What do you look for when buying a bull?

Answer 1

If you're selecting the bull on the basis of it's own body production, you look for muscularity and size.

For breeding purpose, most producers prefer selecting the bull on the basis of the quality of its progeny (babies). If the babies have good build, and have higher feed conversion ratio (more weight gain by eating less), then we can be pretty sure about selecting the father.

basically the body conformation of a good beef type cattle is:

• heavy build and large size
• less fatty and more lean
• thick neck
• fleshy shoulders and thighs
• broad rump
• wide chest, with good fleshing
• the fore legs, when observed together from the front, should be straight and a little apart (unlike milking animals, who should have an angular pose, with the legs narrowing near the bottom)
• the physical condition sholud be good. The eyes bright and lively, active disposition of the animal. we don't want a lazy animal who tends to accumulate fat.

Apart from this be sure to-

• check the breeding efficiency by going through the records.
• selection on the basis of body conformation alone is not preferable, support it with the performance of the bull's babies, or the bulls parents, or the bulls brothers-sisters (selection on the basis of family).

Answer 2

The Pit Bull is blessed with tenacious athletic ability, loyalty, intelligence, and high energy. These dogs are not lap dogs or a dog for the lazy person. You got to take this in conceridation. I have a good link for you posted in the related links box below.

Answer 3

Conformation, EPD values, health and genetics history on both his sire and dam, size, and fertility are all very important values when looking for an Angus bull. The bull you are buying should be one that will IMPROVE your cowherd, not disprove it, and have traits that will give calves that you will either sell as beefers, use for replacements, or both. You have to know what to look for when looking to buy a maternal-quality bull versus a terminal-type bull, because there are both types. Maternal-type bulls typically have more emphasis on milking ability, calving ease, mothering ability, etc. versus other EPD values like yearling weights, rib eye area, marbling, etc. With terminal bulls, it's these values (higher yearling weights, good REA and marbling numbers, etc.) that you need to sell your calves to slaughter.

Answer 4

That really depends on what you're buying it for: beef for the freezer, or a potential breeding animal. And it also depends on the age of the calf itself, as well as the type of calf it is (dairy or beef).

Regardless, though, the calf should be healthy and sound. You should know (thus ask) what breed and age the bull calf is, primarily. It is difficult to see what kind of bull this calf would develop into if you are raising it as a breeding animal unless you are allowed to see the parents before purchasing. If you just want the calf to raise for the freezer, this part is not important.