Integris Beef

08/04/2023

S***m morphology refers to the size, shape, and structure of s***m cells. It is an essential aspect of evaluating male fertility, as abnormalities in morphology can have a significant impact on the ability of s***m to fertilize an egg. S***m cells are extremely small, measuring only a few microns in length. However, within this tiny size, there is a lot of variation in shape and structure....

S***m morphology refers to the size, shape, and structure of s***m cells. It is an essential aspect of evaluating male fertility, as abnormalities in morphology can have a significant impact on the…

14/11/2022

Pseudodroplet Defects
These are defects of the mitochondrial sheath which appear as a thickening somewhere along the length of the midpiece, they are often associated with a bend or a fracture at the same sight. Theses defects often appear to have granules or vacuoles within them. Many of these can be seen with EN stains but phase contrast allows visualization and differentiation from cytoplasmic droplets when encountering the more subtle defects. As seen in these images, fractures and irregular mitochondrial helixes may also be observed in other s***m in affected bulls.
Pseudodroplets appearance ranged from 7-26% in one study and up to 37% seen in another. This defect increased with age in affected bulls. Inheritance is suspected.

05/11/2022

Mobile lab in a utility trailer for bull breeding soundness exams. Helps keep every organized and the sun and dust out.

02/11/2022

Bull s***m morphology testing, more than a one or two minute chute side semen assessment. Australia is leading the world in ways we can improve herd reproductive efficiency.

In this contributed item, Angus seedstock producer Sally White from Guyra expresses some strong opinions about the value of morphology testing in sale bulls. She identifies the direct cost to seedstock producers of culling those bulls which fail s***m morphology testing from their sale drafts, as a....

29/10/2022

The power of being curious: I look at this tree and wounder; how did it get started in this desert? How does it survive where it is literally growing out of the cracks in the rock? Will it ever grow much larger?
I was able to gather semen samples from 120 bulls being tested by another veterinarian. I did a s***m morphological evaluation on each. My results were vastly different than the results reported by the attending veterinarian. The "pass" rate I found would have been less than 30%. Why the vast difference? Were my results accurate? Assuming they were, why did these bulls perform so poorly? With so much on the line for the seedstock producer, how do you move the needle to get them to accept a more rigorous evaluation? How do we help the producer improve results for next year? Would this be a rare or common occurrence to have vast differences if we did similar comparisons with other veterinarians and bull herds preparing for sale?
I have my ideas, what are yours? I am curious to know what others think. I will share my thought on future posts.

29/07/2022

Fertile Friday
Bull’s influence on the number one herd economic trait.
If you can clearly see the majority of a s***m head, yet the tale is not visible, the part out of image is normal. How many morphologically normal s***m? How many abnormal? How many total s***m? Now how many total abnormalities? Bonus if you can name each. Oh yah, you only have 15 seconds: GO!

22/07/2022

Fertile Friday
Bull’s influence on the number one herd economic trait.
Seasonal influences of bull fertility: Cattle are not seasonal breeders, however, parts of the world that have seasons do see the influences of season on fertility. In 1942 Andres & Hilton found that July, August, & September semen volume, motility, and morphology were the least of any other time of the year. Short photoperiod also has a strong effect on bull semen quality as it affects testosterone production. May and June tend to be the best months for bull fertility in the Norther hemisphere. The best months for a bull’s semen having the highest volume, concentration, motility, and morphology is May – June in the spring and early summer. To help optimize pregnancy rates using AI, this may be a consideration to collect bulls when they are at their best.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030242953438, https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/animal/article/review-the-use-of-bull-breeding-soundness-evaluation-to-identify-subfertile-and-infertile-bulls/CE2624EE8909E32E5FF5E62210612C86

Review: The use of bull breeding soundness evaluation to identify subfertile and infertile bulls - Volume 12 Issue s1

15/07/2022

Fertile Friday
Bull’s influence on the number one herd economic trait.
Summer heat and bull fertility: Most of us are all aware that high temperatures can adversely affect bull s***m. Helping cattle stay cool and acclimate to hot temperatures is important for reproduction. It is interesting that the first negative effects of heat are not seen as morphologically abnormal s***m, but rather mild to moderate heat can negatively impact meiosis and chromatin remodeling. Therefore, negative reproductive effects of heat can go undetected with our common s***m evaluation techniques. It is also interesting to note that heat during the last few months of pregnancy in the cow can affect bull calf growth. This has been shown to decrease growth rates and early calf development, in turn negatively impact the bull’s reproductive abilities later in life.
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0093691X20302983?via%3Dihub

08/07/2022

Fertile Friday
Bull’s influence on the number one herd economic trait.
Perhaps the most important time in a bull’s life where nutrition will play a lasting positive effect on fertility is prior to weaning. Calfhood nutrition effects age at puberty and te**is size. Improved nutrition increase LH secretion from 8 to 16 weeks of age and tends to drive Sertoli cell multiplication which ceases at 20-25 weeks of age. Sertoli cells are the nurse cell of s***m development helping in the production of s***m. Improving bull calf nutrition therefore increases the number of Sertoli cells produced, increasing lifetime testicular size and s***m production while also speeding the time to sexual maturity.

21/06/2022

ASKING FOR HELP! I need to learn more about your bull breeding soundness exam process, what is working and what is not. Many veterinarians often feel like they are struggling to give producers the results they expect. At the same time, spend the time needed to do a thorough morphological evaluation with a high-quality microscope, then completely explain the possible causes when bulls don’t pass, guide producers to help improve results, recheck at the right time based on morphological results, help improve herd fertility, and do all this at the price points that make sense?
I’m looking to interview veterinarians, who do bull breeding soundness exams, for a research project I’m working on. It would mean the world to me if we could hop on a call, and I could ask you some questions. OR if you know of someone who fits this description, please tag them below/introduce me. Comment below and I’ll shoot you a DM to set up the call!

19/03/2022