The genetic direction of your herd is one of the most powerful management decisions you make. As genetics improve, the performance of your herd improves as well.

A productive cow can only have one calf per year. For generations, that biological limit has defined how fast beef producers can make genetic progress in their herds. No matter how elite a female is, her influence on a herd is constrained by time.

Research and breeding experience show that estrus expression is not exactly a yes-or-no trait. Rather, estrus exists on a spectrum, and where a female falls within that range can have a significant impact on reproductive success.

Estrus synchronization is a powerful tool to help tighten calving windows, incorporate superior genetics and improve long-term herd efficiency. But even with the right protocol, results can fall short if the fundamentals aren’t in place.

Collecting a genomic sample is as easy as tagging a calf. To help ensure actionable results, let’s review key genomic sample collection best practices for a clear path to progress cattle herd goals forward – beginning with why genomics matters, when to collect samples and how to take samples correctly to keep herd improvement goals moving forward.

As the industry works to build back the cow herd after reaching historic low numbers, quality genetics will remain key to continue progressing herds, and the industry, forward.

It’s fair to say embryo transfer (ET) isn’t a common practice for most U.S. beef herds. Current data indicate that less than 5% of cow-calf operations have adopted ET technology.

Doyle Sanders didn’t go to Turkey in 2016 with cattle on his mind. Well, that’s probably not entirely true; Sanders – who owns Dbl D Bar Ranch in central Texas and is a tireless advocate for the Beefmaster breed – is likely to have bovine on the brain at any given point in time.

According to the January 2025 USDA's National Agricultural Statistics Service Cattle report, the U.S. cattle herd is at its lowest point since the early 1960s.