022415_YKMV_A13.pdf
February 24, 2015 • Page 13
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Some Tips Fo Purchasing A New Bull
i s or r
Buying a bull for
your cowherd is
like buying a new
house. You look at
o
dozens of homes,
hoping to find the
perfect one to fit
your needs at a
price you can afford. And once you
find it, you hope it
doesn’t fall apart
the minute you
take possession.
Like home buying,
we pour through
sale catalogues and
make phone calls to
find our bulls. Then
we unload them at
our ranch and hope
for the best.
Instead of investing a few thousand
into an animal and
tying a lucky rabbit’s foot to his
neck to keep him
safe, we can do our
homework pre-purchase and feel more
confident in our
bull. Here I’ll detail
a few points to keep
in mind to decrease
the risk a new bull
will be a flop.
A good Breeding
Soundness Exam
(BSE) is a critical
first step in a bull
purchase. It doesn’t
matter how fancy
a bull looks, if he
shoots blanks then
he’s an expensive
hay-burner. While
r
all bulls should
have a passing BSE
before the sale, it is
a good idea to retest the bull prior
to turnout to make
sure that he is still
good.
The second item
to watch for is
confirmation. Bulls
should look masculine and well balanced. Leg and
foot issues often
JAKE
GEIS
lead to early culling
of bulls. Keep an
eye out for postlegged bulls, bulls
that have weak pasterns or bulls with
abnormal hooves.
Corkscrew toes are
a major problem
with some bulls
and are genetically
linked, so buying
a bull with this
defect will cause
it to be present in
all the heifers you
retain as well. And
remember that pictures can be photoshopped, so only
buy a bull after you
have actually seen
him move.
Confirmation issues lead directly
to a bull’s longevity. The more years
y
a bull remains in
the herd, the less
he costs per calf
he sires. Look for
bulls that were
not pushed overly
hard to reach their
mature weight and
once you have
purchased the bull,
manage him carefully to maintain
appropriate body
condition. No matter how well the
bull was developed,
if he is neglected
once he reaches
your ranch he will
not last long.
With the increased
calf prices this past
year, bull prices
r
are likely to reach
record highs. Don’t
let the increased
cost drive you away
from purchasing
the bull that fits
your herd goals.
While one bull may
be cheaper than
another, cheapness
r
usually manifests
itself later in the
calves he sires. If
the “cheap” bull
sires calves that
wean at 50 pounds
lighter than the
more expensive
bull, the cheap bull
will cost you money
in the end. Look
for bulls that have
EPDs that fit your
herd needs. If possible, using genomicenhanced EPDs can
help solidify your
faith in your bull
investment.
Make sure the
bull you are buying does not bring
any unwelcome
visitors. Bulls can
carr y diseases that
can cause abortion, even though
they show no signs
of being infected.
Trichomoniasis,
commonly called
“Trich,” is the
most talked about
disease of bulls
that leads to early
abortions in cows.
Purchasing only
virgin bulls or bulls
that have passed a
Trich test should
protect your herd
from this disease.
In addition to Trich,
ask the seller if he
has had problems
with Johne’s, vibriosis or BVD. If he is
unwilling to provide
this information,
it could be a red
flag. Even on a bull
with a clean bill of
health, quarantine
him from the rest of
the herd for at least
30 days after arrival to allow him to
clear any infections
he might currently
be carr ying.
Once you’ve finally
found a sound,
fertile bull that fits
your herd goals
with a clean bill of
health for the right
price, usually the
bull seller will ask if
you want insurance
on the bull right as
you are making out
the check. Before
simply saying “Yes”
Ye
and adding $100
to the total, take
the time to learn
what the insurance
covers and what it
doesn’t cover. Many
r
policies only cover
the death of the
animal and not his
use, so if he ends
up breaking his penis, the insurance
will not cover him.
I would still recommend buying the
insurance if this is
the case, but know
what you’re buying
so you don’t end up
with an unpleasant
surprise.
Although this list
of tips might seem
impossibly long,
there are many
bulls for sale that
fit these criteria.
Talk with the bull
sellers directly
and you’ll find that
most strive for their
bulls to meet these
expectations. By
not compromising when looking
for a bull, you’ll be
happy with your
investment in the
fall when the calves
go to sale.
Jake Geis, DVM,
operated the Tyndall
Ve
eterinar y Clinic.
r
different schools
chapters. It is also
traditionally attend, a chance to share
sharing ideas of
with the community
what is happening
the great things the
at their schools dur- members are doing.
ing FFA Week.
ng F
e
The National FFA
F
Organization proThe Dassel-Covides leadership,
kato FFA Chapter
F
personal growth
in Minnesota will
and career success
co-host their annual dinner on Feb. training through agricultural education
25, along with the
to 610,240 student
local FFA alumni
ocal F
affiliate. This is an
members in grades
opportunity for
seven through 12
F
who belong to one
FFA chapter memF
of 7,665 local FFA
bers and alumni
members say thank chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto
you to people who
Rico and the Virgin
have and continue
Islands.
to support their
FFA members ear n $4 billion annually
F
through hands-on work experiences.
FFA members par ticipate in and lear n
F
advanced career skills in 49 national
proficiency areas that range from food
science and technology and agricultural communications to wildlife management and production agriculture.
Through 25 national career development events, FFA members are chalF
lenged by real-life, hands-on tests of
skill tests, preparing them for career
success.
r
tising
dver
a
O the
On t
CCCCutting Edge
CCCCutting ge
CCC
CC
Cu
C
Cuttin
put y
ou
BY JAKE GEIS, DVM
,
Tyndall
continued from page 12
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