As many cow herds are gearing up for breeding season, you may find yourself in a situation where you’re still waiting for late-bred females to calve.

How do you tie herd health and pregnancy determination together? Well, leave it to a reproductive physiologist to “try” and connect those seemingly independent dots. Several options exist for the producer to diagnose pregnancy.

It’s been nearly 75 years since the introduction of frozen semen for artificial insemination (A.I.) and 10 years since genomic selection. During those years, the U.S. has catapulted itself to the position of world leader in bovine genetics, which is a comfortable position to be in.

Taking steps to positively impact the dairy cow reproduction system is always a smart economic move. One of those steps is managing inflammation related to calving.

For spring-calving herds, many stressors often coincide with the breeding season, which can impact pregnancy establishment and embryo survival.

Reproductive failure in cattle can be very frustrating. Understanding some basic anatomy and principles of reproduction can help producers better communicate with their veterinarian and possibly prevent pregnancy loss.