Some 400 attendees from across North America gathered in Loveland, Colorado, to hear the latest in beef cattle research from some of the industry’s leading experts from government, academia and industry.

“Genetic improvement” is a term with far-reaching implications, uniquely and individually defined by those in the beef industry.

“I used to raise a lot of heifers just because it was cheap to raise them and if one didn’t work out, there were others to replace her,” Souza says. “That doesn’t work anymore. You have to be very intentional with the heifers you choose to raise.”

Regardless of your type of plan, why do we wait for pregnancy check day to evaluate reproductive data?

While choosing replacement females may seem like a singular task, you know that months and years of strategic planning lead up to the moment. Every replacement heifer is evidence of the work that’s been done and is the foundation of future herd performance and profitability.

Over the past two to three years, the heart of cattle country experienced extreme drought conditions. Many producers have faced difficult decisions concerning their cow herd health and maintenance on top of the financial pressure of managing through a difficult weather event.

This spring season has seen colder-than-normal temperatures in many parts of the country. Cold temperatures and wind can result in damage to bulls’ ability to produce viable semen. Bull breeding soundness exams offer the opportunity to identify and remove bulls from the breeding herd that have a low probability of siring calves.

As with everything in the beef industry, there is no magical potion or protocol that will guarantee achieving maximum success with an A.I. program in all management scenarios.

Reproductive success is more than just maintaining a good protocol and catching heats. At Horning Farms LLC of Manchester, Michigan, diet, environment and an activity monitoring system contribute to a 48% conception rate.