Bull Breeding Soundness: What’s in a Guarantee?

by John M. Davidson, DVM, Diplomate ABVP (Beef Cattle Practice)

Beef cattle reproduction is fairly straightforward. What separates the high-achieving producer from those with lesser productivity can often be attention paid to the most basic of details. One of these critical details is the bull breeding soundness examination (BBSE). The breeding evaluation of the bull should be a thorough one. Insist on a BBSE performed to the standards of the Society for Theriogenology (SFT). The SFT takes its origins from a group of veterinarians that formed the Rocky Mountain Society for the Study of Breeding Soundness of Bulls dating back to 1954. The standards have been refined periodically over the years and are the benchmark by which a bull should be evaluated. Period.

Of all the services a cattle veterinarian provides to their ranching clients, the BBSE is one that places a great deal of pressure on the veterinarian. The veterinarian feels pressured to be as quick as possible, which can oftentimes result in a pace that compromises quality, to keep the client happy. Next, there is the pressure to pass as many bulls as possible. Having realistic expectations is the key. The rancher should expect that some bulls should fail the BBSE each year. If every bull is passing the BBSE every time, some scrutiny should be placed on the testing process. Years ago, I failed a bull that sold to one of my clients for over $10,000. When this client called to tell me about his new bulls and asked me about the necessity for a BBSE, I simply told him to fax me the copies of the pre-sale test records from the ranch of origin. When these documents came in on the fax, I knew right away that we’d be re-testing the bulls. How did I know? The bulls had been tested by a ‘unique’ system that I had never seen. There was no standard reflected on these homemade forms. Since I had no way to interpret the results, I suggested a BBSE performed to the SFT standards. I’m glad we did. One bull in particular did not pass. The series of phone calls that followed were uncomfortable for all involved. All of that could have been avoided with adherence to the SFT standards. The seller, buyer, and two veterinarians were put in unsavory situations all because of the hectic pace of the original testing coupled with a lack of adherence to a long-standing standard that precluded a complete BBSE from being performed.

How many bulls should you reasonably expect to be tested in an hour or in a day? In my experience, when more than six or seven bulls per hour are tested, the quality of the BBSE will suffer. Aside from physical soundness, the external and internal anatomy of the bull’s reproductive tract should be evaluated. The testicles are evaluated then measured and must meet minimum size requirements based on the age of the bull. The bull’s penis should be visualized during the examination, even if not volunteered during electro-ejaculation. Once the semen is obtained, the sperm motility is examined under low power light microscopy. Unfortunately, the hastily performed BBSE ends here. Relatively speaking, the added time it takes to evaluate the individual sperm cells, or morphology, under high-power magnification is small. The importance of this morphological evaluation step is huge. We all recognize that time is money. That being said, shouldn’t you insist on the getting the most return on your investment? Skipping the most important component of the BBSE (morphological evaluation) to save a couple of minutes really doesn’t make any sense.

A lot of frustration can be alleviated if the appropriate expectations are set with regard to bull breeding soundness evaluations. You expect a lot from your bulls in the pasture. You should also expect a lot on your bull’s BBSE. With increasing frequency, I see bulls sold a “Guaranteed” instead of being tested to a standard. So I ask the question: What exactly is this guarantee covering? Will it compensate you for a reduced calf crop? Will it compensate you for lighter average weaning weight due to reduced calf numbers or later born calves? The guarantee simply covers replacement of the bull should he be determined to be unsound during the specified time after purchase. The issue is that these sub-fertile bulls don’t produce the first service conceptions and overall pregnancy rate that is essential for a cattleman’s bottom line. The importance of the first service conception and long-term production is very clear in the veterinary literature. I see many bulls offered as ‘guaranteed,’ but not tested to the SFT standard, which places the burden of verifying acceptable soundness on the buyer.

Remember: every bull, every year. You never know when a bull will become unsound. When not detected prior to the breeding season, the results can be disastrous. Not every yearling bull will pass the BBSE when he reaches puberty. Further, not every mature bull will pass the annual BBSE. That’s why we perform them. Finding out at preg-check time that your bull(s) were sub-fertile can lead to disappointing and costly results when the subsequent calf crop is hitting the ground. So what should you do? Start by requesting a copy of the SFT’s standard BSE test chart with the rest of the newly acquired bull’s documentation at the time of purchase. When a veterinarian is performing a follow-up BBSE or is offering a second opinion on a bull, have the previous test results available. Next, be sure to schedule a BBSE on every bull, every year, 45 to 60 days pre-turnout. I should point out that if you ranch in an area where Bovine Trichomoniasis is possible, this is a great time to perform surveillance on the bulls before turnout. Once the bull is designated as a ‘Satisfactory Potential Breeder’, make sure he receives his pre-breeding health inputs as suggested by your herd veterinarian. Keep your BBSE test charts with your other herd records and enjoy the results that a bull battery that has been veterinarian tested to the standards of the SFT will bring you.