Full Transcript for Tim Abbott talks with Select Sires team members on the process of sending a bull for AI

effort into it, and they're just as proud of them. 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:38.319 Unfortunately, we don't get to see them much as the public, but it's my pleasure to have uh one of the real great bull guys in the business from Select Sires. 00:05:38.639 --> 00:05:44.720 We're pleased to have Hayden Ackley, who is the Calgren Center Barn Supervisor with us today. 00:05:44.879 --> 00:05:50.639 So, Hayden, we're excited to have the visitors listen a little, listen to you tell a little bit about taking care of bulls. 00:05:50.720 --> 00:05:51.040 Welcome. 00:05:51.279 --> 00:05:51.839 Thanks, Dan. 00:05:52.160 --> 00:06:03.439 So we're we're gonna dive right into this with these three guests and are excited to dig into some of the reasons that we need healthy bulls and globally qualified bulls. 00:06:03.680 --> 00:06:05.680 Bruce, I'm gonna start with you. 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:13.040 In your world, why is the health status of a bull population so important to you? 00:06:14.000 --> 00:06:18.000 Because that health status determines where we can export that semen. 00:06:18.240 --> 00:06:24.160 In our world, yes, we are a US US-based company and a cooperative company at that. 00:06:24.319 --> 00:06:26.160 So our owners are U.S. 00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:27.920 dairy and beef producers. 00:06:28.160 --> 00:06:45.839 But today in the Select Sir system, and just reading an article recently in one of the other publications, I forget, I was interested that how close we at SelectSire mirror the NAB numbers, but currently of our wholesene sales, 63% of that leaves the United States. 00:06:45.920 --> 00:06:52.480 So therefore, meeting the health requirements in the other countries that we're going to is of huge importance to us. 00:06:53.519 --> 00:06:56.240 Well, and I think I'm going to reiterate what you said, Bruce. 00:06:56.399 --> 00:07:04.160 You know, 63% of your product going out the door, and it's not just select sires, it's NAAB numbers. 00:07:04.399 --> 00:07:08.959 And and we'll get into this with Liz, but Bruce, you're not making the rules for this, right? 00:07:09.120 --> 00:07:10.079 You're following the rules. 00:07:10.319 --> 00:07:14.319 Yeah, we just have to follow the rules that those countries provide for us to meet. 00:07:14.639 --> 00:07:23.120 And I think it's important that we all understand that because we all love to throw rocks at you guys at the AI centers and say, you know, why is Bruce or Dr. 00:07:23.279 --> 00:07:25.839 Lombers saying we can't bring our bull in? 00:07:26.079 --> 00:07:28.480 Truly, it's it's not that easy, right? 00:07:28.560 --> 00:07:30.560 It's it's not you guys choosing that. 00:07:30.720 --> 00:07:31.439 So, Dr. 00:07:31.600 --> 00:07:40.879 Lomers, as as we talk about this, tell us a little bit about regulations around the world and and why it's so difficult and why is it so important? 00:07:42.000 --> 00:07:50.800 So each country works with our USDA to negotiate a health certificate based on their regulations and our disease status as a country. 00:07:50.959 --> 00:07:55.439 And every country is responsible for coming up with their own regulations. 00:07:55.600 --> 00:07:59.120 We try to put forth guidelines of things that we think are important. 00:07:59.279 --> 00:08:06.800 We try to educate our USDA liaisons so that they can go and negotiate on our behalf. 00:08:06.959 --> 00:08:15.839 Then when it comes down to it, it it is a true negotiation, and each country has their subset of diseases or health statuses that they deem important. 00:08:16.399 --> 00:08:22.720 And we to export that semen have to comply to those regulations so that we can get semen out the door. 00:08:22.879 --> 00:08:35.600 So our overall goal is to have a population of bulls that we can maximize our semen exports to, and that affects how we house and house our bulls in this diet. 00:08:35.840 --> 00:08:39.840 All of our bulls are housed by health status in the population. 00:08:40.480 --> 00:08:49.759 And and I think you said something really important, Liz, in that it is it is a negotiated process with the USDA and these international countries. 00:08:49.919 --> 00:08:59.919 But the bottom line is what New Zealand needs or what Iran needs are totally different, and they are developed to meet their health status qualifies, right? 00:09:00.159 --> 00:09:00.799 Correct. 00:09:01.039 --> 00:09:03.600 And if you go to these countries, you understand some of that. 00:09:03.679 --> 00:09:16.879 You know, I just got back from New Zealand and you look at the sheep and the deer population in New Zealand, and you know, the size of that island and the number of livestock per acre, you understand why that the governments have to have that. 00:09:17.200 --> 00:09:18.159 Yeah, that is true. 00:09:18.320 --> 00:09:27.120 And you know, they recently incorporated a mycoplasma requirement into their export health certificate because of all the mycoplasma issues they've been dealing with down there. 00:09:27.200 --> 00:09:30.399 And so that is something that's of prime importance to them. 00:09:30.559 --> 00:09:37.360 And so to comply with their import market, we have we have to satisfy their needs or their wants. 00:09:38.080 --> 00:09:44.080 So, Hayden, to you, real quickly, healthy bulls and bulls that come in ready to go to work for you. 00:09:44.240 --> 00:09:46.639 How important is that in your day-to-day work? 00:09:46.960 --> 00:09:49.360 Bulls that come in are healthy. 00:09:49.600 --> 00:09:55.919 We can get a lot more semen on them, and we also can do longevity with them. 00:09:56.000 --> 00:09:58.960 They'll have a longer career here at Select Sires. 00:09:59.120 --> 00:10:03.279 Bulls that come in and be a little sluggish at the start. 00:10:03.440 --> 00:10:06.559 Normally we have to give them a lot of TLC. 00:10:06.720 --> 00:10:11.360 And it takes a little bit longer time to get them going at their max capacity. 00:10:14.480 --> 00:10:15.360 From the start.

