– Brooks Warner, OSU Extension Agriculture & Natural Resources Extension Educator, Scioto County (originally published in Ohio Farmer on-line)

Are you certain your bull is ready to work?
Breeding season for most beef herds is upon us or rapidly approaching here in the Midwest, and whether you plan to use your old bull or purchase a new one, it is important to know that the bull you have is fertile. The best way to know if your bull is fertile is by sending him through a Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE).
It is important to understand what a fertile and productive bull looks like before you open your billfold to purchase a bull. Aside from the initial cost of purchasing a sub-fertile bull, the economic loss due to sub-fertile bulls is far greater in the long run. For every 21-day period of the breeding season that a cow remains open, there is a loss of ~55lbs of weaning weight the following year for the calf she finally conceives.
Not only does a bull need to fit the physical criteria and the inherent drive to breed cows, but he needs to Continue reading