BQA Tip of the month – Bull Selection Tips

Texas Beef Quality Assurance - Tip of The Month

Brought to you by The Texas Beef Quality Producer Program, a collaborative effort of the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association, Texas Beef Council, and Texas A&M AgriLife Extension.

Bull Selection Tips

When buying bulls, it is critical to evaluate all bulls for scrotal circumference, calving ease, birthweight, structural soundness, and disposition.

If you cannot get cows pregnant and live calves on the ground, then how high the bull ranked for yearling weight, marbling, or some other trait does not matter.

After meeting your standards for these traits, bulls can then be compared based on individual performance data (e.g. weaning weight, yearling weight, % intramuscular fat, etc.), EPDs, visual appearance, genetic defects, and any other criteria important to your operation.

When comparing between ranches, focus on EPDs instead of individual performance data.