00:10:28.240 --> 00:10:30.159 It takes them longer to get into production. 00:10:30.320 --> 00:10:31.679 Same thing with your bulls, right? 00:10:31.759 --> 00:10:35.279 If they come in unthrifty, unhealthy with problems, you got to deal with that, right? 00:10:35.519 --> 00:10:35.840 Yes. 00:10:36.000 --> 00:10:37.519 Yes, we have to deal with that. 00:10:37.679 --> 00:10:40.240 It takes a little while to get them going again. 00:10:41.120 --> 00:10:42.320 So, Dr. 00:10:42.480 --> 00:11:00.080 Lawmers, tell us a little bit about what are things you look at of importance for growth and development of a bull when you're when you're studying a bull, whether he can come into select sire's, and what are the things our our listeners need to be thinking about that is important to you and Aiden when they come in? 00:11:00.799 --> 00:11:03.519 So we need those bulls to get off to a great start. 00:11:03.679 --> 00:11:12.320 They need to first and foremost have their good dose of colostrum so that they can be healthy because we're limited on the vaccines that we can use on these bulls. 00:11:12.480 --> 00:11:23.039 And so they, as opposed to what the process might be with the heifer calves on a farm, they have a pretty dialed-down health protocol that they'll have to follow. 00:11:23.200 --> 00:11:37.840 And so excellent husbandry practices, excellent care to promote growth in that calf, to get them to puberty sooner, to get good grotto circumference growth, to get will allow us to get in collection sooner and get product out on the market. 00:11:38.080 --> 00:11:47.120 When they arrive here, they're all going to get a physical exam, make sure they're sound, make sure they don't have any bad heritable traits that they would potentially pass on. 00:11:47.200 --> 00:11:48.960 Those would be called immediately. 00:11:49.200 --> 00:11:59.200 We're going to do lung ultrasounds to score the lung, to score the lungs on those calves, make sure that they have been healthy to this point, haven't suffered from respiratory disease. 00:11:59.360 --> 00:12:01.440 If they have, then we'll treat accordingly. 00:12:02.159 --> 00:12:08.639 Basically, all of the things that you want to do for your heifers, we want to do that in the bull minus the vaccines. 00:12:08.799 --> 00:12:12.559 The vaccines, especially those that contain IBR, are a problem. 00:12:13.120 --> 00:12:17.519 Would affect how you have to house those bulls in relationship to the heifers on your farm. 00:12:17.840 --> 00:12:23.919 I think that's really important because Liz, as as kids growing up, if we kept a bull in our farm, right? 00:12:24.080 --> 00:12:27.279 You threw him in the corner and you threw him the scrap feeds. 00:12:27.679 --> 00:12:32.000 And yeah, when he got to puberty, then he'd start breeding cows. 00:12:32.080 --> 00:12:32.960 But there was no rush. 00:12:33.039 --> 00:12:38.639 And you you you fed him the scraps and you put them in the dark, dusty corner of the barn, right? 00:12:38.799 --> 00:12:41.120 You can't do that with an AI bull anymore. 00:12:41.360 --> 00:12:48.240 No, no, we want them to grow as well and as quickly as possible to get them to a production age as quickly as possible. 00:12:48.559 --> 00:12:52.720 And and I compare it, Liz, to many of us raised show heifers. 00:12:52.799 --> 00:13:00.960 You know, we we individually care for show heifers to get them the most most growth and the right body condition and the right development. 00:13:01.200 --> 00:13:02.799 A bull is no different, right? 00:13:03.120 --> 00:13:03.519 Correct. 00:13:03.679 --> 00:13:05.919 Yeah, I mean, obviously the protocol is different. 00:13:06.240 --> 00:13:15.200 We do everything that we can to promote growth and help from that calf because on the tail end of that, we're only going to benefit from the semen production that he can potentially make. 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:17.919 And I I want to go to you, Bruce. 00:13:18.080 --> 00:13:25.919 You tell some interesting statistics on the development sense, genomics, what your population of bull produces. 00:13:26.080 --> 00:13:33.840 And I don't need the exact numbers, Bruce, but give our listeners a little bit of a glimpse at why are these these young bulls so critical. 00:13:34.000 --> 00:13:35.759 The demand is huge, isn't it? 00:13:36.080 --> 00:13:37.360 Yeah, the demand is huge. 00:13:37.519 --> 00:13:41.679 Genomics has pushed us to wanting the best, the earliest. 00:13:41.919 --> 00:13:48.639 And so our goal is to get bullshit in the stalls and producing at an earlier and earlier age. 00:13:48.879 --> 00:13:57.440 As an example, in 08, at the onset of genomics, our median age of bull in collection here at Slice Cyrus was 56 months of age. 00:13:57.679 --> 00:14:00.799 Today, that median age is 19 months of age. 00:14:01.039 --> 00:14:06.000 So we have changed that drastically since the onset of genomics. 00:14:06.159 --> 00:14:11.759 What that means in our world, though, also then is significantly less production per stall. 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:15.600 So we need good producing bulls to come in and ready to work. 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:28.399 But the average bull, by that difference of 36, 37 months of age, that equates to over 2,500 units of semen per month less than we're getting today. 00:14:28.879 --> 00:14:30.159 That's a huge number. 00:14:30.240 --> 00:14:37.360 And again, Hayden, you've seen the bulls, the age at which you are collecting bulls really changed the past decade. 00:14:37.600 --> 00:14:38.080 Oh, yes. 00:14:38.159 --> 00:14:42.559 When I started, they they were all proven sires, mostly in Calgary. 00:14:42.960 --> 00:14:47.440 And then now we have some 18, 19 month-old bulls in our barn. 00:14:48.000 --> 00:14:52.080 And truly, the difference is the size of the factory, right? 00:14:52.159 --> 00:14:58.000 Like a 19-month-old bull is going to produce a lot less semen than a 56-month-old bull. 00:14:58.480 --> 00:15:04.399 Bruce, you you you told us

