A new product unveiled in Hanmer last week will make bulls less aggressive and destructive, according to The Vet Centre's Pete Anderson. BOPRIVA, a vaccine which reduces testosterone in bulls for about three months, was released last Thursday after trials throughout NZreports The Marlborough Express. Mr Anderson said one property in Marlborough had experimented with the product early last year with good results. "Everyone who we've talked to has been really excited," he said. The vaccine temporarily knocked out a pituitary hormone that stimulated testosterone production, he said. It was developed because farmers and vets needed a way to calm bulls down. "They're aggressive, they fight, scrap and wreck things," Mr Anderson said. Once vaccinated bulls were like running cows, which meant they were less intensive to farm and could be kept in large herds, he said. The product, which cost about $10 per animal, had no impact on growth rates and there was no withholding period after use.
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