  BeefTalk:
Keeping Bulls Out of Sight and Out of Mind Can Lead to Disaster
By Kris Ringwall, Extension Beef Specialist,
NDSU Extension Service
I help Gary White, chair of the Department of Agriculture and Technical
Studies at Dickinson State University, teach a course on "Problems in Beef
Cattle Management." Each student is assigned a North Dakota cow/calf mentor
operation that is presently using the CHAPS (Cow Herd Appraisal of Performance
Software) analytical process.
The combination--classroom and mentor herd--helps develop a complete and
realistic picture of the beef industry. In addition, new ideas from the students
are encouraged as they evaluate the BeefTalk columns--and also write one. I
would like to share with you thoughts from Cody Chytka, from Belle Fourche,
S.D., on bull care:
"After the breeding season, many producers would like to forget about
their breeding bulls, and some do. They become a hassle, as no one really wants
them in the way. How much easier it is to push them to the back forty and worry
about them next spring. Although it is apparent that breeding bulls do not
require a lot of extra attention in the off-season, some care must be fulfilled
in order to reduce costs for the next year.
"Most breeding commences in the spring or early summer, and extends for
two to three more months. Even with a 60-day pre-breeding conditioning period
this still leaves approximately seven months of post breeding. These are usually
the fall and winter months. After the completion of the breeding season, old or
crippled bulls should be sorted off and sold. Mature healthy bulls won’t
require a lot of extra care, so they could go by themselves.
"This leaves the younger, thinner bulls to work with. These are the ones
that should receive a little higher quality feed through the winter to increase
years of productivity. Proper balanced nutrition, including minerals, should be
available to assure optimum reproductive performance.
"Nutrition begins with adequate amounts of feed. For example, a 1300
pound bull needing to gain 1.5 pounds per day needs 26.1 pounds of dry matter,
of which 2 pounds (7.9 percent) needs to be protein and 15.6 pounds (59.7
percent) needs to be TDN or energy. A larger bull, say 1900 pounds, needing to
gain 0.5 pounds per day needs 32.2 pounds of dry matter, of which 2.2 pounds
(6.9 percent) needs to be protein and 16.8 pounds (52 percent) needs to be TDN
or energy.
"Shelter is also an overlooked aspect. Testicles can be easily frozen in
this part of the Midwest, so some bedding and shelter are important. Remember,
bulls constitute 50 percent of next year’s calf crop. Wise management
practices can reduce variable costs, resulting in greater overall revenue."
Wow! The Center currently has 31 bulls on inventory, and sure enough, one of
them turned up sick. Without early diagnosis and adequate treatment, the value
of the bull would soon be zero. I also noticed the bulls were in the yard one
day. Why? The bulls had removed 300 yards of new fence from the pasture they
were in, in an attempt to reach the weaned heifer calves.
Cody could not be any more right when he indicates producers would like to
forget about the bull inventory. They can truly be a pain. What impressed me the
most about the students BeefTalk articles was the willingness to be proactive
rather than reactive.
Bull care and nutrition needs to start now, not next spring prior to bull
turnout. Bulls need to be physically healthy, athletic in nature and conditioned
for a vigorous marathon. Bulls that are mismanaged, and the spermatogenic cycle
disrupted, would need a minimum of two months to start having a viable sperm
supply for proper conception of the following year’s calf crop.
Listen to Cody, don’t forget about those bulls. Keep them in sight and
properly fed. Where are your bulls?
May you find all your ear tags.
Your comments are always welcome at www.BeefTalk.com.
For more information, contact the North Dakota Beef Cattle Improvement
Association, 1133 State Avenue, Dickinson, ND 58601 or go to www.CHAPS2000.COM
on the Internet. In correspondence about this column, refer to BT0069.
###
Source: Kris Ringwall, (701) 483-2427, kringwal@ndsuext.nodak.edu
Editor: Tom Jirik, (701) 231-9629, tjirik@ndsuext.nodak.edu
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