BUSINESS 63
THEWEEKLYTIMES.COM.AU WEDNESDAY FEBRUARY 7 2024
BULL BUYING GUIDE
AUTUMN
Fertility testing risk is no bull
cision), so it is important that as many as possible of the com- ponents of fertility are met in the evaluation. “A pass on Bullcheck™ is not an express guarantee, but rather an indication of the po- tential breeding value of the bull in a normal mating situ- ation,” ACV said. If an illness or stressor has rendered the bull temporarily infertile it can take more than six weeks for the sperm to be functional again. The only way to be sure of sperm fertility is with a mor- phology and motility test, un- dertaken as part of a bull breeding soundness evaluation by a vet. RaynerAg principal Alastair Rayner, a beef industry con- sultant, said a bull breeding soundness evaluation was im- portant to ensure breeding outcomes weren’t disappoint- ing. He said the main, or only, negative with a bull breeding soundness evaluation is that it is based on that point in time. “It doesn’t necessarily guar- antee if a BBSE is passed, the
bull will still be fertile at breed- ing time,” Mr Rayner said. Mr Rayner said if a bull was injured, got into a fight or had an illness, it could have a detri- mental impact on sperm, and it can take six to eight weeks for the sperm to be functional again. “There is always risk in a biological system, but without a BBSE you won’t know the situation, so that is a bigger risk,” he said. “By not knowing a bull’s fer- tility you compromise on other things, such as putting out more bulls than you need to. “Research shows people put out 6 per cent of bulls because they don’t test, but when they do test they put 2 per cent out, plus one. So testing a bull be- fore joining can cut the mating load back and cuts the risk of a bull not performing.” “Putting a bull out that is sub-fertile but more dominant could result in a lower preg- nancy percentage.” He said by definition from ACV if a bull passes a BBSE the bull has ability, by natural ser-
NICOLA BELL
W hen purchasing a bull the expectation is for a producer to get it home, put it in with the cows and nature does the rest. While it is rare, because the bulls have usually been tested prior to sale, there are times when a bull isn’t fertile, which can have major impacts on the herd. Most bulls sold will have had a breeding soundness examination that states they meet the minimum standards for fertility and reproductive health. The standardised Bull- check™ Veterinary Bull Breeding Soundness Evalu- ation developed by the Austra- lian Cattle Veterinarians uses prescribed assessments and if a bull meets all the minimum standards it has a high prob- ability of being fertile. According to the Australian Cattle Veterinarians in com- mon law, a bull sold as a breed- ing bull should be able to breed (Supreme Court of NSW, De-
It is extremely rare for a bull not to have a BBSE done before sale, and inset, Alastair Rayner, of Rayner Ag.
vice, to get 60 per cent of cows (at a ratio of 1:50) pregnant within three weeks, and 90 per cent in nine weeks. “A BBSE isn’t just assessing fertility, it is fitness and their ability to make it through the joining period.” The BBSE includes a semen exam to evaluate sperm mo- tility and morphology as well as a physical exam. The bull is evaluated for overall structural soundness, reproductive devel- opment, testicular size and health, and the physical char-
acteristics of the bull including mobility and athleticism in the pasture. Mr Rayner said it was ex- tremely rare for a bull not to have a BBSE done before sale and usually for seedstock pro- ducers it was the first level of culling for their sale draft. And while he said in those instances when a bull’s assess- ment showed they were mar- ginal or just on the line for fertility, they could be re-tested in six weeks. Mr Rayner’s advice was to
check bulls each year prior to joining and when buying in new bulls, it was im- portant to look at bulls well be- fore the sale day and ask for sale preparation information. “Some bulls can be over- prepared, this can be more of a risk at multi-vendor sales due to some vendors overfeeding bulls, and you want to make sure a bull can maintain its nu- trition and condition between testing and post-sale.”
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