Problems with the bull

Bull fertility and infertility is an important part of cattle breeding yet to a large degree our knowledge base is built on information from artificial insemination centres, case studies and anecdote. The recent interest in Breeding Soundness Evaluation (BSE) of young bulls in the UK allows an opportunity for veterinarians and breeders to combine to benchmark acceptable values for performance and assess different management practices for breeding. However, veterinarians and farmers need to understand the limitations of a breeding soundness evaluation (BSE) approach that does not involve any assessment of mating behaviour and is based on an evaluation of semen collected by electroejaculation. This paper attempts to set the scene for the later speakers.