A cow’s plane of health and nutrition can have a lasting and profound impact on her offspring throughout their lives, too.

Quarterly average prices in October hit a new all-time high of $2,600 per head according to estimates from the USDA.

Developing replacement heifers is one of the most expensive and complex management decisions for a cow-calf producer and also has long-term implications for profitability.

With current milk prices, dairy farmers are trying to lower costs, while optimizing their return opportunities. With the average cost of raising a dairy replacement heifer at over $2,500, according to a 2019 Cornell Cooperative Extension survey, heifer inventory management and raising the right replacements is a critical part of that plan.

While results may differ across the entire U.S. cow-calf industry, the majority of our poll respondents said they use A.I. for at least part of their herd.