Herd Sire: One Fella, Half the Equation
Making the most of what you've got to work with, by setting (& re-setting) reproductive goals on the homestead - Part 2
Hey, you’re back for Part 2! Good on you.
It’s a pretty awesome thing to have you here.
So last time, we talked about ways to make the most of our resources by setting reproductive goals for our herds & flocks. We zeroed in on the environmental factors with which we need to work over the next year, and the improvements we’d like to make in our animals in order to better utilize our resources. (If you missed that post, you can find it here.)
Since then, have you given some thought to the weighty significance of your herd’s, or flock’s, or gaggle’s, sire? The ram, the bull, the buck, the rooster, the gander? The big daddy male that’s going to be solely responsible for half of the genetic variation of the subsequent generation? He’s a big deal.
But, I think too often his influence upon the performance of a livestock enterprise is undervalued, or just plain overlooked in many homestead settings. It’s easy to do, especially when you’re just starting out and ALL the things seem so big and overwhelming.
Thus, I hope what follows will shine a clear light on the impact your sire can have on the reproductive goals you’ve set for your particular animals, and will demystify herd sire selection and evaluation for when you’re ready to put wheels on those goals, and see your plans in action.
Meet Oxford. 300ish pounds of muscly, musty, hard-headed, ewe-chasing, urine-sniffing, testosterone-exuding, breeding machine - and my lovely assistant today.
I know I’ve said this before, but husbandry habits are fundamentally universal. In other words, the fundamentals of what we discuss using a ram as an example, can be extrapolated to sires of other species. Specifics, like scrotal circumference, will mean nothing when it comes to selecting a rooster, for obvious reasons. But the overarching husbandry considerations, the main themes, the foundational principles apply, whether your animal is hooved, clawed, furred, wooled, or feathered.
Alright, on to the meat & potatoes.
Is having a reproductively active male on your property absolutely necessary for your females to reproduce?
No.
Artificial insemination (AI) definitely has its place in wise husbandry. It’s my own preference for getting sows bred any day over keeping a boar, and is a Godsend for perpetuating A2/A2 Jerseys, whose milk we treasure like gold. AI is available for most species, though not practical for many.
Taken a step further, reproductive cycles can be manipulated by way of exogenous hormones (administered to the sheep by the farmer) to achieve off-season breedings and shortened lambing intervals. Obscene amounts of money & time can be spent on enough artificial insemination and micromanagement to effectively purge the joy right out of farming.
However, all of this equates to a cumbersome burden of input - a yolk that need not be so heavy - where simply entrusting well-selected animals to their all natural, God intended reproductive motivations is not only sufficient, but a manifestation of real abundance.
And so for our intents and purposes today, we’ll be focusing on the herd sire as a physical presence on your farm, naturally mating. Importing semen & collection are their own ball of wax, so we’ll roll them around in another post.
One guy, half of the equation
As we’ve already touched on, the herd sire is responsible for 50% of the genetic variation of the next generation - and so having a clear view of your herd’s reproductive mission will serve as a navigational beacon when treading through the often muddy waters of breed directories, Craigslist ads, and “Hey, I got an old bull I’ll rent ya’…” offers. He will either help steer you toward what you’d like to achieve, or he’ll hinder your progress.
The sire’s genetics will express themselves in every single one of their offspring, while the females’ will only affect those of her offspring alone.
Ever think of it that way?
And not only that, an infertile dam means only her reproductive capacity is inhibited. But if the sire has fertility issues, you may lose out on an entire generation of offspring for that year.
So he’s got to be the right fit for your situation, and he’s got to be sound.
Most folks farming on the homestead scale won’t be pursuing genetic testing, veterinary pre-purchase exams, and semen evaluations on potential herd sires. While they’re valuable and have their place, those tests just aren’t not cost effective in most situations. Nor are they necessary, in my opinion, for a successful breeding program.
You, farmer, have tried and true, husbandry tools at your disposal to help you make wise decisions concerning your herd sire - whether purchasing a new one, or re-evaluating your own in light of the reproductive goals for your herd or flock.
Let’s get to work.
#1 - Does the sire suit your unique operation?
Temperament - Facilities (fencing, corrals, sheds, barns, etc.) should be appropriate for the temperaments you desire to house. For example: you may have found the most gorgeous specimen of a bull you’ve ever laid eyes on, but if he’ll make tacos of your 6 foot panels without batting an eye, that exemplary phenotype won’t be on your farm for long.
Furthermore, handling your animals should not be a dreaded task. The goal is for it to be a joy, is it not? Oxford is an animal, who, if he chose, could easily test the physical limits of my handling abilities, but rather chooses to submit to my restraint. His disposition is darn near perfect. That of his predecessor? Not so much.
