In the past, the process of acquiring a new herd bull likely included the scouring of a local newspaper, visiting a neighbor or attending a nearby auction sale. The bill of sale’s fine print may or may not have detailed the requirements and results of a semen test.

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.

If you were in need of replacements, would you be excited to buy your heifers?

“I used to raise a lot of heifers just because it was cheap to raise them and if one didn’t work out, there were others to replace her,” Souza says. “That doesn’t work anymore. You have to be very intentional with the heifers you choose to raise.”

The study will focus on cattle’s mitochondria, cell components whose biochemical activity produces most of the body’s energy for cell function. The researchers hope the project will expand the range of genetic tools used by animal breeders.

Proactively strategize with your dairy’s key stakeholders to maximize cattle marketability in case the time comes to sell the cows.

The foundations for beef cattle genomic testing began over a century ago, when forward-thinking breed associations started collecting pedigree and phenotypic data on registered animals. Breeders studied pedigrees, aspiring to create matings that would yield more valuable animals with desirable physical traits. 

Ever wondered how the bulls you work with get a genomic evaluation? It's a detailed process; learn more about it from NAAB geneticist Sophie Eaglen.

Purchasing a bull is one of the most consequential decisions a cow-calf operation can make. Bulls play an outsized role in the long-term genetic progress of our herds, especially when females are retained.