Low fertility bull

[Dextersg]

Had bull tested for fertility and found he has a very low fertility count. He's eight year old British white. Just wondering what would you would do with him. To be honest this is the first bull I've had thats had this problem

 

[Northeastfarmer]

Hang him by his hocks

 

[M-J-G]

Had bull tested for fertility and found he has a very low fertility count. He's eight year old British white. Just wondering what would you would do with him. To be honest this is the first bull I've had thats had this problem

You could test him again in a while if you don't want to hang him up right now

 

[tr250]

How low is low bet more bulls than people think are below 30% but still get cows in calf. Also a semen test is only representative of that day it could be different next week. We have given up testing just put a young bull to a couple of slips 6 weeks before main bulling and observe heats

 

[Dextersg]

He's just not getting any cows in calf, been running with cows for months that's why I had him tested

 

[tr250]

He's just not getting any cows in calf, been running with cows for months that's why I had him tested

Get a new one sharpish and get the old one in the fat yard he’s loosing you time.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Unfortunately, get him gone and find a new one. I had a 5 year old go sub fertile on me after 2 damn good crops of calves, never missed a trick until the 3rd year 5 out of 31 in calf. Couldn't understand why there weren't a constant stream of bulling cows though. He went, day after new lad arrived, all in calf within 7 weeks. Strange!

 

[Happy]

You could test him again in a while if you don't want to hang him up right now

At 8 years old I wouldn’t be bothering wasting anymore time testing him.
First loss usually the best one to take.

 

[M-J-G]

At 8 years old I wouldn’t be bothering wasting anymore time testing him.
First loss usually the best one to take.

I'd tend to agree, but not everyone wants to part with them.
He may be temporarily infertile due to a past infection.

Although age is a consideration, I wouldn't let him being 8yo dictate too much, you might get 2 or 3 more years out of him and you could buy a 2yo bull and not get a year out of him.

Bulls can be like that.

 

[Dextersg]

Unfortunately, get him gone and find a new one. I had a 5 year old go sub fertile on me after 2 damn good crops of calves, never missed a trick until the 3rd year 5 out of 31 in calf. Couldn't understand why there weren't a constant stream of bulling cows though. He went, day after new lad arrived, all in calf within 7 weeks. Strange!

Nice one. Where did you send him?.

 

[som farmer]

learnt on Friday, our Hereford stock bull, who tested fine in june, is no longer fine. He was only 'chasing, so not desperate, pd session in dec, bit disappointing, but, as only, the 'difficult' cows, ok, did the figures, 50%, this time, very bad, looked at the figures, removed the +pd, up to the date, we sold the other stock bull, reckon 12%, plus, he has served a fair few recently. Any bull, not doing his duty, is costing you money, even those of us, well experienced in using bulls, can get caught out, you may only 'think' its temporary, you don't know, how much will it cost you to find out ? It may be an injury, stopping him working, we had one, break his 'equipment', still fertile, but ineffective.

 

[Anymulewilldo]

Nice one. Where did you send him?.

Just into our local cull cow market, he made £230 less than I paid for him so I wasn't too pee'd about that bit!

It was the 1250 I had to put too it for his replacement that pinched! ?

 

[Chae1]

If possible I'd test him again in backend.

We had one of our best bulls go infertile in springtime and looks like it must have just been some sort of infection.

He's been leaving calves in cows he was running with in summer.

Going to get him tested again.

 

[Henarar]

Had bull tested for fertility and found he has a very low fertility count. He's eight year old British white. Just wondering what would you would do with him. To be honest this is the first bull I've had thats had this problem

My first thought is cull him but.......
have you had the vet take a good look at him ? he may have had or has got an infection that has caused it.
we had a bull fail to get the cows in calf, they continually came bulling, we went and bought another bull as time was running on
when we came to have a good look we found he had mastitis, when we got him over that and gave him some time he came back right and we used him again
always ran two bulls and swapped them over since that

 

[czechmate]

I must admit (it shows what slack suckler farmers we are) one of our bulls was 14 last year. We put a group of about 8 heifers in with him (and his existing herd) last April . Well he was just going around and around them and some of the herd , so we just assumed his time was up and made a plan to source a new bull. Trouble was we got really busy, then aug holiday season here and the quarantine period, it ended up being late September by the time the new chap was in. It was quite a surprise that he didn’t appear incredibly busy when we put him in and now, most of that herd is obviously heavy in calf.
The old guy obviously came good again...
Just before we sent him on his way?. Mind, I think we gave him a good run.

 

[Jdunn55]

I'd tend to agree, but not everyone wants to part with them.
He may be temporarily infertile due to a past infection.

Although age is a consideration, I wouldn't let him being 8yo dictate too much, you might get 2 or 3 more years out of him and you could buy a 2yo bull and not get a year out of him.

Bulls can be like that.

Agreed, age doesn't bother us at all. Our oldest bull is currently 13, all but 2 in calf due to calve in the spring over a 9 week period (last year was in a 6 week period but we ai'ed everything on first service some on second service as well). Currently in with cows and seems to be doing his job. If he was sub-fertile and not getting cows in calf however he would unfortunately be going up the road.

 

[JSmith]

Unless your a pedigree breeder an he’s got some super sonic blood line that you need to try an keep why would you waste time an money on him? Get a new bull an get your cows in calf!

 

[som farmer]

farmers swop rams round, or run several, we normally run several bulls, swap them round daily, as block calving, kept 2 this year, one got assy, so he went, looked to sell the remaining hfd, priced at £1500 +, as wan't to change breeds, then the bloody thing stops getting them in calf ! Not risking killing anything, before we sell a lot of cows, just in case, mates had 1 go down in abbatoir, stopping a big bunch going on. So why don't farmers, suckle herds, pd ? If we run bulls with cattle, we pd at 40 days, if at least 1 I/c he's working, and we fertility test them every year, but, must admit, this bagger caught us out.