SELECTING new bulls is a process most breeders undertake each year. However, the process is not always a comfortable one, and in some cases, producers find it to be a cause of anxiety.
There is often a fair degree of stress associated with the discipline of finding bulls, let alone the stress of then choosing the right option and then spending money to secure them.
Thinking about new bull purchases as a stand-alone activity is not likely to reduce the anxiety some people may feel.
However in many ways, new bulls are no different to recruiting new employees to a business. A new bull has a specific job to do and thinking about bull selection as a recruitment process may bring some structure to a producer’s selection decision-making.
Both require careful review of credentials, thorough inspection, structured induction and regular performance management. Thinking about bull buying in these terms highlights the discipline needed to get the decision right.
Role to fill
In any recruitment process, the initial starting-point is always based on the need of the business. New staff are employed for a purpose which is initially to fill an immediate and defined role that meets the needs of that business. More strategically, potential new staff are considered for their skills that can add or increase the value of the business, and what it is seeking to achieve.
Bulls should be thought of in the same way: their immediate role is to sire calves, but their longer-term contribution is genetic progress towards breeding objectives.
The equivalent of “skills for a program” in the workplace is the combination of traits and EBVs that move a herd in the right direction.
CV first filter
In staff recruitment, the CV is the first filter. It summarises skills, qualifications, and achievements. Not only does it provide a summary of the attributes of a candidate, but it also provides a basis for an employer to progress to references and reference checks to confirm if the candidate’s record is genuine and consistent.
The equivalent in cattle breeding are Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs) and selection indexes. These form the bull’s “CV,” outlining his expected genetic contribution to traits such as calving ease, growth, fertility, and carcase quality. A disciplined buyer starts with their breeding objective – the “job description” – and uses EBVs to screen bulls that fit.
References in this context are the completeness and accuracy of the breeder’s recording program.
Breeders who collect and submit full contemporary group data, weights, scans, and fertility traits provide the equivalent of solid referees. Their commitment to thorough recording demonstrates reliability and integrity. Incomplete or patchy recording is no different to a referee who provides vague, unverified information, it weakens confidence in the CV.
When buying a bull, the most powerful “reference check” is evidence that the breeder is committed to full, transparent, and consistent data recording.
‘Interviews, temperament’
No employer hires on CV alone. A shortlist leads to interviews, which test whether a candidate’s skills, presence, and resilience genuinely fit the workplace. The same applies to bulls. Strong EBVs do not guarantee structural soundness, temperament, or freedom from defects.
Buyers must inspect legs, feet, sheath, testicles, eyes, and overall structure.
Bulls must also show the capacity to walk, forage, and serve cows across multiple seasons.
This is not about cosmetic preference – structural soundness directly affects working life, joining outcomes, and return on investment. Temperament is equally important. Just as a disruptive employee undermines team culture, an aggressive or highly reactive bull not only creates safety risks, but he also has the potential pass on poor behaviour.
A bull with poor structure or bad temperament, like an unsuitable staff member, will not last.
Even the best recruit needs time to adjust. A good induction helps a new staff member understand workplace systems, expectations, and safety requirements. This increases the likelihood of them becoming productive and staying long term.
Bulls require a similar process. After purchase, they need time to adjust to their new property, different feed types, climate, and handling routines. Biosecurity measures, vaccination checks, and a quiet settling paddock are part of this induction.
Rushing a bull straight into a joining program without acclimatisation increases stress and the risk of injury or disease. Producers who invest in careful induction not only protect their purchase but also maximise the chance that the bull will settle quickly and perform effectively.
Performance reviews
Employers generally review staff performance annually. This ensures expectations are met, highlights achievements, and identifies areas for development. Staff who do not perform are coached, retrained, or, if necessary, replaced.
Bulls deserve no less scrutiny. An annual breeding soundness exam and fertility check is the livestock equivalent of a performance review. Scrotal size, semen quality, structural soundness, and general health should be assessed before every joining season. Equally, pregnancy scanning results provide direct feedback on a bull’s effectiveness in the herd.
Producers often keep bulls too long without testing, only to discover falling conception rates. A disciplined review process identifies issues early, prevents losses, and ensures the herd is served by effective sires.
As with staff, not every bull will remain suitable for an expected working life span. It may be that replacement is sometimes the most economic decision.
The comparison between bulls and staff is more than an analogy, it highlights the discipline required in herd management. Hiring staff is a formal process involving planning, documentation, and review. Bull selection deserves the same rigour. Bulls, like staff, are essential to the business. The real issue is not whether they are needed, but the value they deliver.
A well-chosen bull, like a high-performing employee, generates returns many times greater than his initial cost. Poor recruitment decisions in either case leads to lost productivity, frustration, and costly replacements. Both require clear objectives, structured evaluation, and ongoing monitoring.
Cutting corners by skipping CV checks, interviews, or reviews consistently produces weaker outcomes.
Buying a bull is not just a one-day decision at an auction. It is a process that mirrors the structured steps of employing staff: reviewing the CV through EBVs, conducting the interview via physical inspection, inducting the bull to his new workplace, and undertaking regular performance reviews.
For producers, adopting this mindset helps ensure bulls are selected and managed with the same professionalism applied to staff. The result is greater herd productivity, stronger business outcomes, and a higher return on investment. Just as businesses succeed through recruiting and retaining the right people, breeding enterprises succeed through selecting and managing the right bulls.
Alastair Rayner
Alastair Rayner is Principal of RaynerAg and an Extension & Engagement Consultant with the Agricultural Business Research Institute (ABRI). He has over 28 years’ experience advising beef producers and graziers across Australia. Alastair can be contacted here or through his website: www.raynerag.com.au