Genetic causes of bull infertility.

Infertility and anatomic defects unique to breeding bulls can be influenced by genetics. Veterinarians and animal breeders need to report disorders that may be inherited to a central recording agent, usually the breed association or a veterinary specialist interested in characterizing the disease. Occurrence of these defects is rare, and a large population of animals should be studied to recognize patterns of inheritance early. Numbers of affected animals in a given practice area are often limited, leading to an underestimation of the condition's importance. Genetic defects occur regularly at low frequencies. New syndromes continually arise and most are silently eliminated. Cooperation between cattle breeders, veterinarians, breed associations, and the scientific community is essential in controlling these diseases.