Can you see that rhinoceros-looking, knobby horn in the middle of his face? That’s actually hardened scar tissue where he repeatedly rammed his face into a panel, in an attempt to beat his way through a fence and earning him the nickname, “Skinner”. That horn-like scar became a weapon he offered to use on my turned back. Needless to say, ol’ Skinner’s outta’ here. But he’s gone on to be a herd sire for a large grazing operation, where he’s with hundreds of sheep on thousands of acres. Couldn’t be a more perfect fit for him.
Temperament is even more important for those of us farming with kids. It’s the reason I shy away from housing mature boars on our property. I don’t want to have to worry about my kids getting between a territorial boar and an in-heat sow. I want my kids to be able to check on their lambs without the concern of a ram taking them out in the process.
Environment & Resources - I can’t sufficiently stress the importance of your animals fitting your environment. Homesteading is work, farming is work, and people like us don’t shy away from it. But heavens to Betsy, save yourself from constant management backaches by choosing stock that work WITH your environment, rather than contrary to it. And save the animals the misery of having to survive an environment they were never made for.
Prime example: wool-producing sheep in my region of Northern California, where 90+ degree temperatures are a fact of life from May through October. Yes, those animals get shorn. But they must endure high ambient temperatures far beyond fur-coat season to grow that beautiful, dense fleece. In the meantime, skin infection, maggot infestations, and the like, must be managed alongside heatstroke. They simply don’t make sense here.
So choose your breeds wisely, and have that list of priorities in hand when looking to add new stock to your operation. It’s not uncommon for us to bring in a herd sire who’s a different breed than our females in order to produce some hybrid vigor in the offspring. He is going to be required to work - make sure your environment and the feed available to him is going to be sufficient & appropriate to support his body as he does so.
#2 - Does he suit the female population?
Three primary considerations come to mind when matching a herd sire with his potential female counterparts:
Size - It is normal and expected for the sire to be larger, more muscular, and heavier than the dam. It’s amazing, actually, the weight that a female can bear during breeding. And while the females may be able to physically withstand mating with a large male, an even more important consideration with respect to his size is actually the size of his offspring.
A disproportionately large sire to small female ratio can increase the chances of dystocia (birthing complications), essentially creating a situation where the dam cannot give birth without assistance due to her baby(s) being too large. You can help manage this risk by selecting a herd sire of a breed and size that are congruent with that of your females.
Age - A very young male may be unable to efficiently execute his expected task, simply because he is too small, or because he hasn’t quite figured out his role in the bird and the bees scenario as of yet. Most hoof stock males are able to breed by about 6 months of age, though their efficiency can vary. An aged sire may know his way around the pasture, but may simply be too arthritic and time-worn to do the job. Applying the other qualifications in this list to your examination of a very young or old sire will help you determine if he is worth the risk.
Number of females to cover - How many females will the sire be expected to breed? This will vary between species, but it is important to have a realistic expectation of the number of breedings your sire is capable of servicing. An average rule of thumb for sheep and cattle is 1 male to about 30 females, and about 1 to 18 boars to sows, naturally breeding (vs. hand mating).
#3 - Will the sire be on your property short-term (breeding season only) or long-term (beyond breeding season, up to several years)?
Short-term - The benefit of keeping that that ram/bull/buck/boar on your property for the breeding season alone, is that you won’t have to worry about separate confinement for him once his job is done. Options for facilitating this short-term stay are:
Renting - Operations whose business it is to provide bulls, for example, are usually very conscientious about their animals’ health and fitness to breed. This can be a great option for introducing new genetics to your herd without the year-round management of an intact male.
Sharing - I’ve found this to be a nice middle-ground for my purposes. I’ve shared rams for several years with a friend whose breeding schedule is later than mine. So she and I will each house the ram for about half the year, relieving the need for separation (and extra feed) for the other half.
Long-term - I tend to keep my rams around for 2 years (2 successive breeding seasons), as I don’t intend their daughters to be bred until they are over a year of age. This way, I am not having to find a new ram every year.
However, this requires that the big guy be separated from the ewes in the off-season, and his daughters be separated from the main flock in the fall to prevent inbreeding. So you’ll have to decide if you’re game for the paddock juggling necessary to keep that sire on site year round.
One scenario where it makes sense to keep a herd sire longer than 2 years is when all of his offspring are terminal - meaning all of his progeny are sold or butchered, and you don’t keep any of his daughters for replacements. In this case, finding a sire that fits your operation like a glove is even more important.
#4 - The pre-breeding exam
Ok, so you’ve either got your sire already, or you’ve narrowed your search down to the “the one”. There’s one more step before opening the gate & sending him off to do his duty: the pre-breeding exam.
Visual exam - Examine with your eyes before you examine with your hands - an invaluable skill every animal steward should cultivate.
Having a good handle on the visual exam will make what follows a very natural progression - I walk you through the “how come’s” and “how to’s” of the thorough visual exam, here. It’s a must. Have this in your back pocket before you move on.
