title: Management and Breeding Soundness of Mature Bulls.
abstract: Mature bulls must be fed a balanced ration, vaccinated appropriately, and undergo a breeding soundness evaluation to ensure they meet what is required of a short, but intense breeding season. To be classified as a satisfactory potential breeder, minimum standards for physical soundness, scrotal circumference, sperm motility, and sperm morphology must be achieved using an accepted bull-breeding soundness evaluation format. Sperm production requires approximately 70 days. Heat and stress are the most common insults to spermatogenesis, causing an increase in morphologic abnormalities with obesity-associated scrotal fat accumulation being the most frequent cause of elevated testicular temperature in mature bulls.
authors.affiliation: Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences, Western College of Veterinary Medicine, University of Saskatchewan, 52 Campus Drive, Saskatoon, Saskatchewan S7N 5B4, Canada. Electronic address: colin.palmer@usask.ca.
authors.forename: Colin W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Palmer
mesh_terms: D000822:Animal Husbandry; D000818:Animals; D001947:Breeding; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D008297:Male; D010808:Physical Examination / Q000662:veterinary*; D012098:Reproduction / Q000502:physiology*; D012611:Scrotum / Q000033:anatomy & histology; D012621:Seasons; D013094:Spermatozoa / Q000502:physiology*
keywords: Breeding soundness; Bulls; Sperm morphology; Spermatogenesis