08/09/2025
☆ With the bull and heifer buying season very much upon us, here are a few key points to consider before making a purchase ☆
Bull and Heifer Buyers Check-List
✔️ Identification & Pedigree
DNA sire/parent verified - DNA verification to confirm parentage
Brands to match idents and year of birth of animals
Breed society registration papers
Horn status and coat gene
✔️ Age & Longevity
Dentition checked - confirms genuine age
Weight for age
Structural soundness (feet, legs, joints)
✔️ Fertility & Reproductive Health
Scrotal size & shape
Semen tested - motility (crushside) & morphology within 4 weeks of sale. Morphology is a must!
Density - a crucial part of analysing semen - also crucial for straw collection - cheap insurance
Tidy sheath and underline
Udder structure and teat placement
✔️ Muscle and Fat Scanning/EBVs
Intramuscular Fat
Eye Muscle Area
P8 and Rib Fat
Growth traits - 200, 400, 600 day weights
Gestation length
Carcass traits - Retail Beef Yield
Maternal traits
Accuracy of figures
✔️ Temperament
Assessed quiet and manageable
✔️ Health & Biosecurity
Vaccination program (7-in-1, Vibrio etc.)
✔️ Suitability to Program
Matches your breeding objectives - for commercial buyers, more meat than fat, and milk to 2 tooth at 2 year old.
Readiness to work straight from the sale, or if a let down off grain is required
Adaptable to your environment - raised in the southern or northern climate, coastal or western country, tick country, or tick free.
Happy shopping 🐮
