- They are virgin bulls. Virgin bulls are less likely to pass on venereal diseases to your cows.
- If they are not virgin bulls, you have discussed relevant venereal disease testing, such as Trichomoniasis and Campylobacter, with your vet
- They are from a source that fits within your farms biosecurity criteria, and you have reviewed the details of their movement history
- They have tested clear for BVD, TB, and EBL and you have the test results in your hot little hands. BVD tested as clear is different from just being BVD inoculated
- They are vaccinated fully for BVD and leptospirosis
- If from a herd with Johne’s, they have a clear Johne’s blood test
- They are not from a Theileria infected farm
- They are sexually mature - they generally need to be 15 months or older
- They are easy calving. Look for bulls with low birthweight and high calving ease breeding values
- They are tall enough for your cows/heifers
- They are not too big for your cows/heifers. They need to be less than 100kg heavier than your cows/heifers
- The bulls are 3 years old or less - younger bulls are less likely to injure your cows and are less likely to already have back or penis injuries
- They have sound feet and do not have horns.
- You have ordered enough bulls - enough bulls for two teams (for rotation) and spares in case a bull/s becomes lame or injures himself. Rule of thumb: 1 bull/20 heifers + a spare, and two teams of 1 bull/30 non-pregnant cows + a spare
- They are in good BCS for the 2-3 months before they will be put in with the herd (when the sperm are being produced that will be ejaculated during mating). The target BCS at mating for bulls is 4.5 - 5.5
- They will arrive on farm in time to give the boys time to sort out their pecking order and to get over the truck ride and any injuries from fighting. Picking bulls from the same mob can help reduce the fighting when they arrive on farm
Download the bull buying and leasing checklist.
For further information, check out Chapter 15 of the In-Calf book.
