Karla H. Wilke, UNL Cow/Calf Systems and Stocker Management Much like cows, bull body condition needs to be evaluated as fat cover over the front ribs, brisket, and tail head making sure that gut fill does not impact the score given. Photo credit Troy Walz. Although the breeding season for many herds is still a few months away, it is time to be evaluating bull body condition. Body condition is just as important…
Garth Ruff OSU Extension Henry County Bull buying season is almost upon us, and for the smaller cow-calf operators in the region, I think it time to ask the question: Do you need to buy a heifer bull? Year over year as I sit and watch bull buying decisions being made, I have observed producers faced with the dilemma of buying a calving ease “heifer bull” or a higher performance sire with a…
In response to northern New Mexico cattle growers need for access to veterinarians and cattle working facilities to perform Trichomoniasis tests, a bull management workshop will be held in three counties. Learn more about Trichomoniasis, a bovine sexually transmitted disease, at a bull management workshop Saturday and Sunday, March 21-22, in Abiquiu. Producers may bring their bulls to be tested for the disease and fertility. The workshop is hosted by New Mexico State…
By Ryon Walker, Ph.D.Livestock Consultant Significant emphasis has been placed on the importance of fertility in the female, whether in the cow or a developing heifer. When we address fertility in one female, we are affecting one offspring. When we address fertility in one male, we could be affecting up to approximately 35 offspring, in a single year. Is this oversight on bull fertility because bulls are overlooked until it is time to…
Genomic advancements mean more information is available than ever before MANHATTAN, Kan. – For cattle producers, bull sale season has arrived. Prospective buyers are flipping through the sale catalogs and studying the pedigree information, performance data and bull pictures trying to determine where they want to make their investment. As genomic advancements have progressed, cattle producers have more information than ever before to help with their selections. But for some, all that data…
Les Anderson, Ph.D., Beef Extension Specialist, University of Kentucky The older I get the more I realize that heifer development is as much art as science. The art is understanding what type of female best fits your operation and your marketing scheme. What size cow best fits your management system? Which cows will produce the best replacements? The science is understanding the principles enabling the “right” heifers to succeed. The first week of…
Dean Kreager, Licking County Agriculture and Natural Resources Educator (originally published in Farm & Dairy) As we move into January the grazing season is over for most and ended long ago for many, such as me, thanks to a dry fall. Now is the time to start putting some thought into breeding decisions. Is this the year to purchase a new bull? What semen do I need to order so it will be…
Matt Spangler, UNL Associate Professor and Beef Genetics Extension Specialist This bull sale season do not make the process more complex than it really needs to be. Photo credit Troy Walz. This bull sale season, profit-minded cattle producers will utilize expected progeny differences (EPD) and economic selection indices when selecting their next group of bulls. These tools are far more accurate at predicting the average difference in offspring than visual appraisal or actual…