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Approach to conducting bull breeling soundness examinations
Author(s) -
McGowan Michael
Publication year - 2004
Publication title -
in practice
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.211
H-Index - 25
eISSN - 2042-7689
pISSN - 0263-841X
DOI - 10.1136/inpract.26.9.485
Subject(s) - herd , fertility , selection (genetic algorithm) , soundness , productivity , microbiology and biotechnology , dairy cattle , artificial insemination , veterinary medicine , medicine , biology , zoology , pregnancy , environmental health , economics , computer science , population , genetics , artificial intelligence , programming language , macroeconomics
THE major objectives of conducting bull breeding soundness examinations are to improve the quality of decision making with respect to the selection and management of bulls and to minimise the risk of the farmer mating a subfertile or infertile bull to his/her herd. The fertility and genetic potential of bulls significantly affects the overall productivity and production efficiency of naturally mated beef and dairy herds. The fertility status and genetic merit of an individual bull has a far greater impact on herd performance than those of an individual cow ‐ a fact that is often not fully appreciated by farmers. This article discusses a step‐by‐step approach to the bull breeding soundness examination with the aim of assisting the veterinary surgeon to provide a professional opinion about a bull's likely fertility status.