feed costs at practical level, but allow for adequate growth of young bulls • Restore body condition to bulls that are thin after the breeding season

Post Breeding Appraisal • Appraise bull battery – Body condition • Mature bulls • Thin bulls that need extra care • Young bulls that need extra nutrition for growth and correcting body condition – Soundness – Fertility

Mature Bulls Older Bulls may need to Regain lost Body Condition !!

Mature Bulls in “good condition” may need to only maintain BCS…

Bull Nutritional Programs After First Breeding Season • 1 st breeding to 2 nd breeding – Gain 1. 5 – 2. 0 lbs. / day – Weight 1700 + entering 2 nd breeding – Feed to acceptable body condition • 2 nd breeding to 3 rd breeding – Gain 0. 75 – 1. 0 lbs. / day – Weight 1800 + entering 3 rd breeding – Feed to acceptable body condition

Bull Nutritional Programs After First Breeding Season • 3 rd breeding to 4 th breeding – Gain 0. 0 – 0. 5 lbs. / day – Weight 1800 + entering 3 rd breeding – Feed to acceptable body condition – Manage similar to cowherd