Bull Fertility Flashcards

1
Q

How can you definite a fertile bull?

A

Gets 60% of healthy, cycling females pregnant in the 1st 3w

Gets 90% of them pregnant in the 9 week breeding period

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2
Q

What should be the conception rate of a normal fertile bull?

A

60%

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3
Q

What should you examine during a bull breeding soundness exam? 1. General clinical examination

A

General clinical exam

  • condition score 3 or 3.5 ideal
  • check locomotion - lameness and back pain will reduce mounting
  • conformation - unusual conformation predisposes to lameness
  • ocular assessment - need to be able to see
  • teeth - ocular or undershot jaw - heritable
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4
Q

What should you examine during a bull breeding soundness exam? 2. Reproductive tract examination

A

Scrotal circumfernce
Testicles and associated structures
Penis and prepuce
Accessory sex glands - rectal palpation of prostate and seminal vesicles, rule out seminal vesiculitis

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5
Q

What should you examine during a bull breeding soundness exam? 3. Semen evaluation

A

Gross motility
Linear progressive motility
Morphology
White blood cells

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6
Q

What is the most commonly used method of semen collection?

A

Electro-ejaculation

  • poor volume and concentration
  • welfare issue
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7
Q

What should you evaluate in semen?

A

Gross motility - grade 3 or above is acceptable (1-5)
Linear gross motility - how many move progressively
Morphology - make a smear - more than 70% normal
Make a smear to assess for WBCs - stain with methylene blue
- seminal vesiculitis

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8
Q

How can you libido test a bull?

A

Put it in will a female in oestrus

Should serve her within 20mins, ideally within 10

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9
Q

How does a penile haematoma present?

A

Swelling
Abscess and adhesion formation
Poor px

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10
Q

How can you treat penile haematoma?

A

Likely to recurr - cull

Cold hose for 4 days, then 3 weeks of warm hosing and massage
Antibiotics and NSAIDs to prevent abscessation

Surgery to remove blood clot if medical management fails

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11
Q

How does a penile papilloma present and what should you do about it?

A

Young bulls
Interferes with service
May spontaneously regress, but if not
Surgical removal is indicated

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12
Q

How should you treat a persistent frenulum?

A

Surgical removal

Don’t use for breeding - heritable

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13
Q

How long will it take for the sperm count to recover after a disease?

A

60 days

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14
Q

Where are the seminal vesicles located?

A

Either side of midline on rectal examination

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15
Q

What are some venereal disease spread by the bull?

A

Campylobacter foetus venerealis
Trichomonas foetus
BHV1

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16
Q

What are the signs of trichomonas foetus in a herd?

A

Bulls are a symptomatic carriers
Prolonged return to service interval
Poor fertility in cows
Abortion in first 2-4m

17
Q

How is campylobacter foetus venereallis spread?

A

Bull is persistently infected - epididymal crypts

18
Q

What are the clinical signs of campylobacter foetus venereallis?

A

Seen in naive heifers

Endometritis after first service
Failure to conceive
Late embryonic death and irregular return to service
Abortion at 4-5 months of gestation

19
Q

How can my you treat Bulls for campylobacter?

A

Wise to cull - persistently infected

Can try long term streptomycin or preputial washes with pen/strep

20
Q

How can you control campylobacter in a herd?

A

Use AI for at least two years
Separate infected from non-infected herds
Use a virgin bull
Vaccination - autogenous

21
Q

What should a farmer consider when reading a Bulls proof?

A
  1. Production traits - milk yield, protein and fat
  2. Profitable lifetime index - fertility, SCC, udder conformation, locomotion, lifespan
  3. Conformation traits - eg udder and pelvic conformation
  4. Management fitness traits
    - calving ease
    - production life
    - lifespan
    - fertility index
    - maternal calving ease
    - direct calving ease
    - total performance index
22
Q

What are the advantages of AI?

A
Can use better Bulls
More compact calving period
Disease control - campylobacter
Safer as you don't have to keep a bull
No bull costs
Heat detection devices can be used