Assessment of postoperative recovery and post-penopexy return of teaser bulls to natural mounting

Abstract

Objective: To assess the perineal penopexy surgical technique in the preparation of teaser bulls for the bovine industry. Design: To assess the technique, three 11-month-old Swiss-Zebu bovines, with an average weight of 280 kg, were subject to a surgical procedure. The assessed parameters were time of procedure, postoperative recovery (infectious processes), and return to normal mounting. Results: This study shows a total average time ―from the beginning of the procedure until the animal can stand― of 23.7 min, plus nine days of postoperative recovery, without infectious processes. Implications: During the postoperative process, the ring might be rejected, fibrous tissue might form as a reaction to the ring’s material, and the penis might be overexposed because of the ring’s diameter. Limitations: There might be limitations resulting from the surgeon’s experience regarding the location of the sigmoid flexure. Results: Using this technique contributes to the improvement of the teaser bull preparation protocols for bovine artificial insemination programs