Selecting a bull is one of the most important decisions that a cow/calf producer will make. This is because that one animal will have such a large impact on your herd’s genetics going forward.
In a single sire herd the bull will account for half of all of the genetics that will be present in your calf crop. The last 3 herd sires that you use will represent about 87% of your calf crop’s genetic make up. This will include any replacement heifers that you use as well as any potential future sires if you decide to keep them.
With the importance that the bull will play it is critical that you select the right one for your operation. Here are 5 tips that you can follow:
Tip #1 Determine what you need
The hardest challenge that some people face in shopping for a potential herd sire is just deciding what they need in a bull. With the overabundance of information out there it can be easy to get overwhelmed with it all.
One way that could help you decide is what kind of market that you want to go for. Do you want to be just a commercial cow/calf operation or perhaps a seedstock? This can help you out because it gives you a kind of final destination that you will be striving for.
The next step in this process is looking at where your genetics are at this moment. Are there any areas, like increasing weaning weight, that you would like to improve? It is important that you look at this area honestly and not with “rose colored glasses”.
Now that you have figured out the area between where you are now and where you would like to be you can look for a bull that will fit your needs.
Tip #2 Decide on a budget
Before you go looking out for a new bull it is vital that you decide just how much you can afford to spend. It is critical that you do this before so you don’t find one that you really want then find out that you can’t afford it.
A general rule of thumb that you could follow is it shouldn’t be more than twice the price of a fat steer. Now if you are able to spend more then that is fine but this could be a simple guideline to follow.
One option that you could look at is if you could get any premiums from him. There are some markets that offer premiums on calves from certain bulls. Course this would be something that you would need to look at when deciding what kind of bull that you are needing.
A vital thing to remember here is to keep your eyes on the prize and only look for the bull that will provide for what you are needing. It can be pretty easy to lose sight at that with all of the potential out there.
Tip #3 Look at the bull’s soundness
A bull won’t do you any good if he can’t do the job that you are buying him for. I see this happen a lot with people buying one solely on the number of stock shows his calves won. While that is fine it shouldn’t be the only criteria that you are looking at, unless you are only buying for the show arena.
But for most commercial producers his ability to walk around the pasture is a bit more important. For this you should look at his hooves, his testicle size, and how he moves around.
These 3 things will tell you if he will be able to cover the terrain and breed the cows that he is needing to breed. One general thing is to look at ones that are within 200 miles of your operation. If they are within this radius then are usually more use to the terrain as well as the climate that he will be in.
Before you buy him I would recommend that you see him in the pasture. It would also be a good idea to look him over yourself. I mean you wouldn’t buy a new truck without looking it over.
Tip #4 Compare the EPDs
When you have the potential pool narrowed down to a handful it is a good idea to compare their EPDs.
Expected Progeny Differences, or EPDs, are a list that can predict how a particular bull’s offspring will do. The traits that are listed here are things like Birth Weight, Weaning Weight, Milking Ability and things like that. This will fall back on the list of traits that you decided you were needing earlier.
For commercial operations it may be easier to look at how a bull ranks in each EPD for his breed versus looking at the particular numbers. A bull in the top 25% will often excel in that particular trait.
Tip#5 Go with a reputable breeder
Along with researching the bull you should also look at the person that you are buying him from. With the importance that he will play it is best to go with someone that is reputable.
Many breeders that you can go with will perform a breeding soundness before you buy him. If they do not then I highly recommend that you pay to have one done beforehand.
Another thing that you should look at is the breeder’s overall herd health and nutrition program. This will give you a good idea on how the bull will respond to any vaccinations that you give him. It will also let you know on any potential continued growth that he may have.
I talk about steps to picking a reputable breeder in an earlier post and you can find it by clicking here.
Wasn’t able to go too in-depth on this subject here but if you would like to find some more information you can either visit your local county extension agent or the University of Arkansas has a wonderful paper that can be found by clicking here.
