June 16 2020 01:11 PM

Select Sires offers SimVitro® HerdFlex™ beef embryos.

The information below has been supplied by dairy marketers and other industry organizations. It has not been edited, verified or endorsed by Hoard’s Dairyman.

SimVitro® HerdFlex™ beef calves offer a consistent and superior genetic package

Select Sires and the J. R. Simplot Company’s Animal Sciences division have teamed up to bring a new strategic breeding concept to commercial dairy farms. Select Sires is the first and only provider of Simplot’s SimVitro® HerdFlex™-branded beef embryos. Dairy farmers now have the opportunity to sell 100% beef calves born from pregnancies not needed for replacements while advancing elite genetics within their dairy herd and appropriately managing heifer inventories.

“Beef genetics in the dairy industry have been widely adopted, and the supply of dairy-beef crossbred calves has greatly increased,” says Chris Sigurdson, general manager of Minnesota/Select Sires. “By offering Simplot’s HerdFlex™ beef embryos, a new market opportunity opens for dairy farmers.”

Beef calves with superior genetics have the potential to earn a more desirable return on investment compared to dairy-beef crossbred calves or straight dairy calves. Resulting calves from HerdFlex™ beef embryos offer additional benefits related to feeding and finishing, including:

  • A consistent, superior genetic package
  • Cost per gain advantage
  • High carcass merit and marbling
  • Availability year-round, delivering a consistent supply to the beef cattle market

HerdFlex™ beef embryos are grade 1, high-quality and commercially produced specifically for placement in dairy cows. Each mating is to a proven Select Sires beef sire to maximize the resulting embryo’s genetic potential and value for key traits such as calving ease, $Beef and ribeye area. The $Beef value index includes weaning and yearling weight, dry matter intake, as well as carcass weight, marbling, ribeye area and fat.

HerdFlex™ beef embryos are produced by Simplot, the largest beef cattle producer in the western U.S. with extensive farm and ranch holdings, including feedlots. Simplot has invested decades of research and improvement to make commercial application of IVF embryos feasible for customers.

“Our team’s deep knowledge of IVF technology paired with a history of innovation in commercial agriculture is a great fit for this partnership,” said Brady Hicks, manager of Simplot Animal Sciences. “Together with the local Select Sires team, we’ll help dairy farms expand opportunities for their businesses and livelihoods.”

Select Sires cooperatives offering HerdFlex™ beef embryos include CentralStar, COBA/Select Sires, Minnesota/Select Sires, Premier Select Sires and Select Sires MidAmerica. Talk with your local Select Sires team member about how HerdFlex™ beef embryos fit into your breeding program.

Select Sires Inc. (www.selectsires.com) is the largest global A.I. cooperative and is comprised of six farmer-owned and -controlled local organizations in the United States. As the industry leader, it provides highly fertile semen, as well as excellence in service and programs to supply dairy and beef producers with the world’s best genetics.

SimVitro® HerdFlex™ embryos are backed by the trusted Simplot brand. The J.R. Simplot Company, a privately held agribusiness firm headquartered in Boise, Idaho, has an integrated portfolio that includes phosphate mining, fertilizer manufacturing, farming, ranching and cattle production, food processing, food brands, and other enterprises related to agriculture. Simplot’s major operations are located in the U.S., Canada, Mexico, Australia, South America and China, with products marketed in more than 60 countries worldwide. For more information, visit simplot.com.