Bull Breeding Soundness and Beef Pre-Mating Checks
Posted in: Cattle Services
A bull that is not breeding efficiently affects far more animals than a cow that does not get in calf, and the problem often is not obvious until mating is well underway. By then you have lost the cycle.
The work you do in the months before joining has a direct effect on next season’s calving pattern.
Why Test Bulls Before Joining
A breeding soundness examination, sometimes called a mating ability test, checks whether a bull is physically and reproductively capable of doing the job. It can identify lameness, reproductive abnormalities and poor libido – issues that are manageable if you find them in time and expensive if you do not.
Testing before the season starts leaves room to source a replacement. Testing after it starts leaves none.
Annual BVD vaccination is also recommended for bulls, both to protect them and to reduce the risk of spreading infection through the herd.
Cow Body Condition Before Mating
Body condition remains one of the biggest drivers of reproductive success. We aim for cows to calve at a body condition score of 5 out of 10. To get back in calf they need to be on a rising plane of nutrition and at a body condition score of 6 out of 10 at and during mating.
Cows that calve in too light a condition may struggle to regain condition in time for joining. They need preferential treatment and feeding, and they are often among the late in-calf cows. Age scanning pregnancies identifies these animals so targeted decisions can be made.
Suckling calves should be growing at around 1kg per day while they are on their mothers, and that relies on cow condition and nutrition.
Body condition score targets sourced from Beef & Lamb New Zealand.
Replacement Heifers and BVD
Replacements are the future of the breeding herd, so it is important they are on track to reach target weight and body condition before joining. This is also the point to consider BVD risk. Testing replacements can identify persistently infected animals before they enter the breeding herd, and your veterinarian can advise whether a BVD vaccination programme is appropriate for your system.
Trace Elements Before Joining
Trace element deficiencies can affect fertility and reproductive performance. Where testing shows a need, products such as MULTIMIN Evolution can be used to help support trace element status ahead of joining. The important part is that a supplementation programme is based on testing rather than assumption.
Talk to Our Cattle Vets
If you want to book breeding soundness examinations, review cow condition ahead of joining, or discuss BVD and trace element testing for your herd, give your nearest clinic a call.
Timaru 03 687 9378 · Geraldine 03 693 1163 · Fairlie 03 685 8407
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a bull breeding soundness examination?
It is an assessment of whether a bull is physically and reproductively capable of breeding, covering issues such as lameness, reproductive abnormalities and poor libido. It is carried out before the season so there is time to make alternative plans if a bull does not pass.
Should bulls be vaccinated for BVD?
Yes. Annual BVD vaccination is recommended for bulls, both to protect them and to reduce the risk of spreading infection through the herd.
What body condition should beef cows be at mating?
Beef & Lamb New Zealand targets are a body condition score of 5 out of 10 at calving and 6 out of 10 at and during mating, with cows on a rising plane of nutrition through that period.
How fast should suckling calves be growing?
Around 1kg per day while they are on their mothers. Growth below that generally points back to cow condition and nutrition rather than to the calf itself.
Why test replacement heifers for BVD?
Testing identifies persistently infected animals before they enter the breeding herd, where they would circulate the virus and reduce conception rates across the mob.
When should I start preparing my beef herd for mating?
A few months out. That gives time to assess cow body condition, weigh replacements, test for BVD, check trace element status and get bulls examined while there is still room to act on what you find.