that statistic, but but functionally, right, Liz, that's what it is. 00:15:04.720 --> 00:15:09.440 Yeah, functionally, and they just they don't have the factory to make the quantity yet. 00:15:09.600 --> 00:15:15.519 They don't get there, but when when everybody is wanting the semen, they're still they're still juvenile yet. 00:15:16.000 --> 00:15:19.120 This is my uh not professional opinion, like Dr. 00:15:19.200 --> 00:15:23.200 Liz, but you've referenced how you raise show efforts or whatever. 00:15:23.279 --> 00:15:35.600 And at some level, the semen production curve does not is not all that much different than the cow milk production curve, where she starts out, lowers two-year-old, increases to a point in time, and then starts decreasing later. 00:15:35.759 --> 00:15:36.080 Yeah. 00:15:36.399 --> 00:15:38.799 It's kind of like our ability to work, right, Bruce? 00:15:38.879 --> 00:15:40.799 We when we were 20, we worked hard. 00:15:40.960 --> 00:15:46.879 When we were 30, we were really rolling, and then now that we're old, we we'd like to do a little less, right? 00:15:47.200 --> 00:15:48.320 That's kind of the deal. 00:15:48.639 --> 00:15:50.879 Liz and Aiden know nothing about that yet. 00:15:52.080 --> 00:15:54.000 Bruce, Bruce and I are the experts. 00:15:54.159 --> 00:15:58.399 So, so Liz, I want to get to a really important piece of this podcast. 00:15:58.639 --> 00:16:08.000 What is the difference for me as a breeder between raising a heifer from the minute she's born until she's a yearling or eight months old? 00:16:08.159 --> 00:16:10.159 The difference between a heifer and a bull. 00:16:10.720 --> 00:16:14.799 So the major difference is the administration of vaccines. 00:16:14.960 --> 00:16:23.919 So all of your combination vaccinate vaccinate vaccine products, your nine-ways, your four-way respiratories, all contain IBR. 00:16:24.080 --> 00:16:28.480 Your intranasals, your viral intranasals all contain IBR. 00:16:28.879 --> 00:16:31.120 IVR will exclude those bulls. 00:16:32.080 --> 00:16:39.200 So when we're vaccinating calves, our goal is to create antibodies to fight that infection if they're presented with it. 00:16:39.360 --> 00:16:45.840 So a lot of these countries have an antibody test that looks for IVR antibodies. 00:16:45.919 --> 00:16:48.000 That doesn't mean that calf was ever exposed. 00:16:48.080 --> 00:16:54.159 It means the test cannot differentiate between natural exposure and vaccination exposure. 00:16:54.320 --> 00:17:01.039 And so all we have to have, all we have, all we can do is provide a negative test to those countries. 00:17:01.360 --> 00:17:06.559 It's very, very important for those bulls to maintain a seronegative status. 00:17:06.960 --> 00:17:15.039 There's no commercially available respiratory, viral respiratory vaccine product that does not contain IVR, to my knowledge. 00:17:15.200 --> 00:17:16.319 It used to be a handful. 00:17:16.480 --> 00:17:20.960 The only people that were using those were

bull studs, and so the companies have done away with those. 00:17:21.200 --> 00:17:31.359 But that IVR, those IVR antibodies will exclude them from the European Union market, and there's a few other markets that they will exclude them from. 00:17:31.599 --> 00:17:33.680 And so that one is of utmost importance. 00:17:33.839 --> 00:17:40.880 One of the problems that we regularly see is somebody's using a viral intranasal vaccine on their farm. 00:17:40.960 --> 00:17:43.599 Well, those intranasal vaccines are good. 00:17:43.839 --> 00:17:53.039 And so if you have a bull housed within 20 feet of a heifer that is receiving an intranasal vaccine, that heifer will share her vaccine with that bull calf. 00:17:53.119 --> 00:17:54.799 And now we have a positive bull. 00:17:55.039 --> 00:18:02.319 The way that the IVR virus works, it can lay latent for a while and then rear its ugly head again. 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:12.640 And so when we test a calf and he's initially negative, if he's had a history of vaccine or a history of exposure, he always has that risk of developing an IVR tire. 00:18:12.880 --> 00:18:23.920 So that is one of the things that we fight on farm because it's typically fine when calves are individually housed in a hutch or individually housed in a wet calf barn or something like that. 00:18:24.000 --> 00:18:30.240 But when they move to group housing, farmers kind of producers kind of run out of places to be able to segregate them out. 00:18:30.319 --> 00:18:34.079 And that's when we get exposure and sharing of tires. 00:18:34.160 --> 00:18:37.359 It doesn't mean that the heifers were sick, it doesn't mean that the bulls were sick. 00:18:37.440 --> 00:18:42.960 It just means that we presented them with that viral antigen and then they made antibodies in response. 00:18:43.119 --> 00:18:48.000 And that is the only testing option we have to be able to be able to export them. 00:18:48.480 --> 00:19:00.880 I think, Liz, that's as good a practical explanation as I've heard because people say all the time there's got to be a difference between actual IBR and antibodies from the IBR vaccine. 00:19:01.119 --> 00:19:05.759 What you're telling me is there is a difference, certainly, but we can't tell that with the test. 00:19:06.000 --> 00:19:18.559 So the if I'm Australia buying this semen and I and you can't provide me with a negative IBR test, uh, I don't know if the bull actually has IBR or he's just got antibodies. 00:19:18.640 --> 00:19:21.039 Is that is that kind of the hillbilly version? 00:19:21.279 --> 00:19:21.920 Yes. 00:19:22.240 --> 00:19:28.799 And the other thing you said that's critical that I don't think people, and I know it's tough to separate these bulls from the heifer. 00:19:29.119 --> 00:19:37.920 So you can leave your bull and not vaccinate him and vaccinate all the calves in the next pen over, and they're all licking each other and all sneezing on each other. 