Allison Hahn

Breeding cattle via artificial insemination (AI) by pairing visual estrus detection aids and timed AI protocols is a win-win.  Using artificial insemination (AI) with a cattle herd doesn’t require as much time or labor as you might think. With the…

Breeding with sexed semen can help your bottom line by creating cattle the market demands.

Aaron & Sarah Schmitz Red Line Ridge Holsteins and Jerseys | Ontario, WI | 40 cows

That’s Farming editor, Catherina Cunnane, in conversation with Lorna Burdge, in a recent dairy farming segment.

Rapid genetic progress in the dairy industry ties to profitability, and profitability is often determined by longevity. A dairy heifer doesn’t pay for herself until the second lactation. So how does one ensure she stays in the herd through her second lactation and longer? Ensure she’ll become pregnant.

The high cost of bulls, strong cattle prices and good seasonal conditions are driving an increase in the uptake of Artificial Insemination in commercial beef herds.

For folks who are used to heat detection or who have never used AI before, the idea of timed AI can be a little scary. I know of more than one producer who calls it “poke and hope.” Of course, the physiology of timed AI and estrus synchronization is quite a bit more sophisticated than that.

Sexed or gender sorted semen has now been commercially available for beef and dairy cattle in the US for several years.

Advancements in artificial insemination (A.I.) for beef cattle have come a long way in the past few decades. One reproductive technology with the potential to improve management and bottom lines even further for producers is sexed semen.

From a year working on a farm, Chris progressed to four years as a manager and then as a couple with two young kids they took on a lower-order sharemilking contract for four years, followed by seven years in a 50:50 contract.