Bulls are an integral part of any enterprises reproductive performance and are an investment in the genetic advancement of your herd, but what if they aren’t up to scratch?

Surveys across Australia and New Zealand have demonstrated that between 10% and 33% of bulls are not fit for service, and having even one of these animals in your bull team will significantly impact your conception rates. So given the importance of a bull’s ability to function, what can we do to check? We're excited to announce that Vetora Waikato now offers bull breeding soundness evaluations, including crush-side semen assessment, thanks to recent investment in new equipment and specialised training for our large animal team.

The Vetora BullCheck involves one of our large animal veterinarians physically evaluating your bulls (body condition, scrotal circumference, examination of genitalia, assessment of conformation), followed by the collection and evaluation of semen samples for density and motility right there and then. Whilst this evaluation doesn’t include a serving assessment, it goes a long way to providing a risk assessment for the success of your current bull team. Bull testing also provides a good opportunity to blood test your animals for their BVD status and vaccinate them if necessary.

Ideally bull testing should be conducted 6 weeks prior to your joining period, to allow time for you to find any replacements if necessary. Bulls should also not be tested within 7 weeks of any illness or stressor (e.g. transport).

If you have any questions regarding bull health and fertility or want to get your team of bulls booked in for assessment please reach out to your local Vetora clinic!

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