00:19:38.079 --> 00:19:39.119 What happens then? 00:19:39.599 --> 00:19:43.680 The heifers will share their vaccine with the bulls, and then you'll have positive bulls. 00:19:44.079 --> 00:19:45.519 It is not easy, right? 00:19:45.599 --> 00:19:54.160 And we don't pretend it's easy and hopefully you're rewarded financially that makes the juice worth a squeeze if you want to bull an AI. 00:19:54.480 --> 00:19:57.759 Liz, let's let's take one more diversion. 00:19:57.839 --> 00:20:04.559 And and there's several different health tests they have to pass, but we talk about leucosis and IBR the most because they're the most prevalent. 00:20:04.720 --> 00:20:06.640 Talk about leucosis prevention. 00:20:07.039 --> 00:20:09.440 Leucosis prevention in the calf. 00:20:09.680 --> 00:20:22.160 If you have the option to put if you're putting in embryos or something like that, you would want to BLV test the uterine dam prior to putting the embryo in because glucosis is is spread by blood contact. 00:20:22.240 --> 00:20:31.200 And so there is potential to spread to the calf with, you know, we've all seen bloody colostrum, but there's blood in the colostrum, there's potential to spread that way. 00:20:31.279 --> 00:20:35.039 There's potential to spread VLB by reusing needles. 00:20:35.119 --> 00:20:42.799 If you have a VLB positive animal using the same needle on that calf, so you should always use single single-use needles. 00:20:43.039 --> 00:20:46.160 Those are probably your two biggest roots of spread. 00:20:46.240 --> 00:20:54.799 And so I think that knowing the status of the the reset before you're implanting the embryo is of utmost importance. 00:20:55.279 --> 00:20:57.599 And and that is actually a requirement we have. 00:20:57.680 --> 00:21:06.240 We need to know the the uterine dam is negative for leucosis for some of the health protocols, but also just to keep the bull clean, right, Liz, we need to know that. 00:21:06.480 --> 00:21:06.799 Yes. 00:21:07.119 --> 00:21:16.799 If I test the recipient dam and she after she's in the bull's in utero and she is positive, what should I do at that point? 00:21:17.200 --> 00:21:30.319 I would use uh some maybe some colostrum from a negative donor, or you could use commercially available colostrum product to just give yourself an extra assurance and try to get that calf to be negative. 00:21:30.640 --> 00:21:36.079 And probably I don't want to put words in your mouth, but removing that calf from mama, the quicker the better, right? 00:21:36.160 --> 00:21:37.200 To that. 00:21:37.680 --> 00:21:39.440 For a multitude of reasons, yes. 00:21:39.759 --> 00:21:51.759 I think those are all things that inherently I think we know, but I think sometimes I think what Liz's points have been have been very helpful to us to kind of understand the practical approach. 00:21:51.839 --> 00:21:59.759 I think everybody has heard these things, Liz, before, but I think a lot of them wonder who is the Wizard of Oz making this crap up, right? 00:22:00.799 --> 00:22:02.960 And it's it's certainly

not you. 00:22:03.039 --> 00:22:07.920 And it we know it's not Bruce, and Hayden would rather know all bulls were created equal, right? 00:22:08.240 --> 00:22:08.720 Amen. 00:22:10.559 --> 00:22:13.279 Hayden, I'm gonna switch back to you just for a bit. 00:22:13.519 --> 00:22:19.519 Tell us a little about the population of bulls that you work with at Slack Sires at the Calgren Center. 00:22:19.920 --> 00:22:30.559 I look or around 58 head of bulls, mainly Holsteins, but depending on collection requests and bull bull movements, I usually have a few jerseys in the barn also. 00:22:31.279 --> 00:22:35.359 I also have six-person crew on my staff. 00:22:35.599 --> 00:22:37.599 They start in the morning with collections. 00:22:37.680 --> 00:22:39.599 Uh well, collections is first thing. 00:22:39.759 --> 00:22:41.920 Uh we normally start with our STs. 00:22:42.240 --> 00:22:43.839 MST is sex semen. 00:22:44.160 --> 00:22:47.279 That is top priority here at Select Sires. 00:22:47.440 --> 00:22:50.559 And then we go into cleaning and take care of our bulls. 00:22:50.960 --> 00:23:00.400 If we see anything that has a health concern or lame or is not eating or anything like that, we get a hold of the vets right away. 00:23:00.720 --> 00:23:05.680 And then we also, my barn is a tour center, kind of. 00:23:05.759 --> 00:23:08.559 You can't come in it, but you can stay on the outside. 00:23:08.640 --> 00:23:12.480 We do a lot of collection viewings from outside our window. 00:23:12.799 --> 00:23:20.319 We also do a lot of parades for countries or sales reps or orientations. 00:23:20.400 --> 00:23:21.920 So we do a lot of clipping. 00:23:22.160 --> 00:23:29.440 Any bulls that normally look good or people need to see, we usually show them off there at Calvern. 00:23:30.000 --> 00:23:32.720 So really, if you're a bull, you want to be at Hayden's barn. 00:23:32.799 --> 00:23:33.759 Is that right, Bruce? 00:23:34.000 --> 00:23:34.319 Yes. 00:23:34.559 --> 00:23:37.119 And Hayden, how are your bulls housed? 00:23:37.440 --> 00:23:43.359 Our bulls are housed in a state-of-the-art facility that is climate controlled. 00:23:43.519 --> 00:23:45.279 It is heated and cooled. 00:23:45.599 --> 00:23:51.039 We also have an outside collection arena that we can use if needed. 00:23:51.200 --> 00:23:58.000 We also use the inside most of the time, but if we do have a slow bull, we can take them outside. 00:23:58.240 --> 00:24:05.440 They are inside all the time in a very large stall so they can move around. 00:24:05.599 --> 00:24:07.920 They get TMR twice a day. 00:24:08.240 --> 00:24:10.799 Occasionally we'll give them some pre-choice hay. 00:24:11.039 --> 00:24:14.720 Aiden, a lot of people don't realize the level of care these bulls get. 00:24:14.799 --> 00:24:20.720 So your your typical day starts at what time and ends at what time in your barn at Kelgren? 00:24:21.200 --> 00:24:23.200 Our typical day starts at 6 a.m. 00:24:23.359 --> 00:24:25.200 I mean, ends at 2, 2 p.m.

