A.I. & Breeding

The genetics of feed efficiency was the central focus of the 2020 Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) industry meeting held via Zoom on Nov. 2. One of the latest Holstein genetic traits to be released with Dec. 1 evaluations is Feed Saved, which will aid in breeding more feed-efficient cows.

The use of beef sires on dairy cows and right-sizing heifer inventories have been some of the most sweeping changes on dairy farms in recent years.

The journey a unit of semen takes from arrival at the farm until placement in a cow is very important. Maintaining maximum fertility weighs heavily on the care and handling it receives from all members of the management team.

As an industry, we talk a lot about certain cows or groups of cows being “hard breeders.” Yet rarely do we talk about the fact that, often, human decisions are the reason cows aren’t able to become pregnant efficiently, not necessarily the A.I. program.

As dairy producers seek new and additional strategies to improve production efficiency, feed costs are a clear focus, with feed averaging 51% of total dairy farm expenses (USDA Economic Research Services, 2018).

“Pregnant.”

Hearing that word during herd check is music to every dairy farmer’s ears.