If your herd looks the same year after year, your genetics – and your profitability – are standing still. In today’s dairy landscape, standing still isn’t neutral. It’s falling behind. Reproductive strategy in dairies is no longer just about pregnancy rates; it’s about compounding progress across generations.

Ohio native Skylar Gericke quickly learned how brutal Arizona summers can be on conception rates and getting cows pregnant. He did his best to get cows bred, and when he was done for the day, he started noticing other improvement areas on the dairy.

Reproductive technologies such as estrus synchronization, artificial insemination and embryo transfer have significantly improved genetic progress in beef cattle. Yet, one major biological limitation continues to constrain reproductive efficiency across operations: early embryonic mortality.

Supplementing the cow herd with organic trace minerals improves ovarian activity, increases conception rates and helps cattle breed back sooner. Calves from supplemented cows are also in better health and immune status.

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

Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) brought producers, academia and industry experts together for discussions, presentations and panels Nov. 12-14 at the 2024 annual meeting in Arlington, Texas. 

Dairies that rely on embryo transfer often achieve success rates similar to artificial insemination (A.I.). Plus, in times of heat stress, pregnancies resulting from embryo transfer may exceed those of A.I., with some dairies reporting pregnancy rates as much as 10 or more percentage points higher for embryos. Yet, positive outcomes are not possible without a commitment to quality ­­– of embryos and transfer techniques.

Early summer generally provides the highest-quality forage of the production cycle. Producers frequently assume most nutrient requirements are met, yet many nutritional and metabolic details are overlooked.

Sire overconditioning is a prevalent issue in the beef industry. While “fat sells” when it comes to selling bulls, research has shown that excessive conditioning can negatively affect semen quality.