A New Year’s Resolution for Bull Buyers: Know Your Herd

By Matt Spangler

Spring bull buying season is near. The question that all potential bull (and semen) buyers need to ask is, “What do I need?”  The operative word is need, not to be confused with want. To objectively answer the question, producers need to know how their herd currently performs. This includes, but is not limited to:

• Current rates of dystocia 
• Current pregnancy rates 
• Current age distribution of the cow herd 
• Primary reason(s) for cows exiting the herd 
• Weight of calves at the point of sale
• Post-weaning performance of calves
• Weight of mature cows
• Annual (variable) cow costs

Knowing the answers to the questions above helps identify the areas that require the most attention to improve profitability. 

After a breeding objective has been formed and the answers to the questions above are in hand, bull selection can begin. The sometimes complex process of selecting bulls can be reduced to a few simple steps. 

1. Choose vendors that sell the product you need and that you trust. 
2. Choose bulls based on what is “under the hood”. In other words, the goal of bull selection is to improve genetics so select bulls based on genetic potential using Expected Progeny Differences (EPDs).
3. Select for more than one trait given more than one trait impacts profitability. Utilize economic selection indexes to do so. 
4. Value bulls (or semen) based on the potential to generate a return from the investment. In other words, if the "best" bull sells for more money than he could generate for your enterprise (based on genetic value and number of cows he would be exposed to, and cull value), then pass on him and buy a different bull that does have the potential for a positive return on investment. 

Not everyone who raises cattle is profit-motivated, but for those who are, utilizing proven tools such as EPD and economic selection indexes seems logical. With that in mind, here are pitfalls to avoid. 

1. Avoid over-emphasizing calving ease (direct). The emphasis on this trait should be in relation to the degree you experience dystocia problems now. 
2. If you retain replacement females, keep an eye on mature cow weight EPD if available. 
3. If you retain replacement females, do not ignore female fertility. Sustained cow fertility (stayability, functional longevity) EPD represent the ability to remain productive in a herd.
4. If you use economic selection indexes, use the ones that fit your breeding objective. Do not use terminal indexes if you intend to retain replacement females. 
5. Know, or ask, what certain EPD/indexes mean and what breed average is. Do not buy a bull assuming he excels for a trait only to later discover that he ranks towards the bottom of the breed. 

There are numerous articles on how to interpret and use genetic selection tools.