https://www.dexters4u.com/2012/04/testicular-deformities/ Fri, 25 Oct 2019 03:15:36 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.2 https://www.dexters4u.com/2012/04/testicular-deformities/#comment-6810 Gabriella Mon, 09 Dec 2013 23:04:43 +0000 http://mtn-niche-demo.net/dexters4u/?p=115#comment-6810 There are so many questions associated with this: How do you know he has a low sperm count? If he was tested, what were the other details of the report? How old is he? Are your cows open? Or, has he just bred a bunch of cows and did not collect well because of his breeding activity level? Regardless, the biggest factor in most Dexter problems is poor nutritional support. For instance, Dexter breeders are sometimes told at their local feed store that a red mineral salt block is a good supplement for cattle. It certainly doesn't hurt anything to provide one of these, but it mostly provide salt and entertainment. I read somewhere that a cow would have to lick the block 10 hours a day to get enough minerals from it. Several deficiencies, especially zinc, will damage fertility in bulls. I always recommend a poured (not baked) protein tub for low-effort, high yield supplementation. (There is another article about protein tubs on this site.) There are a lot of mineral supplement products out there, and some are probably better than protein tubs, but a little higher maintenance. Remember, the most important feature is not how many ppm of each mineral is in the supplement; it is whether of not they will eat it. If it isn't tasty, it will not be consumed by the animal, and will not do any good growing cobwebs in the mineral feeder. There are so many questions associated with this: How do you know he has a low sperm count? If he was tested, what were the other details of the report? How old is he? Are your cows open? Or, has he just bred a bunch of cows and did not collect well because of his breeding activity level?
Regardless, the biggest factor in most Dexter problems is poor nutritional support. For instance, Dexter breeders are sometimes told at their local feed store that a red mineral salt block is a good supplement for cattle. It certainly doesn’t hurt anything to provide one of these, but it mostly provide salt and entertainment. I read somewhere that a cow would have to lick the block 10 hours a day to get enough minerals from it. Several deficiencies, especially zinc, will damage fertility in bulls. I always recommend a poured (not baked) protein tub for low-effort, high yield supplementation. (There is another article about protein tubs on this site.) There are a lot of mineral supplement products out there, and some are probably better than protein tubs, but a little higher maintenance. Remember, the most important feature is not how many ppm of each mineral is in the supplement; it is whether of not they will eat it. If it isn’t tasty, it will not be consumed by the animal, and will not do any good growing cobwebs in the mineral feeder.

]]> https://www.dexters4u.com/2012/04/testicular-deformities/#comment-6807 judy w Thu, 14 Nov 2013 23:14:18 +0000 http://mtn-niche-demo.net/dexters4u/?p=115#comment-6807 my Polled dun bull has low sperm count . Anyway to fix that? my Polled dun bull has low sperm count . Anyway to fix that?

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