Recent scientific developments have opened up unprecedented opportunities to improve dairy cattle genetics … and production. A friend and dairy client of mine, who has a noted, high genetic merit purebred herd, excitedly told me that these advances have turned the purebred dairy cow and genetics business upside-down. And, he believes, small-farm purebred operations will be less likely to fit into the future of genetic stock for the bull stud industry.

Editor’s note: The following is an edited excerpt from Dr. Donald E. Sanders’ book “Raising Heifer Replacements – Doc’s Way,” published in 2012 by Vaca Resources. A wise client recently told me that if you are going to succeed in the dairy business, you must be 100 percent better than neighboring dairy farms – that is, 5 percent better in each of 20 different management skills.

When a dairy producer partners with a heifer grower to raise replacements for his herd, a well-written agreement is essential. For such an arrangement to work, the responsibilities of each party – the grower and the producer – must be clearly stated in the contract.

Reproductive efficiency is a major factor for profitability in dairy herds. Artificial insemination (A.I.) is the most common practice used to breed dairy cows in the United States, accounting for approximately 78 percent of all services.