Alta claims gold medal in Holstein sire fertility Alta has set the equivalent of an Olympic record recently with the USDA release of the new Sire Conception Rate (SCR) evaluation. The SCR evaluation is a more accurate measure of an individual bull’s ability to get cows pregnant. An SCR of +1 or -1 means a bull will produce conception rates that are 1% higher or lower, respectively, than an average fertility bull.

Throughout the world, there is abundant interest in sex-sorted semen.

How much genetic improvement do you make in the absence of a pregnancy? None. How much milk will be created without a pregnancy? None. How much money will a dairy make without milk? None.

Heat detection always requires some degree of human intervention. This is because our only indication of estrus is the cow’s abnormal behavior.

Poor fertility of lactating dairy cows significantly challenges most dairy producers. In most herds conception rates of cows are at best about half that of heifers.

Researchers have provided dairy producers with tools to improve reproductive performance in their dairy herds, yet the results continue to be less than desirable. Nationally, the 21-day pregnancy rate averages 13 to 14 percent; however, some herds are far above average. What do these herds do to attain success when many herds struggle with reproduction?

What will 2016 look like for the dairy business?

A high-producing cow starts to experience an increase in body temperature at air temperatures as low as 80°F.

Genomics is creating a new buzz in the genetics industry and is getting quite a bit of press, as you may have noticed. I am convinced it is not just “techno-babble,” either. It’s a technology that promises to drive productivity and genetic improvement on progressive dairies.

The dairy industry is very dynamic and has undergone tremendous change in the last few decades.