Bull owners in New Mexico are encouraged to test their cattle for trichomoniasis every spring. To assist with this effort, New Mexico State University Rio Arriba County Cooperative Extension Service will host the fourth annual Northern New Mexico Bull Management Educational Series March 10-11 in Abiquiú, New Mexico.
A herd management education workshop with Craig Gifford, NMSU Extension beef cattle specialist; Marcy Ward, NMSU Extension livestock specialist; and Dr. Andrea Harwell will be held from 4 to 6 p.m. Friday, March 10, at the Rio Arriba County Extension conference room. Attendees will receive a voucher for Multimin and deworming injections on their bulls the following day. From 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday, March 11, breeding soundness and trich testing will be offered for $110 per bull, while the trich test only will be offered for $65 by Harwell at the New Mexico Producer and Marketing Association at the Ghost Ranch Feedlot.
Rio Arriba County Extension Agricultural Agent Don Martinez said he has been pleased with the event’s growth, which has nearly doubled in three years.
“Our livestock producers get the opportunity to have their bulls given a complete examination before breeding season,” Martinez said. “It’s a gathering of producers who learn from one another plus from our local veterinarian and our NMSU beef and livestock specialist. They present on the importance of having a solid vaccination program and testing of their herd sires every spring. In the last three years, we have had not one bull test positive for trichomoniasis.”
Trich is a venereal disease of cattle that can be transmitted from cow to cow by infected bulls, and can result in pregnancy loss and infertility.
To RSVP for the event, contact Amanda Benavides by March 2, at 505-685-4523 or msb6@nmsu.edu.