EC 1035 • Revised October 1991 25c Choosing and managing young bulls G.R. White, W.A. Zollinger, and G. Colyer Over time, bulls provide 90% of the genetic A breeder will have more young bulls change in most beef herds. A producer should available than 2-year-olds, which gives more carefully plan the selection and subsequent opportunities to select the better performance management of young bulls. Purchasing young bulls. Most breeders prefer selling young bulls, bull calves has become an economic reality in to avoid the added costs of another year's feed the beef industry. and management. Older bulls require a larger investment for the The implications of purchasing young bulls breeder of seed stock because of the extended are twofold: time involved in the feed and care of 2-year-old 1. the buyer must ensure adequate develop- bulls. ment of the young bulls, and Because of these impacts, the current trend in 2. selection of superior genetics should be better Oregon is to buy weanling or yearling bulls and because the high-performance 2-year-olds use them as soon as possible. A producer needs will have been sold the previous year. to provide extra management for proper growth and development. This initial management of However, the performance records of young bulls will impact on calf crop percentages younger bulls may not be as complete as those and sire longevity. Any management plan on older bulls. With young calves, it's a good should include selection criteria, facilities, idea to select more bulls than you need to avoid nutrition, and health concerns. the risk of individual(s) that don't develop as The breeding ability of bulls usually is at its you expected. peak about 36 months of age, and it declines Before you select an individual bull, deter- after 5 or 6 years of age. An extra calf crop can mine which breed or breeds will be best for be sired by using bulls as yearlings. your cow herd. Base your choice of breeds on a However, if you're a new owner, it's to your long-range plan that you develop by matching advantage to grow out young bulls in a satisfac- breed strengths to production goals. Make tory manner. The need for proper growth and individual bull comparisons within breed. This development still exists and continues after the will really show you the need to differentiate first breeding season. between individual performance and breed Younger bulls usually cost less and have less characteristics. invested in their development. Since older bulls Your next decision will be, which herds will are often carriers of the organism tricho- provide the required genetics through bulls? moniasis, replacement with young bulls is the Base your decision on both the herd genetic best available management decision to control background and the breeder's reputation. the spread of this disease. Finally, make your selections among available calves. Selecting young herd bulls Since fewer performance tests are available This revision was prepared by G.R. (Randy) White, for young calves, we know less about their Extension agent (livestock), Jackson County, and genetics for growth than we do about older William A. Zollinger, Extension beef specialist, bulls; and the buyer is more at risk when Oregon State University; and Guy Colyer, Hereford purchasing younger bulls. In many cases, producer, Bruneau, Idaho. The original edition of this 2-year-old bulls are those that didn't sell the publication was prepared by W. Dean Frischknecht, previous year; as a group, they're lower-quality Extension animal science specialist emeritus, Oregon animals. State University. OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY EXTENSION SERVICE Expected Progeny Differences (EPD's) Calves should be neither too straight-legged The best tool available to evaluate the breed- nor have too much set (angle) to their hock. An ing value of a bull is Expected Progeny Differ- extreme either way could shorten the productive ences (EPD's). See EC 1345 for more details on life of a bull. EPD's. Most breeders can obtain this informa- Calves should also have a muscle structure tion through their breed associations. that allows them to move freely and easily. If you want EPD's to be useful, you must first Check eyes to make sure calves can see clearly— determine your production goals—that is, this can affect the amount of traveling that bulls increased weaning or yearling weights, in- do to breed cows. creased maternal milk, or increased calving Most bull calves have two normal testicles, ease. Then your selection should emphasize but it's a wise practice to check each calf. Most those traits most related to your breeding goals. physical abnormalities are readily visible. A Choose bulls based on their expected ability thorough breeding soundness exam on each to improve a particular area of production. potential purchase is recommended. Therefore, it's your responsibility to match the bull calves you select to your cow breeding Handle as a test group objectives. Bulls purchased as yearlings are usually Breeders should have the opportunity to ranked within the herd or test group according collect growth data on yearling bulls through a to average daily gain or weight per day of age. test station, on ranch test, or other programs. Likewise, you can most easily evaluate genetic However, weaned bulls won't have this data differences in growth potential if you handle available. Consequently, the accuracy of EPD's weaner bulls in contemporary groups. on young bulls is relatively low and indicates Bulls challenged with high-energy rations, that the value of the EPD might change as other over a suitable period of time (120 days or records are added in the calculation. more), will develop body composition differ- Conversely, younger bulls have progeny a ences. Thus, you can evaluate additional infor- year earlier, and the producer can evaluate mation on genetic potential if you handle performance much sooner. weaner bulls as a group in their new location. Although you should evaluate EPD's on Feed your bulls a suitable growing ration young bulls with caution, you can use EPD's to and give all bulls an equal opportunity to eat. group potential sires, then select an individ- Then you can weigh them as yearlings and rank ual(s) from the group of bulls on visual evalua- them according to performance. tion. EPD's are used to compare bulls within the Don't take final weight (to determine ad- breed and aren't intended to compare bulls justed 365-day weight) before bulls are 330 days between breeds. of age, or after 400 days. Weigh bulls with a Select herd sires partially on the basis of normal fill. individual performance. This information is helpful when selecting bull calves if available. Most breeders will have actual weaning weights Facilities adjusted to 205 days of age and /or yearling weights. When bulls are mixed, the resulting fighting Adjusted weights give a useful comparative can be detrimental. Buying and raising young value for ranking calves within a similar age bulls as a group versus buying older bulls from group. Younger calves may have a higher various breeders can reduce fighting and adjustment, yet they can still be rather small. It's associated injuries. While it would be best to an advantage for the bull calf to have been born place young bulls in separate breeding pastures early in the calving season and to have the from older bulls, it's recognized that most desired size for his age. producers have limited breeding pastures. Bull calves of the British breeds (such as When you develop breeding plans that Hereford and Angus) should weigh over 550 lb include different pastures for different groups, (noncreep fed) at 205 days of age; calves of the separate the bulls based on age to ensure good larger Continental breeds (such as Simmental breeding response. If older bulls are going to and Charolais) usually weigh more than 600 lb. run with younger bulls, pen them together When you buy bull calves, it may be a good before the season to allow time for the social idea to select a few more than you need—some interaction that always occurs. may not develop as anticipated. You can select Commercial producers who buy bull calves even young calves for structural soundness. or yearlings need equipment and suitable Look for calves that stand correct on their feet facilities for their continued development. A and legs. large, well-drained lot that gives opportunity for exercise is desirable. Exercise over rough or rocky ground will help the animals avoid the foot problems that sometimes occur when bulls have been fed of body weight unless it's obvious that they need heavily to get into sale condition. more high-energy feed. Locating feed areas away from water sources Bulls should also follow similar nutritional diets will promote movement of bulls and encourage for the approximate 120 days from yearling age exercise. Raising bull calves on the type of until breeding time. All bulls should be gaining terrain that forces travel will help condition weight and some condition during this period. them for breeding cows. A young bull will use body stores of energy and Shelter or housing is advisable where bull may loose over 100 lb during the breeding season. calves are confined, and the winters are severe It's best if these come from energy stored as fat or exceedingly wet. An open-sided, pole-type (condition) rather than muscle tissue since the bull shed is desirable, and a partially surfaced lot is is still growing. Conversely, excess condition helpful if mud is a problem.