Reproductive efficiency is a major driver of dairy profitability. That’s because improved pregnancy rates allow producers to maximize the number of cows in the most profitable stage of their life cycle, as well as empower producers to make better culling and replacement decisions.

When I was a dairy herd consultant in the mid-2000s, I worked with many dairy managers who were very excited to reach a 20 percent pregnancy rate. At the time, these herds were top performers. Today, that performance level is considered average.

Paying attention to transition cow management pays obvious dividends through improved health, increased production and lower culling rates.

“Give me a bull that’s over 1,000 pounds of milk and positive for DPR.” Does this sound like you describing sire selection criteria for your dairy? If so, you are among many dairy producers who are leaving extra pounds of milk and additional pregnancies on the table.

Embryo transfer has evolved since its inception in North America in the early 1970s. Today, it is a worldwide, established industry focusing on genetic improvement, with more than 500,000 dairy and beef embryos being transferred annually. North America contributes to 46 percent of those embryo transfers.

After nearly a decade of being widely available to dairy producers, sexed semen is now commonly used across the country. What is interesting about sexed semen, however, is the various ways and reasons it is being used, and it isn’t just about making more heifers.

Pregnancy losses are extensive in lactating dairy cattle. In fact, in many cases these losses are underestimated because of the challenges that exist on-farm to accurately determine conception early after insemination.

An effective cow and heifer breeding program is key to maximizing your long-term profitability. Extended calving intervals can quickly lead to lower overall production and higher reproductive culling rates, which is why it is important to identify open cows as swiftly and accurately as possible. Adding a milk-based pregnancy test to the pregnancy checking protocol may be the tool to do just that.