Prepare for Breeding Season
A successful breeding season begins with proactive management, focusing on everything from nutrition to selecting the right genetic traits. The resources found here offer expert guidance on synchronization protocols, bull fertility and the latest reproductive technologies to help you maximize conception rates and herd productivity. By leveraging these practical insights, producers can fine-tune their programs to ensure a more uniform and profitable calf crop.
One of the questions veterinarians are helping cow-calf producers answer is whether it’s a better decision to raise their own calves or buy them.
The industry’s recent push for larger carcass weights while keeping cow costs at a minimum has brought terminal crossbreeding programs to the forefront.
The award was presented during the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Symposium in Athens, Georgia, earlier this month.
Monitoring estrus intensity in cattle helps optimize reproduction and can be done efficiently with visual estrus detection aids.
Needle size matters when using hormones during synchronization protocols for breeding cattle.
Have you wanted to have more calves born earlier in your calving season, but didn’t want to deal with the increase in labor, cost and facilities to utilize estrus synchronization and artificial insemination?
The pace of expansion of the U.S. cow inventory will be slower than past cycles including the fact that beef production takes longer than other proteins.
Turning out a subfertile bull means some cows in the herd won’t get bred or bred in a timely manner. Both problems are costly, says Chance Armstrong, DVM, Auburn University. Check out the two scenarios he outlines here.
Bulls passing all four parts of a BSE are set up for reproductive excellence. The best achieve a 60% to 65% conception rate every 21 days on healthy, cycling cows, says Dr. Chance Armstrong. Subfertile bulls are costly.
Statistically, impulse heifer breeding is about 80 percent more variable than planned heifer breeding. Therefore, impulse heifer breeding plays an important role in the dynamics of cattle cycles.
While most cows are in larger groups, bulls tend to be in small groups, resulting in more exposure to the elements. Keeping them protected from the elements is crucial.
It’s no secret that understanding the genetic value of your cattle is critical to garnering an ROI. But how can you capitalize on genetics and ensure you get an ROI from the process?