A.I. & Breeding

Think about the healthiest cows in your herd. What defines them as your healthiest? Is it their older age? Is it the fact they’ve never had mastitis?

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of Dairy Financial Driver Profitability Quick Tips. Information is based on work by Zoetis and Compeer Financial to analyze 11 years of herd data from 489 year-end financial and production record summaries to identify key drivers of net farm income.

Quicker pregnancies are essential to keep milk flowing and the next generation of herd replacements growing.

As more robotic barns appear across the industry, the demand for cows and heifers that have been bred for an automated milking environment is on the rise, with some breeders receiving a premium when selling heifers and cows that were bred for a robotic operation.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) – it isn’t just for registered cattle breeders anymore. A useful biotechnology tool, IVF can be incorporated into any dairy system. However, the dairy’s management team must be committed to the long-term investment, selection criteria and IVF protocols.

Reproductive efficiency still matters, even when dollars are tight

What happens when things start to get tight financially? Most of us would make a list of expenditures and prioritize what to cut back on or cut completely out.

Twinning rates are on the rise for high-production cows, and you don’t have to look hard or long to see that is bad news, says Paul Fricke, professor of dairy science at the University of Wisconsin.