A.I. & Breeding

Since its 2015 U.S. debut, A2 milk has been a hot topic among dairy producers. Now the latest A2 buzz comes from consumers, following the launch of the a2 Milk Company’s national television advertising campaign.

The summer heat is upon us, and we all know we should be cooling our cows.

Physical dehorning of dairy cattle is a standard practice to protect both human dairy workers and other animals from injury. However, it is not only costly for producers, but also painful and stressful for the animals. As a result, dehorning is currently facing increased public scrutiny as an animal welfare issue. Despite these factors, 94 percent of U.S. dairy cattle producers report routine dehorning.

I belong to an internet service called ResearchGate. ResearchGate keeps track of the research articles one has published and who is reading them. As an old school extension person, my list of peer-reviewed scientific publications is not massive, but I have been involved in several interesting research projects.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) is an aggressive reproductive tool, but how can it be practically applied to achieve goals like genetic progress and reproductive efficiency?

Should dairy producers use conventional semen, sexed semen or beef semen when breeding their heifers and cows? The simple answer is: “It depends.”