Dr. Colin Palmer, one of our reproductive specialist veterinarians from the Western College of Veterinary Medicine here at the University of Saskatchewan  joins the podcast again this week to discuss the important topic of subfertility in beef bulls.  Today we focus on the parts of the breeding soundness exam that greatly impact fertility - scrotal circumference and semen morphology.  Dr. Palmer describes some of the most common sperm defects and why they occur.

00:00 –Welcome and introductions

01:05 – Importance of body condition score in bulls

03:16 – Scrotal circumference and it’s impact on fertility

10:02 – Identifying testicular and scrotal problems

16:05 –  Accessory sex glands and seminal vesiculitis

18:45   – Evaluating the semen sample

21:55 – Abnormal sperm morphology – why does it occur?

24:12 – Common sperm morphology abnormalities – Distal midpiece reflexes and proximal droplets

32:00 – What does the term “Rusty load” mean in terms of sperm defects?

35:05 – Genetic sperm abnormalities

37:12 – Why is 70% normal sperm considered acceptable?

40:21 – Summary and wrap up