00:24:25.680 --> 00:24:27.920 And my barn is all manual labor. 00:24:28.079 --> 00:24:35.119 It basically has a gutter, an old old tice tall barn type gutter, like all the old dairies used to have. 00:24:35.359 --> 00:24:38.240 We scrape all the manure into the gutter system. 00:24:38.400 --> 00:24:40.079 We bed them by by hand. 00:24:40.160 --> 00:24:41.920 We wash them if they're dirty. 00:24:42.160 --> 00:24:46.720 We can also, if they get sick, we can take care of them. 00:24:47.119 --> 00:24:50.079 Anything that we can do, they're covered. 00:24:50.319 --> 00:24:55.680 Are the bulls, when you're cleaning their pens and working with them, are they in headlocks or do you tie them up? 00:24:55.759 --> 00:24:57.839 How do you how do you control the bull, Hayden? 00:24:58.079 --> 00:25:01.279 Our our barn does not have headlocks, it only has one. 00:25:01.440 --> 00:25:04.319 That is for a special bull named Z Z Top. 00:25:04.720 --> 00:25:08.640 He can get out of any halder, any lasso that you have. 00:25:08.960 --> 00:25:13.519 Most of our other 57 head of bulls are caught with a halder. 00:25:13.839 --> 00:25:18.640 You would think this is crazy, but you put a little TMR inside the halder. 00:25:18.799 --> 00:25:24.720 They'll come right in most of the time, put their head in, you put the halder over top of their head, and you tie them up. 00:25:25.039 --> 00:25:33.839 We also put a nose chain on for secondary safety, but we do run into the casual of doing a little western style. 00:25:33.920 --> 00:25:37.759 We have to get the lasso out, lasso in the bulls. 00:25:37.920 --> 00:25:39.759 We used to have a bull named Rosalind. 00:25:40.000 --> 00:25:43.119 He was a little bit of a more aggressive bull. 00:25:43.519 --> 00:25:45.519 He liked to snap lassos. 00:25:45.839 --> 00:25:56.319 You know, Hayden, and and as I get older and retire, I want to write a book with some of you guys in the barns about the stories of caring for bulls your whole career, because I think it'd be fascinating. 00:25:56.559 --> 00:26:01.759 How many employees take care of your bulls at Calgren Center on a daily basis? 00:26:01.920 --> 00:26:03.680 You said you've got 58 bulls. 00:26:03.759 --> 00:26:05.119 What's your staff look like? 00:26:05.359 --> 00:26:08.160 I have six people on my career. 00:26:08.720 --> 00:26:10.079 Including yourself? 00:26:10.400 --> 00:26:11.759 Including me at seven. 00:26:12.000 --> 00:26:18.640 Guys, if if I had a herd of 56 cows to have seven people caring for them, that's pretty high end, isn't it? 00:26:18.720 --> 00:26:22.480 And you also have the full capacity of your vet staff anytime you need anything. 00:26:22.720 --> 00:26:23.119 Yes. 00:26:23.359 --> 00:26:29.759 They're always on call on weekends, holidays, one of them will always answer. 00:26:30.079 --> 00:26:35.519 Bruce and Liz, you know, I think Hayden and his crew are the unsung heroes of our business. 00:26:35.839 --> 00:26:43.680 People don't realize the importance of

what they do every day to putting out good product product, taking care of our bulls. 00:26:43.920 --> 00:26:46.319 Bruce, you've been in this business forever. 00:26:46.480 --> 00:26:51.519 Give me your views on how important the barn crew and vet staff is to our to our industry. 00:26:51.839 --> 00:26:53.599 Well, it's huge of huge importance. 00:26:53.759 --> 00:27:00.640 And one thing I noticed that Hayden left out that I wide in and I'm very directly involved in, but he mentioned the time of day that they work. 00:27:00.720 --> 00:27:11.119 But then they do have a small crew that comes in daily to collect bulls later in the day, particularly because we're running our sexing latch 24 hours a day. 00:27:11.200 --> 00:27:12.640 So three different shifts. 00:27:12.720 --> 00:27:20.079 So to keep that semen good and viable and fresh, we can't collect all the bulls at the same time. 00:27:20.319 --> 00:27:27.279 So throughout the day, we need to have a later collection for that night term shift when we're making sex semen. 00:27:27.359 --> 00:27:28.960 So somebody has to come in. 00:27:29.039 --> 00:27:34.319 Now they obviously don't all aren't all there and they share that among different barns. 00:27:34.480 --> 00:27:45.759 I think Hayden knows more of the detail even than I do on that, but they share staff among other barns to get that job done on a daily basis, but at a later time than they otherwise normally would be there. 00:27:46.079 --> 00:27:51.359 Our listeners can say, Great, that's good for select sires and show box sires because that's how you make your living. 00:27:51.680 --> 00:28:04.720 But Bruce, when customer A in Marietta, Ohio wants bull B and we can't get the semen, as a customer and as a breeder, you're unhappy and you miss the opportunity. 00:28:04.799 --> 00:28:07.599 So what Liz and Hayden and Bruce do is critical. 00:28:07.759 --> 00:28:08.640 Don't you see it that way? 00:28:08.799 --> 00:28:11.839 Bruce, you're in sales for 25 years. 00:28:12.079 --> 00:28:13.599 That's how it goes, right? 00:28:13.839 --> 00:28:14.720 Yeah, absolutely. 00:28:14.880 --> 00:28:21.200 And it's of utmost importance from a sales staff standpoint to know that you're making a good quality product. 00:28:21.279 --> 00:28:24.000 And of course, the customer wants the good quality product. 