Glacier FarmMedia – Slow-swimming bull sperm will have no place to hide. A Scottish company, Dyneval, has created a new semen analyzer that measures a wider range of concentrations of semen than previous testing methods. This will allow veterinarians, beef and dairy producers to have more control over semen quality. The Dynescanl analyzer is also […] Read more
At Ag in Motion: New tester monitors bull fertility
More information is better when looking for your next herd sire
Scrotal size is a key indicator and getting reliable, consistent measurements isn’t difficult
Reading Time: 3 minutes Scrotal circumference and scrotal palpation are among the quickest, repeatable and fact-revealing pieces of information we can get on bulls. Some breeds get away with less scrotal size, but we have also seen that scrotal size, on average, has gone up through selection. Because it is quite heritable, fertility improves. However, we are probably reaching […] Read more
What’s your secret to keeping bull calves from being injured?
Raising bulls and wintering them is challenging, and sharing tips and tricks would be very helpful
Reading Time: 4 minutes I don’t think this research has ever been done, but if one were to track purebred bull calves from an early age until sale you would find the two top reasons for culling, selling, death and other losses are fertility and injuries. I would include lameness in this tally as a high percentage of this […] Read more
A guide to selecting the perfect heifer bull
Here are some tips for finding the right heifer bull for your operation, herd, and budget
Reading Time: 6 minutes Whether home raised or purchased, open replacement heifer candidates are one of your biggest investments on the ranch. Heifers experiencing dystocia or a difficult calving are less likely to mother up and breed back and more likely to wean lighter calves. Assisted calves are more likely to become sick or die before weaning. Proper heifer […] Read more
Who’s your daddy?
A study that used DNA testing to determine the siring success of individual bulls produced some surprises
Reading Time: 3 minutes DNA testing can help you know which bulls are siring calves and make better management decisions. “There was a lot more variation in what bulls were actually doing and which bulls were siring calves than we thought going into this,” Stacey Domolewski said during a recent Beef Cattle Research Council webinar. As part of a […] Read more
Are your bulls actually siring calves?
Reading Time: < 1 minute For producers who breed cows in large pastures with multiple bulls, it’s often assumed that all of the bulls will sire roughly the same number of calves. Research shows a surprising variation in the number of calves sired by each bull. A Nov. 16 webinar examines how DNA parentage testing can help determine sire value […] Read more
When thinking about biosecurity on a beef farm, it helps to think both big and small
Disease can be introduced when people visit the farm, such as in the case of the bull sale
Reading Time: 3 minutes When people think about biosecurity, they generally think about swine, poultry or dairy operations. But biosecurity is important on beef operations too and there are a number of things producers can do to minimize their risk. “Dairy, swine and poultry are in barns, so biosecurity is easier to control, whereas in the beef industry, the […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
