Tight window: seasonal calving's lynch pin To take advantage of peak pasture growth, graziers must closely monitor reproductive performance. These same principles can benefit all dairy producers. Compact...
Another year has arrived in our dairy industry. What will it bring? More rain when needed? Better milk prices? Greater success in your dairy business? A new year is always a time to look back and reflect...
by Mark Hardesty, D.V.M. The author is a partner in Maria Stein Animal Clinic, Maria Stein, Ohio. Normal calving progress is just 70 minutes long. If you do need to intervene, 30 minutes of pulling is...
Heifer timed A.I. may benefit average heat detectors by Jeff Stevenson The author is a professor of animal sciences at Kansas State University, Manhattan. At the 2009 Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council...
Multiple options to consider when breeding heifers. One of your greatest assets should be your heifer population. Raising quality heifers starts with proper sire selection, good dry cow and late-gestation...
Welcome to A.I. breeding 101 - a virtual college class held here today! We have come a long way since the 1970s when fixed-time A.I. was first attempted in our industry. In those days, prostaglandin F2?...
We often think the relationship between milk production and fertility is a relatively recent concern. But, in fact, it has been debated for quite some time
The August 10 Artificial Breeding column on page 490 highlighted a new reproduction protocol sheet created by the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council. It is available on their website, www.dcrcouncil.org,...
Those who actively manage your farm's A.I. breeding program and read my column already know that reproduction is a key factor to farm profitability. You also realize that, in many cases, reproductive performance...
If you have been A.I. breeding cows for some time, you understand that many factors influence the success of each insemination, not the least of which is cleanliness of the equipment used in the process....
Probably among the best-known lines in English literature are from William Shakespeare's Hamlet's soliloquy: "To be, or not to be, that is the question." As dairy producers, you probably ask a similar...
Achieving excellent reproductive performance is a critical goal for any dairy enterprise because reproductive efficiency drives overall profitability. Although numerous factors affect reproductive performance,...
Dairy producers who achieve reasonably good pregnancy rates can always benefit from improved heat detection. Even for those who apply timed A.I. protocols to program ovulation before first or repeat inseminations...
I have had the privilege to visit a number of dairy farms during my lifetime. Without a doubt, dairy farmers are friendly and interested in learning new concepts. During my travels, I have benefitted greatly...
Ultrasynch - a simpler program to breed cows. Improved preg rates has been just one positive result of using ultrasynch, reports Dave Stanton of Saylor Dairy (left) and Stevie Braun of COBA Select Sires...
In 1989, a major breakthrough in sperm sexing was reported by USDA scientists in rabbits. Insemination of rabbit does with Y-chromosome-bearing sperm resulted in 81 percent males, whereas insemination...
Many dairy farmers turned sour on sexed semen as 2009 unfolded. The reasons were obvious: Cash flows reduced discretionary spending, and sexed semen was viewed as discretionary, $30 more a straw compared...