00:28:24.079 --> 00:28:31.039 So we put all these things in place to make sure that we're making the highest quality product that we can from that given bull. 00:28:31.279 --> 00:28:34.079 And then we have the availability issues as well. 00:28:34.319 --> 00:28:48.000 And when we talk about age, that's a very much a change from what it was early in my career when, as Hayden mentioned, when we were collecting all five-year-old and older bulls, whereas today we're collecting 19-month-old bulls on average. 00:28:48.240 --> 00:28:51.039 So the availability equation is very different. 00:28:51.200 --> 00:29:00.160 And so we need to get as much as we can when we can out of them as early as we can to attempt to meet some level of availability. 00:29:00.480 --> 00:29:02.799 I think that's I think that's all great information. 00:29:02.960 --> 00:29:14.480 So, Liz, I'm going to I'll probably get in trouble with you for this question, but I that's that's how we like to, you know, if you're going to be the next Oprah Winfrey, you have to hit some tough questions, okay? 00:29:14.799 --> 00:29:15.119 Okay. 00:29:15.519 --> 00:29:35.359 One thing that I get really frustrated with in this business is there are people and sales reps and competitive sales reps that if a bull is not having good fertility, they say, Well, SelectSires is downing the number of sperm cells in there because they're trying to make the go bull go farther because he's in demand and all that junk. 00:29:35.599 --> 00:29:37.200 Can you address that a little bit? 00:29:37.279 --> 00:29:40.799 Uh, how isn't a sperm cell a sperm cell is a sperm cell? 00:29:41.119 --> 00:29:48.079 Uh yeah, so sperm cell is a sperm cell is a sperm cell, and so much going into that bull making fertile semen. 00:29:48.160 --> 00:29:57.519 And we all know if we had the answers to why you have bull A and bull B, and bull A is 100% fertile all the time, and bull B is hit and miss, and hit and miss. 00:29:57.839 --> 00:30:00.720 If we could solve that problem, I wouldn't need to work here anymore. 00:30:00.799 --> 00:30:02.880 I could just excel that and be done. 00:30:03.039 --> 00:30:06.160 But you know, I think that's it's a supreme frustration. 00:30:06.319 --> 00:30:09.920 All of us around here, you have a bull that when you look at him, he's healthy. 00:30:10.000 --> 00:30:11.680 When he comes into the arena, he works. 00:30:12.000 --> 00:30:15.119 But when he puts in the tube, you're like, What why does this not look good? 00:30:15.200 --> 00:30:16.480 Why do we have to trash this bull? 00:30:16.640 --> 00:30:17.519 Why is he limited? 00:30:17.599 --> 00:30:18.640 Why is he hit and miss? 00:30:19.119 --> 00:30:23.519 And I'm telling you what, if he could solve that problem, it'd make our lives a lot easier. 00:30:23.759 --> 00:30:37.279 Those things, those little micro things that all the researchers are working on to discover why one bur bull who looks normal under the microscope is more fertile than the other bull that looks identical under the microscope. 00:30:37.359 --> 00:30:40.799 You know, those all those little chemical reactions that we don't fully understand. 00:30:41.119 --> 00:30:41.920 And that's nature. 00:30:42.000 --> 00:30:45.200 And truly, Liz, we're playing with Mother Nature a little bit here, right? 00:30:45.279 --> 00:30:50.559 Like we we we are manipulating what Mother Nature intended to be done to a degree. 00:30:50.799 --> 00:31:00.640 And and I would also say, Liz, that I think all the mish all the rumors that when when a bull's in your lab, your lab people don't know which bull's which, and they don't they don't care. 00:31:00.720 -->

00:31:04.240 They they put X number of cells in a straw, and that's what happens, right? 00:31:04.480 --> 00:31:04.720 Correct. 00:31:04.880 --> 00:31:06.079 Yes, correct. 00:31:06.480 --> 00:31:14.400 But Bruce, you've heard it out in the field that you know this bull is they're they're diluting him or they're you know, they're whatever, whatever, whatever. 00:31:14.640 --> 00:31:19.119 And we know it's all conjecture, but have you seen that in your career? 00:31:19.440 --> 00:31:20.400 Oh, absolutely. 00:31:20.559 --> 00:31:23.519 And that there's no rhyme or reason to it. 00:31:23.599 --> 00:31:27.599 And you know, the same bull can react very differently, even on two different herbs. 00:31:27.680 --> 00:31:29.200 And you've I've seen that in my career. 00:31:29.279 --> 00:31:35.279 And so just back to what Doc Lewis says, we don't know what causes all those differences. 00:31:35.759 --> 00:31:41.279 If we could make the most fertile semen around all the time, we'd love to do that. 00:31:41.599 --> 00:31:42.480 Great discussion. 00:31:42.640 --> 00:31:45.119 I'm gonna switch as we wrap up things here. 00:31:45.279 --> 00:31:45.599 Dr. 00:31:45.839 --> 00:31:58.799 Lomers, can you give us just kind of a recap of what are the big pitfalls you see with breeders to get a bull to you for show box sires or or for your select siers program? 00:31:59.279 --> 00:32:08.079 What are the couple takeaway points from from you that breeders really need to think about if they have a bull calf born tomorrow that they want to send a stud? 00:32:08.880 --> 00:32:16.640 So I guess number one, I would say if you have a question or you think that this bull is has potential to go today, email me. 00:32:16.799 --> 00:32:18.960 Email me somebody here, they'll get you in touch with me. 00:32:19.039 --> 00:32:25.680 I'll send you a written protocol, what to do, what not to do, so you don't have to try and remember what did you say? 00:32:25.759 --> 00:32:27.279 What is what am I not supposed to use? 00:32:27.599 --> 00:32:37.519 If you call and ask your your herd veterinarian, they're they're probably gonna turn and call me because this is not this is a weird instance, it's not something that everyone deals with all of the time. 00:32:37.680 --> 00:32:40.160 So that would be the my easiest recommendation. 