paul
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Post by paul on May 18, 2014 21:44:52 GMT -5
How hold does a bull need to be a successful breeder?
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Deleted
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Post by Deleted on May 18, 2014 22:52:35 GMT -5
Good question. I would also like to know the answer. I would think and correct me if I am wrong. One year, perhaps 16 months.
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Post by kansasdexters on May 19, 2014 5:37:25 GMT -5
Hi Paul,
Breeding maturity varies, depending on the animal. Some Dexter bull calves are fertile as young as 6 months old, while for others it takes a few months longer. Just to be safe, we always separate our heifer calves from any bull calves that are 5 months old or older. Our bull mothers are bred back and preg-checked before their bull calf is 6 months old, or their bull calf is castrated between 5 and 6 months old, in order to prevent any cows or heifers from accidently getting bred.
Our vet wants a bull to be at least 12 months old, before testing the semen for motility/morphology and doing a breeding soundness exam on him.
A young bull that is less than 12 months old can probably service a few cows and heifers successfully, but it is not reasonable to expect him to service a herd of 20+ cows within a short period of time. A rule of thumb for the maximum number of females to be serviced by a young bull is one female for every month of age the bull has -- so a 12-month old bull can be expected to service a maximum of 12 females within a 30-day breeding season. An 18-month old bull can be expected to service a maximum of 18 females within the same time period.
Patti
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paul
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Post by paul on May 19, 2014 15:08:52 GMT -5
Here's my situation: I have 3 heifers ready to be bred. My bull is currently 7 months old and I want my heifers to be confidently bred in June/July. Assuming good health and viability, should I have confidence in his ability to breed at 8 months old or do I need to go ahead set up an AI session with my vet? I'm on the cusp and need a push one way or the other.
And thanks for the responses so far.
Paul
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Post by kansasdexters on May 19, 2014 18:54:12 GMT -5
Paul,
If they were my heifers, I would AI breed them in June and then use the bull calf for "clean-up" to pasture breed any of the heifers that came back into heat in July. Using an AI bull will give you an opportunity to bring in the most desirable genetic traits needed for improving on your small herd. It will also give you firsthand experience, as a breeder, to carefully observe, track, and understand how and when your heifers cycle and when to breed them.
Good Luck!
Patti
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Post by midhilldexters on May 19, 2014 19:14:33 GMT -5
I have just put a 7 month bull with a small cow and he is certainly giving it all he's got. Whether he is fertile, I don't know but I don't have a time issue like you do. So for my bull it's his first experience at a young age.
My other worry is I think I'm right in saying that the stats on AI for heifers are not as good as cows, so you may run the risk of them not taking by your time frame anyway.
If you go the AI route are you confident that you have their heat cycles worked out and know when to call your AI guy?
Carol K
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Post by kansasdexters on May 19, 2014 21:05:35 GMT -5
If the heifers are in good breeding condition, large enough for your AI tech's hands to work with, and cycling regularly, then they are good candidates for AI breeding. Heifers that are too small, too fat or too skinny, or not cycling regularly, are not good candidates for AI breeding.
Patti
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