February 24, 2015 • Page 13 shop online at www.missourivalleyshopper.com Students Some Tips Fo Purchasing A New Bull i s or r Buying a bull for your cowherd is like buying a new house. You look at o dozens of homes, hoping to find the perfect one to fit your needs at a price you can afford. And once you find it, you hope it doesn’t fall apart the minute you take possession. Like home buying, we pour through sale catalogues and make phone calls to find our bulls. Then we unload them at our ranch and hope for the best. Instead of investing a few thousand into an animal and tying a lucky rabbit’s foot to his neck to keep him safe, we can do our homework pre-purchase and feel more confident in our bull. Here I’ll detail a few points to keep in mind to decrease the risk a new bull will be a flop. A good Breeding Soundness Exam (BSE) is a critical first step in a bull purchase. It doesn’t matter how fancy a bull looks, if he shoots blanks then he’s an expensive hay-burner. While r all bulls should have a passing BSE before the sale, it is a good idea to retest the bull prior to turnout to make sure that he is still good. The second item to watch for is confirmation. Bulls should look masculine and well balanced. Leg and foot issues often JAKE GEIS lead to early culling of bulls. Keep an eye out for postlegged bulls, bulls that have weak pasterns or bulls with abnormal hooves. Corkscrew toes are a major problem with some bulls and are genetically linked, so buying a bull with this defect will cause it to be present in all the heifers you retain as well. And remember that pictures can be photoshopped, so only buy a bull after you have actually seen him move. Confirmation issues lead directly to a bull’s longevity. The more years y a bull remains in the herd, the less he costs per calf he sires. Look for bulls that were not pushed overly hard to reach their mature weight and once you have purchased the bull, manage him carefully to maintain appropriate body condition. No matter how well the bull was developed, if he is neglected once he reaches your ranch he will not last long. With the increased calf prices this past year, bull prices r are likely to reach record highs. Don’t let the increased cost drive you away from purchasing the bull that fits your herd goals. While one bull may be cheaper than another, cheapness r usually manifests itself later in the calves he sires. If the “cheap” bull sires calves that wean at 50 pounds lighter than the more expensive bull, the cheap bull will cost you money in the end. Look for bulls that have EPDs that fit your herd needs. If possible, using genomicenhanced EPDs can help solidify your faith in your bull investment. Make sure the bull you are buying does not bring any unwelcome visitors. Bulls can carr y diseases that can cause abortion, even though they show no signs of being infected. Trichomoniasis, commonly called “Trich,” is the most talked about disease of bulls that leads to early abortions in cows. Purchasing only virgin bulls or bulls that have passed a Trich test should protect your herd from this disease. In addition to Trich, ask the seller if he has had problems with Johne’s, vibriosis or BVD. If he is unwilling to provide this information, it could be a red flag. Even on a bull with a clean bill of health, quarantine him from the rest of the herd for at least 30 days after arrival to allow him to clear any infections he might currently be carr ying. Once you’ve finally found a sound, fertile bull that fits your herd goals with a clean bill of health for the right price, usually the bull seller will ask if you want insurance on the bull right as you are making out the check. Before simply saying “Yes” Ye and adding $100 to the total, take the time to learn what the insurance covers and what it doesn’t cover. Many r policies only cover the death of the animal and not his use, so if he ends up breaking his penis, the insurance will not cover him. I would still recommend buying the insurance if this is the case, but know what you’re buying so you don’t end up with an unpleasant surprise. Although this list of tips might seem impossibly long, there are many bulls for sale that fit these criteria. Talk with the bull sellers directly and you’ll find that most strive for their bulls to meet these expectations. By not compromising when looking for a bull, you’ll be happy with your investment in the fall when the calves go to sale. Jake Geis, DVM, operated the Tyndall Ve eterinar y Clinic. r different schools chapters. It is also traditionally attend, a chance to share sharing ideas of with the community what is happening the great things the at their schools dur- members are doing. ing FFA Week. ng F e The National FFA F Organization proThe Dassel-Covides leadership, kato FFA Chapter F personal growth in Minnesota will and career success co-host their annual dinner on Feb. training through agricultural education 25, along with the to 610,240 student local FFA alumni ocal F affiliate. This is an members in grades opportunity for seven through 12 F who belong to one FFA chapter memF of 7,665 local FFA bers and alumni members say thank chapters throughout the U.S., Puerto you to people who Rico and the Virgin have and continue Islands. to support their FFA members ear n $4 billion annually F through hands-on work experiences. FFA members par ticipate in and lear n F advanced career skills in 49 national proficiency areas that range from food science and technology and agricultural communications to wildlife management and production agriculture. Through 25 national career development events, FFA members are chalF lenged by real-life, hands-on tests of skill tests, preparing them for career success. r tising dver a O the On t CCCCutting Edge CCCCutting ge CCC CC Cu C Cuttin put y ou BY JAKE GEIS, DVM , Tyndall continued from page 12 ro Yo You need the right tools to stay ahead ou in business. One of those tools is creative, business. creative, competitive advertising. We can help you buzz you competitive advertising. 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