t may seem, especially to a newcomer to the Longhorn cattle business, that herd sire selection is so complicated and time- consuming as to discourage even trying. But when given the opportunity to get the best advice possible from knowledgeable and established producers, breeders new and old should definitely listen. At the Longhorn Extravaganza, everyone in attendance will have the chance to discuss bull selection as well as the future of herd sires.


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There are a few checkpoints that must be considered when selecting a herd sire:


• Disposition


• Scrotal Circumference (minimum of 30 cm at 365 days) • Fertility-Tested • Health (vet-checked, disease free) • Structural Soundness (feet, legs, reproductive organs, conformity to type)


• Sexual Aggressiveness (libido) • Progeny Records • Comparison of Reference Sire (when available)


Genetic Impact:


If a bull is to be used, through natural service, to breed 33 cows, then it stands to reason that the selection of the bull is 33 times as important as the selection of any one cow. The economic impact of your best or worst cow is only three percent of the impact, bad or good, of one bull.


Disposition:


The first standard to consider in bull selection is disposition. Any bull, to be usable and transportable, must have a decent disposition. Especially due to the high heritability of disposition, bad-tempered bulls should not be used.


Scrotal Circumference:


The first vital aspect is that the bull has two properly formed testicles, uniform and not misshapen. Their size is a key indicator of


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not only the bull’s breeding ability but also the expected reproductivity of his male and female progeny. Scrotal Circumference is an accurate indicator of semen quality, quantity, viability, and concentration of sperm and morphology (measure of abnormal sperm).


Covering The Territory:


Servicing capacity, the desire and ability to mate, is dependent not only upon the bull’s reproductive function but also a variety of other characteristics. He must be structurally correct – so that he is able to travel several miles each day to locate cows in estrus and then service them (maybe several in a day). In rough country, he needs hard hooves or he may go lame and miss a lot of cows. He obviously has to be healthy and energetic (a matter of genetics, nutrition, environment, and health). Your bull must have the right conformation – back legs flexed correctly, properly apart, sound feet, hips fairly level with the shoulder - in order to avoid the likelihood of serious injury while breeding. Perhaps the hardest trait to predict is sexual aggressiveness (libido) – the desire to locate and breed the cows. While Longhorn bulls may excel over all other breeds in this regard, you may occasionally find a lazy one. And


for no apparent reason, a few bulls will be selective – ignoring the yearling heifers while aggressively servicing the mature cows. Only your personal observation or the word of a trusted (and observant) former owner can give you the necessary confidence about your bull in this regard.


Evaluate Progeny:


Next to scrotal circumference, possibly the easiest-to-measure performance index of a bull is his offspring. If you can observe a couple dozen or more of his calves, and factor in the kind of cows they are out of, you’ll begin to have a pretty good idea of a bull’s real breeding value. If you can get access to birth, weaning and yearling weights, and horn measurements, then you have another leg up.


Learn these herd sire criteria as well as tips that can help you make the right decision when deciding on a bull that fits your program – only at the Longhorn Extravaganza. The seminar will be held on Friday, October 20, 2017, after the measurements, and presented by several leading breeders in the industry.


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