Today, there are many tools a dairy producer can use to influence the rate of genetic change and have lasting effects on the performance of their herd. Over the last decade, the use of assisted reproductive technologies (ART) has steadily increased.

With no let-up in the need to cultivate profitability, dairies constantly seek ways to manage expenses while increasing income opportunities.

On average, only 36 percent of calf raisers in the U.S. weigh calves to determine rate of gain. Since rate of gain can provide valuable insight into how well your calf program is working, many dairy producers and calf raisers are missing a valuable opportunity.

Feeding practices affect the performance of the dairy heifer and the time necessary for the animal to be bred and to attain an optimal size, age and mammary development. It is extremely important that dairy producers realize the impact feeding practices and type of diet will have on the replacement animals, which are usually fed low-quality ingredients in order to reduce rearing costs.

When I was young, back in the time of the dinosaurs, we had this saying: “You can’t get a million-dollar answer to a 10-cent prayer.” That is so true, but what is a million-dollar prayer, and how do I know when I get the answer? Last article, I talked about prayer as a conversation with God.

Whenever I am around a group of high school-aged boys, eventually the subject of pickup trucks seems to arise. Which one is best? Whose is the stoutest? Which one do I prefer?

What was the first thing the farmer did with his lottery winnings?Farm until it was gone. If I had a dollar for every time I heard that joke, I could buy a pocketful of lottery tickets myself.

A couple of months ago, I had an amazing opportunity. On a beautiful February morning I got up early and headed to Ford Field. For those of you unfamiliar with what Ford Field is, it is where the Detroit Lions play. What was unique about this event is: It was a dairy event. I was attending the Fuel Up To Play 60 Rally for School Health.

Last week, I opened the mailbox to find an entire envelope of coupons, just for me. Apparently, these select merchandisers were giving discounts to their favorite customers. I opened the coupons as fast as I could while thinking, “Finally, all my years of loyalty to Corn Flakes, Old Spice and Fruit-of-the-Loom were being recognized!”

Selection used to be entirely phenotypic. Everybody was an expert in structural evaluation and based decisions off what was seen by the naked eye. Then came the performance movement of the 1960s and ’70s, and the industry shifted to modern evaluation systems and selection tools such as expected progeny differences (EPDs) as a large part of their selection.