Breeding Bulls in Alberta: a cross-sectional descriptive survey of breeding bull herds and current management strategies

Currently, there is very little known about bull demographics and how bulls are managed on cow-calf operations in Alberta. Identifying these knowledge gaps will provide valuable insights on producer practices and potentially influence future management protocols that will improve bull management and the productivity of cow-calf operations. The objectives of this study were to benchmark beef bull herd demographics and bull management strategies in Alberta, Canada and to investigate associations between herd demographics and management strategies. Cow-calf producers were surveyed between February and August 2022 by paper or electronic copies of the survey. Fifty-two of 72 respondents were enrolled. Forty-two percent of the respondents were seedstock producers. The median female herd size exposed for breeding was 160 cows (IQR: 57 to 275; range: 14 to 1600) as reported by 43 respondents. The most common breed of bull used was Angus, followed by Hereford. The median number of bulls kept was 9, (IQR: 4 to 15; range: 1 to 71). Roughly 1 in 6 bulls were culled with the majority of bulls being culled or treated for conditions due to musculoskeletal or infectious foot causes. The median bull:cow ratio was 1:21 (IQR: 1:11 to 1:25) for heifers and 1:23 (IQR 1:20 to 1:26) for cows. The top 3 selection considerations for replacement bulls for breeding heifers was bull birthweight, bull EPD for calving ease, and physical appearance. The selection criteria for cows were bull adjusted weaning weight, physical appearance, and foot and leg conformation. This study contributes novel information on the breeding bull demographics and management strategies of cow-calf producers in Alberta. In addition, it identifies musculoskeletal issues as the major causes of treatment, death, and culling in bulls and recommends further investigation into causes and management strategies to mitigate these issues and improve bull health and welfare.