Taurus Service has recently completed a remodeling and building project at its Mehoopany, Pennsylvania, facilities. The company we recently moved a group of bulls into the 40th Anniversary Barn. Earlier this year, Taurus welcomed EU veterinary officials from Brussels along with U.S. federal veterinarians in their effort to standardize bull stud housing and procedures for EU-qualified A.I. centers in the U.S. A change mandated was that if Taurus was to continue using outside runs for bull housing or exercise, the area had to be concreted so it could be effectively disinfected. Therefore Taurus elected to reduce the 30- by 120-foot outside runs to approximately 30- by 30-foot outside runs and concrete this area. The end result is that Taurus will continue to have outside runs adjoining some bull pens so pens can be alternated to allow bulls to have outside access to sun and exercise.
The veterinary officials also suggested Taurus reverse barns previously used for isolation with an “overflow” barn. The existing isolation barn was incorporated into the EU qualified stud and Barn #3 was remodeled to expand the isolation facilities.
The new 40th Anniversary Barn is an addition on to the barn that previously served as an isolation facility for EU bulls and an area for hay and sawdust storage. The extension of 122 feet can now house 21 more bulls and keep the current three steers that are teasers.
The Taurus Mehoopany bull stud operates as an EU facility so all bulls entering the barn through the Taurus isolation are qualified for semen production to export to Europe or anywhere in the world including China, which requires an individual inspection and approval by Chinese veterinary officials. Taurus can now accommodate up to 84 bulls plus several teaser animals at the main stud. This is a 55 percent increase in bulls housing capacity. Currently there are 57 bulls plus teasers at this location.
In addition to housing bulls at Taurus Service in Mehoopany, some “in-waiting” bulls are housed on farms, plus others are housed at custom collection and production facilities in New York, Iowa, Idaho, California, and at Foundation Genetics Services in Canada. PD
—From Taurus Service letter to media
PHOTOS:
TOP: The new 40th Anniversary Barn at Taurus Service in Mehoopany can house 21 more bulls and three teaser steers.
BOTTOM: Dick Witter, president and CEO of Taurus Service, is pictured with his son, John, who is the Taurus operations/distributions manager.
Photos courtesy of Taurus Service.
