A.I. & Breeding

The use of beef semen in dairy cows over the past three years has simply been amazing. A recent National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) report on semen usage indicated that nearly 7 million units of beef semen were used with dairy cows in 2020.

A successful reproductive performance is fundamental to keep a dairy farm profitable. But how exactly can we measure repro success? Basically, this is measured by how fast we can turn nonpregnant cows into pregnant cows. The primary metric used to do this is by calculating the 21-day pregnancy rate (PR), which is defined by the total number of pregnant animals divided by the total number of eligible cows during a given time frame.

No dairy producer has the exact same set of tools on their farm. A few core items might be similar, but every producer’s toolbox is going to look different. The same goes for a reproduction program.

When an IVF program is established, the first focus goes to donors – elite female genetics that will elevate the entire herd. Clear decisions are made about how those donors will be managed, fed, stimulated, collected and monitored.

Heifer Livability: The new trait was released in December, but 99% of the attention went to the simultaneously released Feed Saved trait. Of course, we have been getting used to Cow Livability for a while, but it is still worthwhile to reflect on Heifer Livability for several reasons.

With lots of prayers and strategizing, the de Graaf family took a leap of faith in 1995.