00:32:40.319 --> 00:32:46.720 Reach out for help and ask before you have this calf on the block on the ground or shortly there ever thereafter. 00:32:46.960 --> 00:32:50.720 And before you vaccinate with anything, ask. 00:32:51.440 --> 00:32:56.079 The IVR antibodies are what's gonna kick that bull out most frequently. 00:32:56.400 --> 00:33:05.759 Second would be BLB, just judicious use of needles when you're giving injections, uh, good colostrum management, things like that. 00:33:06.400 --> 00:33:07.200 Great advice. 00:33:07.359 --> 00:33:12.880 And I want to reiterate if you're thinking you've got a bull for AI, reach out to Dr. 00:33:12.960 --> 00:33:21.599 Lahmers at SelectSires or one of your Select Sires Sire analysts, one of the guys that do that, Mike Ducket or myself. 00:33:22.160 --> 00:33:23.039 Reach out to us. 00:33:23.200 --> 00:33:25.680 We're there and we can connect you with the information. 00:33:25.839 --> 00:33:33.279 And like you say, Liz, your local vet probably isn't going to know this protocol if if he's not exposed to it every day. 00:33:33.519 --> 00:33:37.200 Just you know, just like I'm not even comfortable reciting it, right? 00:33:37.279 --> 00:33:42.559 Because there's what you have for a written protocol is what is what is the Bible for sure. 00:33:42.880 --> 00:33:46.720 Hayden, I think our listeners would like a quick story or two. 00:33:46.960 --> 00:33:50.640 Who who are a couple of the most famous bulls you've taken care of? 00:33:51.279 --> 00:33:59.839 I've taken care of Atwood, I've taken care of Planet, Renegade, Mobile, Super Sire, Jerseys. 00:34:00.079 --> 00:34:05.839 I would have to say Chrome, Colton, and Valentino would be my top three for jerseys. 00:34:06.559 --> 00:34:10.400 Well, if you're an NBA coach, you're in the Hall of Fame. 00:34:11.280 --> 00:34:11.920 Yes. 00:34:12.960 --> 00:34:17.599 Have you got any funny stories about collection or attitudes of bulls? 00:34:17.679 --> 00:34:20.159 I love to talk to you guys about some of the stories. 00:34:20.239 --> 00:34:22.960 You could go on, Hayden, for days and days. 00:34:23.280 --> 00:34:30.400 Have you got anything that comes to mind that just would make our listeners say, well, that that that's what being in a bull barn does to you every day? 00:34:30.719 --> 00:34:31.760 There's a couple. 00:34:31.840 --> 00:34:37.920 I and again, I could go on for a long, long time, but we did have a bull named Conway. 00:34:38.320 --> 00:34:39.920 He had a special steer. 00:34:40.159 --> 00:34:47.280 He it had to be the right height, the right color, had to be at the right spot, everything. 00:34:47.519 --> 00:34:52.800 If it if he didn't have his right steer, his right mount, he would not work up. 00:34:53.039 --> 00:34:56.159 He would just get mad and start hitting on the on the steer. 00:34:56.960 --> 00:34:59.679 We also sometimes have to turn the lights off. 00:34:59.920 --> 00:35:03.840 Some some sometimes our bulls get a little scared of the collector. 00:35:04.079 --> 00:35:16.239 I even have heard I have not used this, but I've heard that at some point somebody put an eye patch like a pirate on on one of the bulls' eyes, so he couldn't see the collector when they went to collect them. 00:35:16.639 --> 00:35:30.079 Right now, Hayden, my producer Dave Parker, is going crazy because he's praying I don't go down any of these roads with this discussion because there's so much opportunity to go down different roads, isn't there, Bruce? 00:35:30.719 --> 00:35:31.760 Absolutely. 00:35:32.320 --> 00:35:33.599 And you know what, Tim? 00:35:33.760 --> 00:35:40.320 Hayden was in my office earlier, and he

commented one thing about a bull that you might know pretty well. 00:35:40.880 --> 00:35:45.360 And not that he's bad to work with, but just that he's plum loud. 00:35:45.440 --> 00:35:47.519 And when he's in the barn, he's always making noise. 00:35:47.599 --> 00:35:50.079 And that's your bull, showbox bull Ben though. 00:35:50.320 --> 00:35:50.639 Really? 00:35:50.800 --> 00:35:53.360 Oh, he he is very voiceful. 00:35:53.599 --> 00:35:58.159 He likes to hear and himself talk, he likes to yell at you. 00:35:58.320 --> 00:36:03.119 If you ain't betting him right, you ain't feeding him right away, he's gonna let you know. 00:36:03.440 --> 00:36:08.320 Actually, I it's not a genetic answer, but it's an environmental answer. 00:36:08.559 --> 00:36:17.920 He was bred by the boys at Kingsway, and then also our friend Steve Velthois, and they're both very loud and very mean. 00:36:19.199 --> 00:36:20.960 And so I can I can understand. 00:36:21.119 --> 00:36:25.280 It sounds like the combination of Ethan and Steve, who both listen to these podcasts. 00:36:25.360 --> 00:36:31.599 They'll they'll like that shout out because I it sounds like Venmo's just like them a little louder than they need to be, huh? 00:36:32.000 --> 00:36:32.880 Oh, yes. 00:36:33.519 --> 00:36:44.639 Well, Hayden, I will let you off this hot seat, but uh we appreciate you doing what you do, and we would ask you as an industry to thank your colleagues in the barn. 00:36:44.800 --> 00:36:54.880 You put your lives at risk every day for us to make genetics, and again, not just for select sires and and show box sires, for the breeders to develop their herd. 00:36:55.039 --> 00:36:57.360 So, Hayden, it's been great having you on. 00:36:57.519 --> 00:37:02.639 We're someday we're gonna do another podcast with just you and a bunch of the guys from the barns and tell stories. 