Page 47 - Red Hill Farms - Red Angus, SimAngus, Charolais, Cross-Ty Bull Sale – March 19, 2022

Managing Yearling Bulls After Purchase

Jordan Thomas, Ph.D. - State Reproduction Specialist - University of Missouri
Genna VanWye - Graduate Research Assistant - University of Missouri

When seedstock producers develop season needs to be a managed
bulls to be marketed as yearlings decline rather than an unmanaged
(e.g., first servicing females at 14-17 one. Allowing yearling bulls to be-
months of age), they are offering come unacceptably thin and unthrifty
their customers the opportunity to during their first breeding season
bring in the latest genetics as quickly can have lifelong impacts, so protect
as possible. Though this can cer- your investment. Ensure that yearling
tainly have its advantages, it is also bulls are not overworked during their
important to realize that yearling first breeding season, both in terms
bulls may require more attentive care of the number of females they are
after purchase than bulls marketed asked to service and the length of
at later ages. the breeding season they are asked
to cover.
Yearling bulls are still growing and
developing, and they will now also Though bulls do vary in their serv-
be asked to trail and service females ing capacity, a long-standing rule
during their first breeding season. of thumb is that yearling bulls be
Moreover, yearling bulls often enter asked to service no more than 15-20
pasture conditions that offer less females during their first breeding
energy than that which was provided season. We also strongly discourage
during their development program. the use of excessively long breeding
This is an especially important seasons (e.g., seasons over 60 days
consideration in spring breeding in length) for yearling bulls. Young
seasons, when cool-season peren- bulls need to be removed from
nial forages (e.g., fescue) are high females in order to gain back weight
in protein and moisture content but and continue growing. An appropri-
relatively low in energy. Due to the ate ration or supplement should be
inadequate energy content and the provided after the breeding season
high passage rate of this “washy” in order to build back condition and
forage, cattle often struggle to main- support requirements for continued
tain fill or meet their dietary energy growth. Fibrous rather than concen-
requirements—even with ample trate sources of energy are recom-
availability of green grass. Consid- mended to maintain soundness;
ering this challenge and the greater reach out to an Extension specialist
energy requirements of yearling bulls in your region for specific recommen-
simply for growth, yearling bulls are dations.
likely to lose condition more quickly
than mature bulls over the course of If you intend to use multi-sire breed-
the breeding season. ing groups, turning out yearling bulls

The loss of body condition that a
bull undergoes during the breeding Continued on Page 46
Red Hill Farms – 45