WyomingRancher
Well-known member
I was just curious how people felt about fertility testing their bulls every year. In the past 16 years, we have had one older bull fail. I'm questioning if testing them is worth the effort each year. Any thoughts?
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Bull fertility testing
- Thread starter WyomingRancher
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Big Muddy rancher
Well-known member
WyomingRancher said:I was just curious how people felt about fertility testing their bulls every year. In the past 16 years, we have had one older bull fail. I'm questioning if testing them is worth the effort each year. Any thoughts?
I'm alway happy when they all pass but when one shows up I remember the reason we test. This year i tested 16 yrling bulls and 14 passed. 2 failed. These bulls were just a year old. The 20 mature bulls had 2 failed and 5 that need a retest because they wouldn't give a sample for one reason or another or were just not quite there. That's the most ever so am glad I tested.
A friend used to think just because a bull was good today that it was no guarantee he would be good tomorrow. I told him if he wasn't any good today I was pretty sure he wouldn't be good tomorrow either.
Big Muddy rancher said:A friend used to think just because a bull was good today that it was no guarantee he would be good tomorrow. I told him if he wasn't any good today I was pretty sure he wouldn't be good tomorrow either.
It's not uncommon when testing in bulls in the spring to have them fail the first time, and pass a few weeks later.
Mike
Well-known member
Silver said:Big Muddy rancher said:A friend used to think just because a bull was good today that it was no guarantee he would be good tomorrow. I told him if he wasn't any good today I was pretty sure he wouldn't be good tomorrow either.
It's not uncommon when testing in bulls in the spring to have them fail the first time, and pass a few weeks later.
Yep. Got to keep the pipes & plumbing cleaned out with fresh semen.
3 M L & C
Well-known member
I'm not exactly sure what the price is for testing around, but just the feed cost alone for keeping one that's no good will definently pay to check all the others. Let alone the missing income from cows not being bred by him.
leanin' H
Well-known member
Utah requires a Trich test every spring so we always just have a semen test done at that time. It would only take a couple bulls shooting blanks to really mess things up. Everything from a longer calving season to a bunch of open cows. I think the $75 a head is money well spent but that includes the trich test here.
Justin
Well-known member
i have them tested every year. not very often to we have one go bad but it has happened. last thing i need is a bull around that ain't good for nothin, i can't hardly stand havin' the good ones around. :wink:
gcreekrch
Well-known member
Every year. A blank, dominant bull can have a big effect at preg test time.
Justin said:i can't hardly stand havin' the good ones around. :wink:
Sure agree, Justin. Bulls are a necessary evil, IMHO.
I have 2 breeding seasons, but in the seven months they spend away from cows they are a pain in the you know what.
Even with cows I have had them stand in a gate and refuse to let cows thru when I am trying to move them.
