Do 700-pound calves make you more money than say, 400-pound calves? After all, we know only one of these weights will get you bragging rights at the coffee shop.

In February, I discussed the benefits of maintaining a controlled calving season to produce an older, heavier and more uniform calf crop, reduce the risk of disease spreading among calves, simplify cow herd vaccination schedules and nutritional programs, and streamline more scheduled labor needs.

It is challenging, if not impossible, to have a profit-motivated cattle operation without using “modern” genetic selection tools. Admittedly, condensing data into information from which informed decisions can be made deserves more attention to enable cattle producers to better utilize proven technology.

Success rates with artificial insemination (A.I.) are affected by many different things. Condition of the cattle, plane of nutrition, number of days postpartum for lactating cows, heat detection, semen handling and technician skill level are all important factors.