Teagasc warning on stock bull infertility

TEAGASC has warned dairy and suckler farmers that one stock bull in every 20 is completely infertile, and one in three has below average fertility.

George Ramsbottom, a Teagasc Specialist based at Oakpark, Co Carlow has alerted farmers to one case study where a stock bull cost €19,000 due to his poor performance on a 70 cow dairy farm. It was found that the stock bull was almost totally infertile, despite being active and appearing to perform normally.

The stock bull had been introduced to the farm "because the farmer was fed up inseminating cows." Unfortunately, he did not monitor the bull's performance, and farm profitability nose dived due to the animal's non-performance.