Before you even step foot in the pen with the animal, watch him for a while. Be patient. While observing, ideally you would see him walk, turn around, urinate, defecate, eat, drink, and interact with nearby females (penned separately). Any red flags at this stage will help direct your physical exam, as well as questions for the seller if you’re purchasing a new animal.
Libido - Part of your visual exam will be watching the potential sire’s interaction with nearby females, that hopefully, are in season. You want to see this guy raring to go! The Mack truck drive to breed is what will fuel the male’s efficiency in covering all the females. Some positive indicators of a healthy libido are:
Pacing the fence
Vocalizing in the direction of the females
Pawing at the ground
Lowered head in direction of females
Urination on themselves (goat bucks)
Smelling vulvas & urine of in-season females
Flehmen response (raised upper lip)
Breed characteristics - Does this male meet the breed standards of your herd or flock? If you are breeding purebred animals or are in search of a sire of a particular breed, make sure he measures up to the standards of that breed before you settle on perpetuating his genetics through your animals.
Physical exam - I’m confident that your well-developed common sense will ensure that you handle this testosterone-exuding, girl-crazy, singly-minded dude with due caution and appropriate restraint mechanisms. Like, you’re going to have that bull in a chute or a squeeze, right? And you’re going to be watching for that buck’s head as he jumps up toward your nose, right? And you’re not going to turn your back on that ram you just met, right? And you’re just going to stay the heck out of the pen with a frustrated boar, right? Ok, good. We’re on the same page. Just always watch yer’ back with these guys, they can’t be trusted.
Ok, now that he’s properly restrained, time to get your hands on this fella. I perform my physical exams the same way I perform my visual exams: nose to tail, top to bottom.
Particular areas of interest during the pre-breeding exam are:
Skin - Healthy hair, wool, feathers? Any evidence of parasites? Any missing hair?
Eyes - Clear and bright? No discharge?
Mouth - Bite is straight (no over- or under-bite)? Teeth are intact? None missing?
Ears - No discharge? Evidence of lice (swine lice will lay small yellow-orange eggs in and around ear hairs-these will be transmitted to your sows)?
Head - There should be a masculine look to a bull/ram/buck’s head, being larger and broader than his female counterparts’. Rams and bucks will have a distinct, musky stink exuding from facial glands. These are some of several “secondary sex characteristics” that indicate appropriate hormonal control of the male’s reproductive system.
Limbs - Should also be muscular and physically fit. Take care to ensure there are no indications of lameness in the hind limbs, especially. In livestock, males place major force and weight on their hind limbs during mating. Thus, hind-end pain or lameness will significantly hinder their ability to breed efficiently, if at all.
Hooves - Symmetrical and wearing evenly? No major cracks or breaks?
Prepuce - This is the skin that surrounds the retracted penis. Look for any signs of discharge, blood, swelling, etc. - as these could indicate a more serious problem.
Testicles - These are the primary sex organ of the male, and their health is imperative. They are responsible for producing semen, as well as testosterone. And yes, you have to touch them.
Ya’ll make sure there are TWO of them in the scrotum. Cryptorchidism (one or no testicles descended into the scrotum, meaning they are still up inside the body). A male with one visible testicle will likely be fertile, but sub-fertile, and can be predisposed to complications with the retained testicle. I don’t care if he’s successfully bred a hundred females thus far, do not purchase a cryptorchid male.
Testicles should be slightly firm, non-painful when touched, and uniform in size.
They should be smooth, with no asymmetrical lumps or bumps.
Scrotal circumference - A greater scrotal circumference is associated with higher fertility rates, earlier sexual maturity, and better semen performance. Here are links to helpful charts for bulls and rams:
Secondary Sex Characteristics - These are testosterone-influenced physical attributes that we want to see in our livestock, as indicators of appropriate testosterone production. When compared to their female counterparts, we want to see:
Larger body size and muscle development
Broader, masculine head
Thickened, muscular neck and shoulders
Deeper voice
Glandular secretions - Goat bucks have pungent scent glands at the base of their horns, and while the pre-orbital gland (small “trench” below the medial canthus of the eye) in the ram is more prominent. You can’t miss that musky boy stink!
Beard/mane - dependent on breed
So did he pass your tests? Are you ready to turn him out? Are you ready for nature to teach your kids all about the birds and the bees, and to start answering all kinds of super-awkward-uhhh…lets-talk-about-it-later questions for which you are completely ill-prepared? Buckle up, ‘cause they’re coming! But it’s good, really, it’s natural, and real, and all part of this deal of being human, and training up little humans in the way they should go.
Seriously though, I applaud you for putting in the time to learn and develop your habits of husbandry as they relate to using reproduction to work toward your homestead goals. I hope this has been a help. I pray that this fall breeding season will be a blessed one for you, and that you are able to joyfully reap the benefits of this labor next Spring!
Cheers, friend.
Dr. B