Pregnancy loss is one of the most frustrating and costly reproductive challenges in beef cattle production. Even with good nutrition, thoughtful bull selection and sound management, we still deal with open cows, early embryonic loss and the occasional unexplained abortion.

Addressing factors contributing to pregnancy loss, such as stress, nutrition and herd health, can create the best opportunity for pregnancy survival.

Early summer generally provides the highest-quality forage of the production cycle. Producers frequently assume most nutrient requirements are met, yet many nutritional and metabolic details are overlooked.

For almost 100 years, cattle producers in the West experienced an awful phenomenon: large numbers of strange, late-term abortions in otherwise healthy cattle. What caused these abortions, and what can producers do to avoid this loss?

Early embryonic loss is defined as a loss within the first 42 days of pregnancy and has been reported to impact between 20% and 40% of pregnancies in beef cattle.

Undesirable genetic traits causing fetal abnormalities have occurred throughout the evolution of livestock selection. There are more than 20 genetic traits cattle breeders monitor in the A.I. industry.