Bull Care All Year: Feeding, Feet, Safety and Breeding Soundness

A herd bull is half your genetics and a big chunk of your investment, and he works for only a few months a year. The rest of the time he eats, loafs and, if he is not handled well, thinks about the fence. How you take care of him between breeding seasons affects whether he is ready to work when you need him and how many years he lasts.

This guide covers year-round bull care: feeding and body condition, feet and legs, breeding soundness exams, health, housing and safety. Your veterinarian and local conditions make the final call on specifics. If you want to find bull sales and cattle events near you, agriculture.directory can help you find agriculture events in your area. For choosing a bull, see our bull buying checklist at /guides/bull-buying-checklist-for-a-first-time-cow-calf-man/.

Body Condition: Not Too Thin, Not Too Fat

Bulls lose a lot of weight during the breeding season, because they spend time walking, fighting and breeding instead of eating. Many producers aim for a body condition score around 6 on the 9-point scale going into breeding season, which gives them reserves, but not so fat that fertility and feet suffer. After breeding, bulls need to recover. Young bulls also need extra nutrition to keep growing. Overfeeding a bull can cause foot and leg problems and reduce semen quality, and underfeeding can leave him too weak to cover his cows. See the Extension resources at Nebraska Beef and University of Minnesota Extension for body condition scoring guides.

Feeding Through the Year

• Before breeding. Bring bulls up to good condition 60 days or so before the season, with quality forage and a ration balanced for their age.
• During breeding. Provide access to good feed and fresh water.
• After breeding. Let them regain weight, especially young bulls, which are still growing.
• Winter. Provide adequate energy, protein and minerals, and shelter from wind.

Minerals matter, including zinc, selenium and vitamin A, which are involved in fertility. Ask your vet or nutritionist what is appropriate for your area.

Feet and Legs

A bull with bad feet cannot breed. Watch how he walks, and check for overgrown or cracked hooves, lameness and swollen joints. Foot rot and other infections need prompt treatment. If hooves get overgrown, a trained hoof trimmer or your vet can trim them. Standing in mud makes foot problems worse, so provide well-drained areas. Bulls with structural problems often pass them on, so consider culling.

Breeding Soundness Exams

A breeding soundness exam, performed by a veterinarian, evaluates a bull's physical condition, scrotal circumference and semen quality, to estimate his ability to breed. Many veterinarians and extension programs recommend a breeding soundness exam before every breeding season, since a bull's fertility can change. The Society for Theriogenology and veterinary groups such as the American Association of Bovine Practitioners publish information on these exams. Schedule the exam early enough that you have time to replace a bull that fails. A bull that passes today can still go bad later, so watch cows for return to heat during the season.

Health and Vaccination

Bulls should be vaccinated and dewormed as part of your herd health program. Work with your vet on a plan. Quarantine new bulls for a period and test for diseases such as trichomoniasis in areas where it is a concern, since bulls can spread it. Check for injuries to the penis and sheath, and watch for signs of infection.

Housing and Fences

Bulls are strong, and a bored bull will test a fence. Use stout fences and corrals, with good gates and latches. Many ranchers keep bulls in a separate bull pasture outside the breeding season. Bulls that are raised together generally get along better, but introducing unfamiliar bulls often leads to fights, which can cause serious injury. Do not put new bulls together without a plan. Provide shade, water and feed.

Safety Around Bulls

Bulls kill people every year. Never trust a bull, even one you raised or one that seems gentle. Safety rules:

• Always have an escape route when you are in a pen with a bull.
• Do not turn your back on a bull.
• Use a chute or a working pen with strong gates.
• Never walk into a pen with a bull alone, if possible.
• Be extra careful with dairy bulls, which have a reputation for aggression.
• Cull bulls that are aggressive toward people.

Dr. Temple Grandin's low-stress handling guidance at grandin.com offers useful advice on how to move and work cattle safely.

When to Cull

A bull should be culled for poor fertility, lameness, injury, bad temperament or declining condition. Because a bull is half the herd, replacing a poor performer is a good investment. Keep records on each bull: the cows he bred, the percentage that conceived and calf performance.

Common Bull Care Mistakes

• Letting bulls get too thin or too fat. Both hurt fertility.
• Skipping the breeding soundness exam. You may find out too late.
• Ignoring feet. A lame bull will not work.
• Mixing strange bulls. Fights cause injuries.
• Getting careless. Bulls are dangerous.

Farm.fm's page on understanding bulls covers the basics, and for a laugh, see farm.fm's humor piece on a bull voiding a gate hinge warranty.