Dr. Colin Palmer, one of our reproductive specialist veterinarians from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine here at the University of Saskatchewan joins the podcast again this week to discuss the important topic of subfertility in beef bulls. Today we focus on the parts of the breeding soundness exam that greatly impact fertility - scrotal circumference and semen morphology. Dr. Palmer describes some of the most common sperm defects and why they occur.

00:00 –Welcome and introductions

01:05 – Importance of body condition score in bulls

03:16 – Scrotal circumference and it’s impact on fertility

10:02 – Identifying testicular and scrotal problems

16:05 – Accessory sex glands and seminal vesiculitis

18:45 – Evaluating the semen sample

21:55 – Abnormal sperm morphology – why does it occur?

24:12 – Common sperm morphology abnormalities – Distal midpiece reflexes and proximal droplets

32:00 – What does the term “Rusty load” mean in terms of sperm defects?

35:05 – Genetic sperm abnormalities

37:12 – Why is 70% normal sperm considered acceptable?

40:21 – Summary and wrap up

Dr. Colin Palmer, one of our reproductive specialist veterinarians from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine here at the University of Saskatchewan joins the podcast to discuss the important topic of subfertility in beef bulls. Why do we need to perform bull breeding soundness exams? What are the implications of various factors such as lameness and other physical problems on bull fertility? These are just some of the topics we discuss in this first part of a two part episode.

00:00 –Welcome and introductions

03:54 – Importance of herd fertility in cow-calf operations and factors that affect it

10:45 – Value of a limited breeding season

14:22 – Subfertility vs Infertility

16:08 – Importance of the breeding soundness examination of the bull

19:21 – Meaning of the various classification categories

27:22 – Impact of lameness on bull fertility

31:06 – Other factors that may affect fertility that can be identified in physical examination

34:23 – Summary and Wrap-up

This week, Dr. Nathan Erickson and Dr. John Ellis join me to discuss the emergence of Bovine influenza A virus in cattle. We discuss what is currently known about this emerging disease issue at this point in time. New information is being acquired about the impacts and spread of Bovine Influenza A virus and this podcast gives information on the disease as known around April 12, 2024. Please rely on your local veterinarians or government veterinary offices for the most up to date information on this issue. Emerging diseases remind us of the importance of preventive practices. Using raw colostrum only from your own herd, not introducing orphan calves or nurse cows from dairy herds and quarantining new animals for 21 days will help prevent the introduction of diseases like Bovine Influenza A virus, Foot and Mouth Disease, and many other diseases. Find tips at https://www.beefresearch.ca/topics/biosecurity/

00:00 –Welcome and introductions

04:10 – Clinical signs seen in dairy cow outbreaks in US

08:06 - A primer on Influenza viruses

10:28 – Influenza D virus role in respiratory disease in cattle

12:15 – Hosts for Influenza A virus

16:09 – High pathogenic vs low pathogenic influenza viruses

18:21 – How influenza viruses change and jump to other species

20:00 – Possible ways of spread of Bovine influenza A virus

25:00 – Possibility of Bovine Influenza A virus in beef cattle

27:14 – Human health implications

28:29 – Herd to herd spread and biosecurity precautions

31:59 – Summary and Wrap-up