01/10/2026
Please reach out to schedule fertility testing for your bulls as the spring approaches!
Welcome back to “I don’t know what I don’t know!” Today’s topic: bull health
“Hey doc, my bull seems a little off and this last year we didn’t get a good crop of calves. What’s going on?”
Good bulls aren’t just big and tough — they’ve got a job to do! 🐂 If your bull seems “a little off” or you’ve noticed fewer calves hitting the ground, it may be time for a Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE).
A yearly BSE helps ensure:
• Subfertile or infertile bulls are identified early
• Higher pregnancy rates and a more profitable breeding season
• More calves born earlier = heavier calves at weaning 💪
• Structural, health, and reproductive problems are caught before they cost you money
• Screening for reproductive diseases like Trichomoniasis, which can devastate herd profitability
🔎 What’s included in a Breeding Soundness Exam?
• Full physical exam including vision and lameness exam & reproductive health evaluation
• Scrotal circumference measurement
• Semen collection and evaluation (motility & morphology)
• Classification as satisfactory, unsatisfactory, or deferred
• Trichomoniasis testing
⚠️ One subfertile bull can cost you thousands. Trich alone costs the U.S. cattle industry over $100 million each year—and infected bulls must be culled, as there is no cure. Yearly testing ensures that these issues are not missed.
📆 Yearly BSEs help protect your herd, improve efficiency, and keep your operation profitable.
👉 Ready to schedule your breeding soundness exams? We’re here to help — send us a message or give us a call!
Now you know what you may not have known! Next topic: mare reproduction and breeding! Stay tuned!
