By Lana Robinson
Field Editor
An estimated 80 percent of herd improvement is directly attributed to bull selection, a message that Dr. Jason Cleere, beef specialist with Texas Cooperative Extension, preached in his "bull power" presentation at the recent Spring Beef and Forage Field Day in East Texas.
"I'm going to get on my soap box here, but I can't emphasize enough the importance of bull quality," Cleere told a large crowd gathered at Chamness Land and Cattle Company at Poyner. "Invest in a quality bull. That's the value of your calf crop."
Cleere said wise cattle producers buy a bull from a reputable seedstock producer known to raise good, genetically-sound bulls—one who provides a good quantity from which to choose. That bull breeder, he said, should also be one who keeps performance records, including weight gain and expected progeny differences (EPDs).
"You want to know where he came from, his parents, birthweight, weaning weight, and assurances that he is a sound bull from a disease-free herd," said Cleere. "Use both visual selection and data to get the best results in bull selection."
In the alternative, Cleere recommended a commercial sale. Cleere cited five reasons why owners take their bulls to sale barns to be sold: age, infertility, health problems, prefers neighbor's cows to those at home, and produces poor quality calves.
"Chances are if you pay $800 or less for a bull at a sale barn, he's going to have one or more of these problems and your calf crop will suffer. Rarely can a producer find a good bull at a sale barn without any problems. It's possible to get a good deal, but you are taking a risk because you don't know the bull's background," he warned.
Cleere estimated that a good bull that costs between $1,500 and $2,500 will pay the bills in the quality calf he sires.
The Extension beef specialist said the ideal calf would have less than one-quarter Brahman influence; at least one-quarter British (Hereford, Angus, etc.); no more than one-half Continental (Simmental, Charolais, etc.); and less than one-quarter dairy.
"If you have Brahman-cross cows, you need to ask yourself what kind of bull is needed to produce a calf that fits the market," he said. "Your goal is to produce mostly solid-patterned calves. These are the type that the buyers want to see. Calves that are spotted will often receive a discount."
An external examination of the bull should center on several things, he said.
"Look at him from the ground up. If he can't walk, how will he breed cows? Sound feet and legs are essential. Think about structure. If he appears to be hurting when he walks, you don't want him. Look for good, straight, front feet and hind legs. There needs to be an adequate set to the legs. Avoid a bull that is post-legged or bow-legged."
A good bull should also have a straight top, according to Cleere, because "eye appeal" is a valid concern with respect to traits that are transmitted to offspring.
"You don't want any sways or humps that can be passed on to calves. Hooks to pins need to be level. Again, the skeletal structure of the bull is very important."
The beef specialist explained that better-muscled calves bring more money, so a bull with a nice, muscular shape is desirable.
"The muscle needs to be round in order to see that shape," he pointed out. "Look for most of the muscle to be in the back area, but look for the bull to be clean throughout the shoulders."
In the past, the best way to evaluate bulls for muscle and fat (leanness) was with progeny carcass evaluation. Cleere said it is still an effective way to accurately evaluate cutability and quality grades and the only way to evaluate tenderness. However, ultrasound technology now allows for live bull evaluation for the rib eye area, fat thickness and percent fat in the ribeye equated to a marbling score, he said.
"Look at the temperament of the animal," he added. "There are new studies indicating a strong relationship between temperament and tenderness."
Cleere said producers should visually check to see if the bull has two testicles and that they are similar in size. He said to avoid a bull with long, pendulous sheaths that hang close to the ground and are, thus, more prone to injury. Cleere recommended a breeding soundness evaluation (BSE) to remove the guesswork.
"Have this done before turn out every year, or at least once a year. It will cost you $25 to $30 to do that, but you have to weigh that against calves at $400 each and what that will cost you if the bull becomes infertile," he said.
The BSE includes semen evaluation for motility and morphology, scrotal circumference measurement, and a physical examination of the reproductive tract.
"Scrotal circumference for one-year-old bulls should be a minimum of 30 centimeters (approximately 12 inches) and 34-cm minimum for two-year-old bulls," he said.
Cleere said EPDs remain the most accurate means for estimating the true breeding value of an animal in regard to certain measurable traits.
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