Breed for fertility, feed for fertility, manage for fertility – this phrase encapsulates the approach Siebren Jacobi has taken to capture greater herd performance and profitability at Rocking S Dairy in Modesto, California.

Crossbreeding to beef sires is a powerful management tool at the dairy farmer's disposal using superior sexed dairy semen for heifers and beef semen for cows. This combination can significantly impact a herd's genetics and overall net return.

A goal to get an extra lactation out of their cows improved more than herd longevity at Doll’s Dairy Inc. in Pocahontas, Illinois. It also provided additional opportunities to diversify the farm’s revenue streams, including selling beef-on-dairy calves and excess heifer calves.

Determining the prevalence of the early onset muscle weakness syndrome in your herd can aid in management decisions and avoid costly matings.

While it’s known that improving a cow’s genetics can improve animal productivity, recent research shows that rumen genetics can be a more effective predictor of cow traits, including health and productivity. Cornell Kasbergen of Rancho Teresita Dairy and Brooke Anderson of Native Microbials discuss how feeding native rumen microbes are impacting a commercial dairy herd.

In this episode, host Kimmi Devaney and Illinois dairy producer Lorilee Schultz from Mil-R-Mor Farm discuss leadership, genetics, advocacy, opportunities for women in dairy and much more.

The 2023 Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) annual meeting had an agenda packed with presentations discussing reproductive health, new approaches to management, beef-on-dairy markets, fertility, and calfhood health effects on reproductive performance that kept the more than 200 attendees busy over the three-day event.

Farmers can capitalize on several potential benefits by strategically integrating beef embryos into dairy herds through IVF, with increased revenue at the core.

“No animal is perfect; every animal has multiple genetic defects in it. So do we, all of us have them,” Matt McClure of ABS Global stated during the Undesirable Genetic Factors and Genomics’ Role in Discovery panel discussion, held during the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) annual meeting.