Breeding Soundness Exam Success Story

Each year cattleman incur signifanct losses in the cow/calf enterprise due to reproductive failures. The most common reason for this failure is unviable bulls servicing cows.   Producers should have Breeding Soundness Exams (BSE) completed on each bull twice per year.  Often times this practice is forgotten or not completed due to lack of facilities capable of handling large bulls.

In an effort to increase Farm Income, The Hancock County Cooperative Extension Service partnered with the local fair board and local veternarians to host a program where producers could bring their bulls to a facility capable of holding them and get a BSE completed for a lower cost. The local cattleman’s association promoted the program to is members and several participated. Each bull tested to be viable can sire up to 60 calves per year for an current annual income of $44,280.00. If a bull were to not be viable, the same value would be a net loss.

Producers that participated agree that this is a worthwhile practice and investment and asked for the program to yet again be held prior to subsequent breeding seasons.