Bull & Ram Fertility

The UCDVH's Breeding Soundness Examination of both bull and ram will identify sterile animals, but also those with reduced fertility at the time of examination.  The examination begins with a thorough physical examination of the bull or ram to check general health and look for any signs of lameness.  Following on from this, the focus then turns to the reproductive system, with examination of the penis and testicles, measurement of the scrotal circumference and rectal palpation of the accessory sex organs in the bull.  Semen is then collected, usually by electroejaculation.  A sample of the total ejaculate is evaluated on a warm microscope slide for motility, while another subsample is placed on a slide and stained to determine the percentage of sperm having normal and abnormal morphology.  The procedure does not evaluate an animal’s ability to mate or its libido.

The video below shows an example of sperm motility

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