Association Perspective

Pearls of wisdom on bulls.

Every year, new sale books are flying into mailboxes and the thrill of buying is upon us. Once we make these bull purchases to improve our operations, how do we retain this animal for more than two to three years? How do we know when it’s time to reevaluate our current bull battery? These are the questions we, as cattlemen, need to take into consideration.

When analyzing our older bulls prior to breeding or sale season, it is important to understand each bull’s requirements before and after breeding season. If one of the boxes below isn’t checked, it is in our best interest to address the issue. Unfortunately, not all these problems can be remedied, such as a failed breeding soundness exam (sometimes referred to as a BSE), signaling it’s time to look for new bulls to add into the program.

Here are some ideas to keep bulls in production longer.

• Use the proper bull-to-cow ratio. The rule of thumb is one cow per month of bull’s age.
• Provide proper nutrition outside of breeding season, supplementing beyond dry hay.
• Turnout condition should be a body condition score (BCS) of 5 or higher on a scale of 1 to 9.
• Prior to breeding season, 45-60 days before turnout, bulls should pass a breeding soundness exam.
• Keep bulls separated when not in breeding season to prevent injury if possible.

All these management practices will ultimately elevate the longevity of your bulls. However, things don’t always go as planned and some circumstances are out of our control. Therefore, we sometimes need to select new bulls to add into our programs. It’s important to take some of these factors into account when looking at a young bull. See if he’s in good flesh and has good feet. It’s crucial to understand these points, because a bull is going to make up about 80% of an operation’s genetic pool. It’s important to protect and manage these investments accordingly.

A good bull is the prize of a breeding program and is responsible for tens of thousands of dollars in your operation. He should be treated as the top investment.

Editor’s note: Regional Manager Reese Tuckwiller covers Region 1, including Delaware, Maryland, New England, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Virginia and West Virginia. Click here to find the regional manager for your state.

Angus Proud

In this Angus Proud series, Editorial Intern Jessica Wesson provides insights into how producers across the country use Angus genetics in their respective environments.

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Angus Proud: Scott Sproul

Oklahoma operation learned wisdom of moving calving season to better suit their marketing needs.

Angus Proud: Bubba Crosby

Fall-calving Georgia herd uses quality and co-ops to market calves.

Angus Proud: Jim Moore

Arkansas operation retains ownership through feeding and values carcass data.

Angus Proud: Les Shaw

South Dakota operation manages winter with preparation and bull selection.

Angus Proud: Jeremy Stevens

Nebraska operation is self-sufficient for feedstuffs despite sandy soil.