While many spring-calving suckler herds will not require stock bulls until May at the earliest, it’s good to start looking in time and bring yourself up to speed with breeding at upcoming pedigree sales and it will also guide you on how much you will need to spend to secure a good bull. While BDGP has made farmers more aware of figures, you still shouldn’t stray from the core principles of buying a good animal. Ask yourself some key questions. Is he good on his feet? Is he over-conditioned? What is testicle size like? Is he fertility tested?