Some 400 attendees from across North America gathered in Loveland, Colorado, to hear the latest in beef cattle research from some of the industry’s leading experts from government, academia and industry.

“Genetic improvement” is a term with far-reaching implications, uniquely and individually defined by those in the beef industry.

High weaning weights, a uniform calf crop and a high calf crop percentage are every cow-calf producer’s goal to obtain the highest profit margin. Genetics combined with management is integral to achieving these goals.

Assisted reproductive techniques have revolutionized the field of animal breeding, as these techniques allow practitioners and scientists the ability to perpetuate the genetics of superior animals; cryopreserve genetic materials such as embryos, oocytes and sperm; allow shipping and transport of genetic material globally; enable selection and control of the sex ratio; and facilitate cloning and stem cell research.

For over a century, Wendt Ranches has been battling the elements to raise high-quality, yet hardy, cattle to fit the highly specific needs of the coastal rancher.

“Male sexed semen is an opportunity to capture value,” said Kansas State University's Ken Odde, who also helps manage a family cow-calf ranch in South Dakota. “The opportunity’s greater when the price spread between steers and heifers is significant.”

In recent years, the dairy industry has witnessed a significant rise in the number of beef cross calves being born. This emerging trend of crossbreeding dairy cows with beef bulls at a large scale has not been a linear process.

The usual suspects (expected progeny differences [EPDs], genomic testing, heterosis) were covered, as were some issues (beef-on-dairy, methane emissions, cardiac health) that may have been a bit more of a surprise to the uninitiated at an event ostensibly dedicated to beef cattle genetics.

Breeding Simmental and SimAngus cattle is the passion for Stephens Beef Cattle, a family-owned operation located in Ewing, Kentucky. The business was started in 1997 by Jeff and Angie Stephens, and their two children and son-in-law now partake in daily operations.