Doing a Bull breeding soundness evaluation.

[red]

Since we had a rough winter & our bulls are getting up in age, we decided to do a bull evaluation this week. OSU is coming out Tuesday morning to evaluate our 2 herd bulls plus a neighbor's bull. I'm going to try & be there so I can give a run down on what they do.
Does anyone else have their bulls checked out before breeding?

Red

 

[knabe]

red, pull this if it's too graphic.  i have two stories, one tragic, the other funny regarding this.

In AI class we were learning to collect bulls, and one of the over eager students wanted to hold the artificial vagina and collect the bull.  as the bull, who hadn't been collected for proabably 6 months, mounted the cow, for some reason, the student got a little too far forward, and pointed the end of the falcon tube towards himself.  the bull filled the falcon tube and blew it off all over the student.  we all just rolled on the ground and laughed so hard.

another story, was the reproductive physiologist was working the chutes collecting bulls for the upcoming bull sale at school.  we were using a big pipe to stop the bulls from backing up in the alley.  anyway, somehow, the teacher got behind somehow, and a bull backed up before he could get the pipe all the way across,  the pipe whacked him in the forhead.  he had some sort of paralysis injuries and was out of teaching for two or so years.

just a reminder that cattle are funny and dangerous.

 

[red]

Ok, hopefully I won't have to pull myself!
The bull test was very good. Especially since it was a teaching situation & everything was explained.
Our Angus bull showed some signs of scar tissue. He tested OK & there was no current infection. He did have some decreased sperm count w/ secondary mortality issues. This will be his last year.
My red baby was very potent. No problems w/ his swimmers. He did lie down during the examination & had to be hoisted back up.
It was very interesting & Doc Sanders did a great job teaching.

Red

 

[red]

It was very beneficial in my opinion. An Amish who had bought a bull from us earlier brought his to be tested too. He found that his bull was in terrible body score condition. I was rather upset to see the bull so thin. It was recommended to him to start giving the bull grain & recheck him in 2 months.
I had worked w/ Dr Sanders before when I worked at a dairy.

I would sure recommend anyone to get their bulls checked at the beginning of their breeding seasons.
Red

 

[red]

More pictures. The Pro Jack what he called the top of the line. It was automatic, they didn't have to adjust the settings. Sorry fellows if it makes you cringe! The probe, on the bottom right is inserted into the rectum which delivers the electrical pulse to cause the bull to ejaculate. They don't use an artificial vagina anymore, instead use disposable plastic bags that catch the semen. He had them wait to place the container on the penis so there wasn't seminal fluids diluting the sample. Hope not to much information- but didn't know how many had seen it done.
The other picture is a better shot of the container to catch the sample.
Red

 

[chambero]

We get our bulls tested every year before turnout.  You can usually tell when the semen quality starts decreasing due to age.  We often know when its going to be a bull's last go round.  We'll put him out on a small group of cows for about 60 days, come back in with one of our very young bulls that isn't ready for a full worlkload, and sell the old one. 

 

[red]

I felt this topic was worth bumping up from 2007.

Red

 

[beefy]

we test our bulls for trich in the fall when they come home from the mountain, in march before turn out the bulls have a full breeding exam and another trich test and young bulls that have been raised or purchased are pap tested to run at 10,000 feet