Driven, hard-working and passionate about the dairy industry. These attributes describe many involved with dairy cattle, and siblings Logan and Lauren Silveira are no exception. The duo have made their splash in the dairy world and are here to stay.

One hundred miles north of Los Angeles, almond trees bloom, the sun shines and a Holstein cow leisurely walks back to her dry lot pen after her second of three milkings. She’s a member of Vanden Berge Dairy’s herd of Holsteins and is a product of an impressive genetic strategy.

Enrolling heifers in an IVF program is extremely advantageous for genetic advancement in any operation. Even small numbers of viable pregnancies from a prepubertal heifer can give a producer the competitive genetic edge that every dairy farmer is aiming to achieve. 

A goal to get an extra lactation out of their cows improved more than herd longevity at Doll’s Dairy Inc. in Pocahontas, Illinois. It also provided additional opportunities to diversify the farm’s revenue streams, including selling beef-on-dairy calves and excess heifer calves.

Genetics play a larger role in calf performance than whether calves are raised in a traditional beef system or within a dairy system.

Advanced reproductive technologies are exciting and effective, making it easy to jump right in when there are elite genetics that you want to replicate quickly. However, it’s important to pause and understand how to create success from start to finish.

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.

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.

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.

Throughout her youth, Melissa Haag, DVM, was active in 4-H and was on a career path to study equine genetics.