Nevertheless, a bull can be evaluated for breeding soundness and this information used to assess his potential fertility. It is not feasible to determine true fertility before a bull is used in the herd. Actual fertility levels are the result of a combination of genetic potential and environmental factors including nutrition, health, and cow and bull management. All of these results cause serious economic loss to the cow-calf producer.īull fertility is often measured by the percentage of cycling females exposed to the bull and impregnated during a specific time period (usually 60–90 days). Using a subfertile bull may lead to longer calving intervals, a lower number of calves produced and increased costs from wintering open females. Since individual bulls service many females, a deficiency in the breeding ability of one bull has a larger impact on herd productivity than fertility problems in a single female. A key component of efficient calf production is a high fertility level in each breeding animal in the herd. The degree to which producers meet this goal influences their net income. A major objective in a cow-calf operation is to produce one calf from each cow annually.
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