Don't let a poor bull bring your herd down

By MANDY SPIKES | Central Texas Edition

Participants observe a group of two-year-old Charolais bulls that were all artificially inseminated by a good bull. These bulls, which are owned by John and Dickie Hill of Fairfield, were examples of why it's important to check the background of the bulls used on a herd. All of them had gained over four pounds while on the Freestone County bull gain test. - Photo by Mandy Spikes

October 23, 2003 -- Ask any rancher what they know about their calf crop and, more than likely, you will hear them rattle off the calf's weaning weight and the size of their calves. They take great pride in their work. They invest time and money in making sure that their cows are taken care of and that the calves are of good quality. What most rancher's might not think of is the quality of the bull they are using to breed their cows.

Dr. Jason Cleere, Extension beef cattle specialist, knows how important sire selection is in having a good quality calf. At the 2003 Cow Country Congress, which took place Oct. 16 in Fairfield, he was able to share his knowledge and wisdom by addressing the importance of making sure that the bull is of good quality in order to have a good quality calf.

"Bulls are a fifty percent factor in determining a calf's genetics," he stated. "One bull can affect all of your cows in the quality of their calves. I can't stress to you enough the importance of selecting a good quality bull."

He said by bringing a poor quality bull to a good quality cow, the rancher is doing an injustice to the cow itself. "Bulls can make you money. It a good idea to invest some time and money and get yourself a good quality bull."

He recommended to participants not to buy a bull from an auction barn. The reason is that the rancher has that bull in the barn because he wants to sell it. "They are not there because they are of high quality. That bull is in there because the rancher wants it off his property."

Buying bulls with an unknown background is a disastrous mistake. He stressed the importance of making sure there is actual performance data on the bull before using it to breed. These records should be made available upon request.

Before a rancher even thinks about the bull type, it's important to match the cow to the environment. "The best type of breed for our area is the Brahman cross," Cleere said.

"The next thing you think about is the type of bull that will be best for the market. You need to figure out which market you are going to target."

Cleere explained that typically, at the sale barn, a buyer is looking for an animal 1/4 or less Brahman, 1/4 British, no more than 1/2 Continental, and no more than 1/4 dairy. "The animal needs to be a solid pattern. They sell a lot better at the sale than a spotted one. You just need to be sure that you can fit the beef cattle targets in Texas."

He also discussed how important it is to have the bulls tested for fertility every year. "The test is easy and economical. It only costs about $40. If you still aren't sure if you want to get the test, let me put it to you this way. Say you don't get your bull tested and it has ten cull calves. The value of these calves are worth, at a minimum, $400. That means you will lose $4,000 for those calves. Forty dollars doesn't sound so bad now, does it?"

There are many opportunities to use in order to find a good bull. These include the individual data on the bull, the expected progeny difference (EPD), the ultrasound data, and DNA markers. "All of these are very valuable. The EPD will help you predict the future progeny of the calf. It's important to look at the ultrasound data if you are thinking of selling the calf," he said.

There are also certain selection tools to use. It's a good idea to use all the tools available, he stated. "Look at the muscle shape of the bull. You want the bull to look good. It will bring you more money because people are visual buyers. Also, the bull should look like a bull."

He explained that if a rancher can up the calf's weaning weight by about 13 pounds over a four year time period, then it will make a big difference in the overall price of the calf.

"Treat a bull as an investment, not an expense," he ended.