Imagine yourself on the Autobahn. There is no speed limit, so you can drive as fast as you desire. What car would you want to drive? Would you feel comfortable driving your current car at max speed?

Technology has changed how the herd is managed and decisions are made at Reuter Dairy in Peosta, Iowa, where Dan Reuter and his father, Rick, milk 900 cows with a 32,000-pound average and a somatic cell count (SCC) averaging 80,000 over the last 10 years.

That semen tank sitting in the corner of the barn office or vet room generally goes unnoticed except for the times you are pulling out a dose of semen from one of your favorite sires.

Over the last decade, we have seen significant changes in the dairy industry, including the adaptation of new technologies and management of reproduction and genetics:

Editor’s note: This is the second in a series of Dairy Financial Driver Profitability Quick Tips. Information is based on work by Zoetis and Compeer Financial to analyze 11 years of herd data from 489 year-end financial and production record summaries to identify key drivers of net farm income. Quicker pregnancies are essential to keep milk flowing and the next generation of herd replacements growing.

Operations need ongoing, strategic production plans focused toward impactful areas to the business. Long-term profit revolves around every single business unit having production plan alignment and consistent efficiency. A single business unit, in our industry, is an individual cow.

More than 1,800 dairy scientists from 48 countries came together to discuss innovative dairy research at the June 2018 American Dairy Science Association (ADSA) annual meeting in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Twinning rates are on the rise for high-production cows, and you don’t have to look hard or long to see that is bad news, says Paul Fricke, professor of dairy science at the University of Wisconsin.

Reproductive efficiency still matters, even when dollars are tight What happens when things start to get tight financially? Most of us would make a list of expenditures and prioritize what to cut back on or cut completely out.

In vitro fertilization (IVF) – it isn’t just for registered cattle breeders anymore. A useful biotechnology tool, IVF can be incorporated into any dairy system. However, the dairy’s management team must be committed to the long-term investment, selection criteria and IVF protocols.