When doing anything to scale, it is key to look for critical points where efficiencies can be maximized to ensure the most value for your dollar.

Many of us in the dairy industry are thinking about the same thing these days: How do we make the right number of heifers for our operation and create the most value from the rest of our calf crop? Clearly, the market is signaling that we need to stop trying to make as many heifers as we can and change our strategy on types of pregnancies we are creating.

Advanced reproductive technologies such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) offer significant opportunities for genetic advancement in your dairy operation, but if you’re like most commercial producers, you have one burning question: “What is the economic return?”

Whether you concentrate on developing elite genetics or producing milk for the market, genomic data can be a valuable tool in achieving your goals. In this article, we will examine testing options and how both breeding herds and commercial herds might use those options differently.

Producers and industry personnel gathered May 14 in Tulare, California, and May 15 in Bakersfield, California, to discuss important factors contributing to genomic testing.