Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Farm and Home

Rex Dollar County Extension Agent

Do you have a spring calving cow herd? If so, before you turn your bull in with the herd, he should be examined by a qualified veterinarian for breeding soundness.

Breeding age bulls should be tested for breeding soundness within 30 to 60 days of the breeding season. A breeding soundness exam consists of a physical examination, semen evaluation and measurement of scrotal size. The physical exam includes evaluating body condition, structural soundness and the reproductive tract.

Bulls must have at least 70 percent normal cells to pass the semen evaluation. Measurement of scrotal size is important, because scrotal size is highly related to daily sperm production and volume. Bulls with larger scrotal circumferences will also sire daughters that reach puberty at an earlier age.

Last year, more than 200 bulls were evaluated through the University of Arkansas, Cooperative Extension Service, breeding soundness clinics. Sixteen percent of the bulls that were evaluated were determined either questionable or unsatisfactory breeders.

According to Extension Livestock specialist Dr. Stan McPeake, 70 percent of the bulls failed because of poor semen quality. The remaining bulls either lacked sufficient scrotal circumference or displayed physical problems.

Once a bull passes the breeding soundness exam, avoid overworking him. According to assistant beef cattle specialist Shane Gadberry, a good rule of thumb for determining the number of cows to expose to a young bull is to expose him to the number of cows equal to his age in months. Therefore, an 18-month-old bull should be exposed to no more than 18 cows during a controlled breeding season.

Mature bulls can generally breed 25 to 30 cows during a controlled breeding season without being overworked.

The Nevada County Cooperative Extension Service will conduct a Bull soundness evaluation (BSE) clinic on Monday, February 14, at 8:30 a.m. at Powell and Perry Veterinary Clinic in Hope.

In addition to semen testing bulls will be frame scored, de-wormed and deloused, courtesy of Hempstead County Farm. The total charge for the clinic is $25 per bull.

For additional information concerning this clinic, contact the Extension office at 887- 2818.