The Reproductive and Nutritional Management of Beef Bulls

pregnancy rate is one of the most important factors determining profit or loss. Considerable emphasis and focus is placed on the nutritional and reproductive management of the cow herd; but, unfortunately, in most operations little emphasis is placed on the bull. However, each bull is expected to impregnate from 15 40 females during the breeding season in a typical cow-calf operation and, thus, the fertility of that bull actually is of considerably greater consequence than the fertility of an "individual" cow. Too often the range bull's breeding capacity is taken for granted, and the actual care and management of this bull during the non-breeding season is considered an inconvenience rather than an important part of a cow herd management program. Coulter (1992) reported that 18 30 percent of the range bulls were reproductively deficient and many more were barely adequate. Typical bull selection generally places little emphasis on reproductive traits such as scrotal circumference, and breeding soundness examination (BSE) scores.