Bull BSE Update, Kent Leckie, DVM

Dear Cattle Producers:

We have been asked to modify our Breeding Soundness Evaluations (BSE) to be more uniform in our testing and to include new national standards. A bull BSE is an evaluation of a bull’s ability to produce and deliver viable sperm capable of creating a pregnancy, and is predictive of servicing capacity over a 60 day breeding period. We should be able to get over 90% females bred in 60 days with good bulls that are not over-worked.

A BSE includes an examination of internal and external sexual anatomy, which includes scrotal circumference and penile extension. It doesn’t assess libido or mating ability. As producers, you have the ability to visually assess these.

Factors to consider:

Age- 1 cow for every month of age up to 36 months of age, or 25 cows per bull.

Dominance- Bulls should be grouped together several months before the breeding season so that they will focus on breeding, not fighting.

Maintenance- Bulls need to have good eyes, feet and legs in order to identify, get to, and physically breed females. They shouldn’t be under or over conditioned because they may become infertile and won’t hold up for the breeding season. Bulls need to be acclimated to the diet they will see during breeding, or again, they won’t hold up for 60 days.

For further information please call the clinic and speak with one of our knowledgeable Large Animal Staff.

Big thanks goes out to Kent Leckie, DVM for the great article.