Worts in cattle

[Anonymous]

Looking for information on worts in cattle, specifically worts on the penis of yearling bulls. Seems to be a concern in our area. I understand it is a virus and will go away in time, but with the risk of the bull infecting other cows. What effect will it have on their reproduction as well as his? How serious is this and should it be a concern when buying a new bull or herd sire???? The vets in our area seem to disagree with regard to this with some failing a bull on his breeding evaluation test (semen test) because of it. Others pass the bull and don't even mention it on the form. Any information would be greatly appreciated. Thanks.

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[Anonymous]

The biggest concern with penile warts is the difficulty the bull will have with breeding. If the wart is close to the opening it will hurt the bull during the physical act of breeding and he will not mount frequently if at all. A bull like this should never be passed by a vet. The vet can cut the wart off if the position is right. I have had the vet cut a couple off over the years and these bulls went on to breed fine. I had one that was inoperable, tangled with the urethra. He was sold for slaughter no questions asked.

A BSE or semen test is designed to eliminate obvious problems with bulls and a rigid but fair standard should be maintained. It doesn't help your reputation if a bull won't breed, anyone with a valid garantee is concerned with bulls that don't breed because they have to be replaced.

Jason Trowbridge Southern Angus Farms Alberta Canada

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