There is a single set of standard for breeding soundness evaluation in bulls for ali breeds and production systems, resulting in economical losses due to high frequencies of culling in bulls of some genotypes. This study presents an analysis on two sets of field data, comparing contemporary groups of bulls from taurine pure-breds and zebu crossbreeds. The results were indicative that more flexible standards could be useful, avoiding injustified culling of bulls. This fact may be justified by the absence of interaction between breed and reproductive condition. It will be importam to continue the studies on procedures and standards for breeding soundness evaluation in bulls, to reduce losses in the production systems due to peculiarities inherent to the genetic groups.
breeding soundness evaluation; bulls; breeds; critéria
