For most new bulls, the quarantine period is simply the ride home. Three weeks is better.
By Heather Smith Thomas
ne of the most com- mon ways new dis- eases come into a herd is with new an- imals. Biosecurity measures are an im- portant part of dis- ease prevention,
along with good nutrition and vac- cination. Dr. Ron Gill, Texas A&M AgriLife
Extension associate department head, says the things you’d need to worry about will depend partly on the age of the bull and what he has been exposed to, and whether he’s been with cows. A vital partner in evaluating a new bull purchase is your veterinarian. “Always work with your veteri-
narian on this and in getting your new bulls in synch with your herd health program,” says Gill.
Breeding-related diseases Dr. Tom Hairgrove, Texas A&M
AgriLife Extension veterinarian, says producers need to be careful when buying bulls to make sure they don’t bring home reproduc- tive diseases. The risks are lower when buying young bulls from a reputable breeder or source, but this does not guarantee that there won’t be problems. Trichomoniasis is a costly dis-
ease that you don’t want to bring into your herd via an infected bull. “Bulls in Texas are required to be
98 The Cattleman October 2013
tested before they change owner- ship or possession, unless they are under a certain age,” says Gill. “Many people assume young bulls are virgin bulls, and that’s usually a mistake. Most young bulls have had opportunity to be with cows,” he says. Hairgrove points out that it’s
hard to know for sure a bull is vir- gin. “We’ve had many cases where
so-called virgin bulls were infect- ed with trich — and they are not virgin bulls if they are infected. Some young bulls are mounting cows out in the pasture or on the range even before they are weaned. Those young bulls are supposedly not as likely to transmit trich; they have about a 10 percent chance of transmitting the disease compared with older bulls that have an 80 to 90 percent chance, but there is still a risk that a young bull could bring the disease into a herd,” says Hairgrove. “If a person is buying bulls of
any age that have been exposed to cows, Texas regulations require 1 test, but 1 test is not adequate,” says Gill. “The Texas Animal Health Com-
mission (TAHC) is managing a con- trol program and not an eradication program. As a ranch, you need to manage for prevention or eradica- tion of this disease. There are some false negatives that show up with
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