Pasture-checking cattle during the breeding season isn’t much fun when we can’t find the bulls. So, a research team from Lakeland College investigated direct-to-satellite monitoring of cattle on pasture using GPS eartags to locate and monitor bull breeding.

Genomic tools can add value to your cow-calf breeding decisions, though genotyping has a cost. Your willingness to invest in genotyping will affect what information is available to you. However, there are ways you can apply genomic tools to add value to your herd over a range of investment levels.

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. 

Using beef semen to cross with Holsteins, Jerseys and other dairy breeds has helped change the value of each calf. Dairy producers are looking for ways to maximize this strategy and reap the financial benefits. Here are four tips to help unlock the potential of beef-on-dairy calves and secure maximum results.

What is the first word that comes to mind when you see a bull sale catalog in your mailbox? Usually, I hear responses like “profitable,” “cost-effective,” “traditional” or "necessary."

Sitting in his home office sipping a cup of coffee, Paul Larmer is seemingly common. Unbeknownst to the average person, his influence on the dairy cattle genetics sector of the industry is undeniable. It is for both his remarkable leadership and self-effacing attitude that Larmer is named this year’s World Dairy Expo International Person of the Year.

When working to maximize fertility in cattle, cows are often the focus. However, bull fertility is a crucial consideration for any beef operation.

Historically, the relative value of traits to the commercial cow-calf sector has been stated as the “10-to-2-to-1 rule of thumb,” where fertility traits are 10 times more important than carcass traits and five times more important than growth traits.

In the past 20 years, genetic potential of the cow herd and production costs have steadily increased; however, production outputs (pregnancy rates and weaning weights) have been stagnant or declined.

“Genetic improvement” is a term with far-reaching implications, uniquely and individually defined by those in the beef industry.