00:37:02.800 --> 00:37:03.599 That sound all right. 00:37:03.920 --> 00:37:04.480 Sounds good. 00:37:04.559 --> 00:37:05.760 Thanks, Tim, for having me. 00:37:06.079 --> 00:37:06.719 Good to have you. 00:37:06.800 --> 00:37:07.280 And Dr. 00:37:07.440 --> 00:37:09.199 Lombers, so good to have you. 00:37:09.360 --> 00:37:17.039 You know, unfortunately, most people know the Lombers family from your husband, and you know, we we want them to know the best part of the family. 00:37:17.519 --> 00:37:19.119 Thanks for being on, Dr. 00:37:19.280 --> 00:37:19.760 Liz. 00:37:20.000 --> 00:37:22.239 Any parting thoughts for our listeners? 00:37:22.559 --> 00:37:26.239 If you ever have any questions about anything, feel free to reach out to me. 00:37:26.480 --> 00:37:34.320 I really enjoy working with these bulls, seeing the bulls come through the whole process from when they arrive, nice babies, till they make it to Haydn's Farm. 00:37:34.559 --> 00:37:37.519 It's just it's just a pretty cool process to be able to watch. 00:37:37.840 --> 00:37:48.960 Well, and Bruce, you've been involved in your career with several millionaire bulls uh at Select Sires, both as a sales guy and a and now as a product manager. 00:37:49.440 --> 00:37:50.239 Think about that. 00:37:50.400 --> 00:37:55.039 Think about how many things have to go right to to sell a million units on a bull. 00:37:55.519 --> 00:38:02.320 Comment a little about that as we wrap up and how important it is and how how the good old days we used to do that. 00:38:02.800 --> 00:38:08.880 Yeah, and and it's gonna get less and less as we continue to move forward because we're selling them from younger and younger ages. 00:38:08.960 --> 00:38:13.360 So we we've got that volume component against us, but one bull Hayton left out. 00:38:13.519 --> 00:38:16.159 I'm gonna slightly let the cat out of the bag. 00:38:16.239 --> 00:38:31.840 It's not a done deal, but we've got one in Hayden's barn that's about to cross the million unit threshold right now, and within the next couple of months, I would expect, and it's gonna be the first red bull in North America to be a millionaire. 00:38:32.639 --> 00:38:36.639 So Ranger Red is right at the cusp of it. 00:38:36.800 --> 00:38:39.039 It will be continuing harder to do that. 00:38:39.119 --> 00:38:46.880 In the past, we saw bulls easily making 150,000 doses a year when they were five, six, seven, eight years of age. 00:38:47.119 --> 00:38:55.039 And today, as I talked about with the age, when they're making it at two, three, and four years of age, they're not making that kind of volume. 00:38:55.199 --> 00:39:15.760 The genetic interval is so much faster and turning over so much faster that by the time they get to that five, six, seven years of age, often many of them have significantly slowed down in their sales, and so therefore, it's not because the bull isn't as good as those great old millionaire sires, it's just that we have changed generation intervals so much. 00:39:16.000 --> 00:39:39.280 I actually just worked with Hayden on a tour, and if you look but at Rajer Redd's sire and grandsire, and the generation interval that's happened with him and the other bulls in the barn, you know, Rajer Redd, his maternal grandsire to his sire was eight years difference, and then it was five years, and now we're dealing with bulls that are under two years just to make the next generation. 00:39:39.440 --> 00:39:45.039 So that's the reason that we're gonna struggle to get to millionaire, very many millionaire sires anymore. 00:39:45.360 --> 00:39:47.119 But those are still very valuable. 00:39:47.440 --> 00:39:50.079 But we need them to come in and produce early. 00:39:50.400 --> 00:39:52.000 Great parting thoughts there. 00:39:52.159 --> 00:39:59.519 And what you know, I've one little dissertation from me, Bruce, on the functionality of bulls, and I think Hayden and Liz d you'd agree. 00:39:59.679 --> 00:40:04.719 Like I saw Ranger Red last summer, and he is one of the most beautiful bulls you have in your barn. 00:40:04.880 --> 00:40:12.960 Functionally, the bulls sound like you can't make a million units if you don't have good legs and a strong top line and and you know some constitution, right? 00:40:13.119 --> 00:40:13.840 Hayden and Liz. 00:40:13.920 --> 00:40:18.239 Like Ranger looks as good as any bull that has gone through here. 00:40:18.320 --> 00:40:19.199 He looks amazing. 00:40:19.920 --> 00:40:26.559 Yeah, I was blown away with how spectacular of a bull looks, and it's no different than our great cows. 00:40:26.719 --> 00:40:27.920 Great bulls are the same. 00:40:28.079 --> 00:40:33.360 I think that's a great way to end our podcast with these comments from uh Dr. 00:40:33.519 --> 00:40:51.199 Elizabeth Lawmers, chief veterinarian at Select Sires, Bruce Smith, Global Product Manager for Siemen at uh Select Sires, and then Hayden Ackley, who is the barn superintendent at the Kelgren Center, one of the most pre prestigious barns in our business. 00:40:51.440 --> 00:40:58.079 Guys, thank you very much for joining us on this Showbox Dires sponsored podcast, Evolution of the Great Cow. 00:40:58.239 --> 00:41:06.880 The Evolution of the Great Cow takes great sires and great genetics, and I think the team at Select Sires has given you great insight on how that works. 00:41:07.039 --> 00:41:08.239 Thank you for listening.