<b>By NANCY VORIS<br>
Indiana Correspondent</b></p><p>

SALEM, Ind. — Hoosier Beef producers have six opportunities this spring to test bulls for breeding soundness. How important is that?
“It has the potential to save a producer $10,000 if a bull is found to be unsound, and about 10 percent of the bulls examined fail,” said Brad Shelton, Purdue University Cooperative Extension educator in Washington County.<br>

Shelton is conducting tests in Salem today, where producers have registered 75 bulls for the test. Purdue has sponsored the testing since 1987, and Shelton said 1,350 bulls have been tested in Salem in the past 20 years.<br>

Cattle producers should make the breeding soundness exam part of their management plan, Shelton said.<br>

“Producers can see in the math that a bull that turns up unsound can cost them a substantial amount of money,” he said.
Bulls are expected to successfully breed 20-50 cows during the breeding season, he said. <br>

Assuming a bull will be bred to 20 cows and each cow will wean a 400-lb. calf for a total of 8,000 pounds, with a market price of $1 per pound there could be a loss of $8,000 if the bull is not sound.
“If a producer were to assume they had $100 of pasture, minerals and other supplements invested in each cow between breeding season and being pregnancy checked at weaning,” Shelton said, “that adds an additional $2,000 loss, resulting in a potential loss of $10,000. This is a loss that can be avoided.”<br>

The exam is administered by a veterinarian and includes an evaluation of structural soundness, reproductive anatomy and semen quality.<br>

A semen sample is collected and immediately evaluated to make sure that at least 30 percent of the sperm are active. Then the individual sperm are examined, of which 70 percent must be normal for the bull to be acceptable. The exam costs $30 per bull at each site, except for Bartholomew County where the test is $25 per bull. Producers must register in advance by calling the contact number to schedule an appointment.<br>

•Today at Washington County Fairgrounds in Salem. Contact Shelton at 812-883-4601 to check availability.<br>

•March 22 beginning at 1 p.m. at the South Central Indiana Livestock Marketing Council (SCILMC) Auction Facility in Milltown. To schedule a time, contact John Sieberns at 812-738-3607.<br>

•March 29 beginning at 8 a.m. at the Rodney Hager Farm in Orleans. To schedule a time, contact Andy Boston at 812-723-5796.<br>

•April 2 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the John Harker Farm in Hope. To schedule a time, contact Mike Ferree at 812-379-1665, ferreel@purdue.edu<br>

•April 8 beginning at 9:30 a.m. at the Scott Whaley Farm in Martinsville. To schedule a time, contact Chris Parker at 765-342-1010, cparker@purdue.edu<br>

•April 14 beginning at 8 a.m. at the Springville Feeder Auction in Springville. To schedule a time, contact David Redman at 812-275-4623, dredman@purdue.edu<br>

Purdue Extension and the local cattlemen’s association sponsor the breeding soundness exams. For questions and more information about the exams, contact Shelton at 812-883-4601, sheltonb@purdue.edu<br>