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Farmers are being warned that only a vet can provide a fertility test breeding certificate that has a legal standing in a court of law.
“The veterinary practice act is quite clear, that the diagnosis of health or disease in an animal is an act of veterinary practice, and bull fertility testing would come under this remit,” Peadar Ó Scanaill, president of the Veterinary Council of Ireland (VCI), said.
It is common procedure for many farmers to request a fertility test when buying a pedigree bull, but according to the VCI, many farmers are unaware that only a vet can undertake a fertility test that has a legal standing.
A sub-fertile bull can have a devastating impact on a breeding season, and unless a fertility test is undertaken by a vet, a seller is open to legal action if a bull has fertility issues.
Pedigree bulls can represent a significant investment for farmers, with a Charolais premier sale seeing prices reach €11,500 last month.
As the pedigree bull buying season gains momentum, the VCI wants to stress the importance of ensuring that fertility tests are only undertaken by vets.
“On the pre-purchase examination that you would get at a horse auction house, it would only ever be a vet who would undertake. This also needs to be the case in bull breeding circles,” Ó Scanaill said.
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