With the breeding season just around the corner for both beef and dairy farms, the issue of managing a stock bull and checking him over before he gets into action, is very important.

A bull that is not functional on the farm is not only going to result in calves not being produced, it’s also going to have a big financial implication.

Cows will have missed heats and therefore result in the calving pattern being spread out longer than planned.

If an issue is caught in time, a farmer can try to rectify it by pulling the stock bull out and depending on the seriousness of the issue – they can source another bull to run with the herd, or move to using artificial insemination (AI) this season.

10 tips for managing a stock bull this spring