Young bull......Semen test?

[robertwhite]

Got a young bull (14mths) and am trying to figure out if I should carry him to the vet to get tested before I turn him out with my cows.

Local vet who used to come to farms and perform the test can no longer do so. So the only other option is to trailer the bull 30+ minutes away to a different vets office. The biggest concern is stressing the bull out during the trip. Can the stress effect the test? The second concern is that I have gotten the bull to calm down since he arrived and he may start acting up after the trip.

If he cant produce, he will go to the sale and I will have to arrange for AI.

What do you folks think?

 

[herefordlover]

we haul out bulls 30 mins to get tested all the time they never seem to be worked up at all

 

[Galloways1]

we haul out bulls 30 mins to get tested all the time they never seem to be worked up at all

X2

Never had an issue

 

[robertwhite]

we haul out bulls 30 mins to get tested all the time they never seem to be worked up at all

Great, thanks.

 

[3waycross]

Robert
To me it's real simple. You are gonna find out if he can breed one of two ways. Which one sounds better to you?

 

[Isomade]

That's the only way I've ever done it and never had an issue.

 

[3waycross]

We did bulls both ways this year. We did the young sale bulls at the ranch and it went fine. The old bulls were too big for the chute so we hauled them to the sale barn and did them there and it went fine.

 

[bigbull338]

hauling to the vets tobe tested wont hurt the bull.an it would be a good thing to have him tested.

 

[medicinewoman]

robertwhite

The trip to the vet should be no problem for him, unless he injures himself. The stress will have no effect on his seaman test as he produced that seaman about two week ago.
As long as he was OK ( not sick ) then it should be a true test.
MW

Edited to add:
There is a 3rd way to test him.
Collect the seaman yourself and take it to any vet for testing.

 

[hillsdown]

Got a young bull (14mths) and am trying to figure out if I should carry him to the vet to get tested before I turn him out with my cows.

Local vet who used to come to farms and perform the test can no longer do so. So the only other option is to trailer the bull 30+ minutes away to a different vets office. The biggest concern is stressing the bull out during the trip. Can the stress effect the test? The second concern is that I have gotten the bull to calm down since he arrived and he may start acting up after the trip.

If he cant produce, he will go to the sale and I will have to arrange for AI.

What do you folks think?

Stress can have some strange effects on all animals but it is a very short trip and he should be fine, however he may not pass for other reasons and do not be so quick to cull .

Semen tests results for young bulls may not be conclusive. A poor semen test on a bull less than 15 months of age is not a reliable indicator that the bull will have poor quality semen a few weeks later. Seminal qualities may improve dramatically for up to 4 months following puberty.
While a bull must produce some viable sperm in order to be fertile, semen quality is only one aspect of total fertility and must be evaluated in conjunction with all the other factors

http://www.omafra.gov.on.ca/english/liv ... 06-015.htm

Here is another link from a well known highly accredited veterinarian college that tells you more than one will ever need to know about bulls and soundness exams . ;-)
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC339235/

 

[dun]

There is a 3rd way to test him.
Collect the seaman yourself and take it to any vet for testing.

Easier said then done. Also makes it awfully hard to get an accurate motility count.

 

[3waycross]

There is a 3rd way to test him.
Collect the seaman yourself and take it to any vet for testing.

Easier said then done. Also makes it awfully hard to get an accurate motility count.

Come on Dun, don't be such a spoilsport. Maybe she has a special technique she can share with us.

 

[medicinewoman]

3waycross Wrote:
Come on Dun, don't be such a spoilsport. Maybe she has a special technique she can share with us.

I was thinking more along the lines of some you men who have had a vasectomy, share with us how you collected your sample 6 weeks later to taken to your doctor for testing.
MW

 

[3waycross]

3waycross Wrote:
Come on Dun, don't be such a spoilsport. Maybe she has a special technique she can share with us.

I was thinking more along the lines of some you men who have had a vasectomy, share with us how you collected your sample 6 weeks later to taken to your doctor for testing.
MW

Maybe you could post a video or something for those of us who never had a Vasectomie.

What do you do. Give the bull a copy of a heifer sale catalogue and send him to the barn with a jar?

 

[MistyMorning]

3waycross Wrote:
Come on Dun, don't be such a spoilsport. Maybe she has a special technique she can share with us.

I was thinking more along the lines of some you men who have had a vasectomy, share with us how you collected your sample 6 weeks later to taken to your doctor for testing.
MW

Atta girl! :clap:

 

[Red Bull Breeder]

If the bull is for your own use don't worry about the semen test. About all it will tell you is if the semen is good. Won't tell you is the bull is able to breed a cow or if he has the want to to breed.

 

[medicinewoman]

Dun,
Seriously now.
With fewer and fewer large animal vets being available, you people who sell bulls may not have a choice soon.
I collect from both mounted and standing positions.
See: you-tube http://www.youtube.com/results?search_q ... 2j0j1.15.0.

See also: http://www.vivo.colostate.edu/hbooks/pa ... ction.html
MW

 

[medicinewoman]

Dun

Also makes it awfully hard to get an accurate motility count

Not if you keep the sample in your armpit while driving to the vet.
MW

 

[hillsdown]

Dun

Also makes it awfully hard to get an accurate motility count

Not if you keep the sample in your armpit while driving to the vet.
MW

Actually it does ! A "seamen" test for a guy having a vasectomy and wanting to know if there are any swimmers left, is vastly different from a bull soundness exam or a man getting his sperm cleaned/counted/motility/morphology etc for his wife to have IUI or her eggs inseminated for in vitro.

Apples to oranges . Also you need a vet cert for most sales here and the vet needs to see/exam the bull in person for a health cert before they will sign off, unless you are private treaty and the buyer does not care or it is for your own personal use. :tiphat:

 

[3waycross]

Wow finally the voice of reason! Thanks HD :tiphat: