Beef embryos offer value and flexible solutions for dairies seeking to add new revenue streams and diversification opportunities. But does it work as well for dairies of different sizes?

As a dairy geneticist, I am trained to preach precision breeding for high genetic gain. Therefore, mixing multiple bulls in one semen straw felt counterintuitive. But the dairy industry is not what it was 50, 30 or even 15 years ago.

It is often said that there is never just one diet that is fed to a group of dairy cows. There is the formulated diet on paper, the mixed diet in the bunk and the diet the cows eat.

When it comes to new breeding strategies in your herd, there is a lot to navigate. How does this impact replacement inventory? What are the trade-offs? Novel strategies usually have an extra cost – right? 

A look back at the original research methods used to develop today's synchronization protocols

When thinking about lactation length and milk production, one aspect to consider is maximizing the returns to your most fixed resource on the farm. Is your most fixed resource the cow or the stall she occupies?

Fifty-seven percent of IVF embryos produced in the U.S. in 2020 came from dairy cattle. Proper care throughout ovum pickup, fertilization and embryo development can ensure the success of these embryos.

"Breeding cows is a long game," says Mitch Kappelman of Meadow Brook Farms. This young Wisconsin breeder has established a name for himself as a successful young breeder; learn more about his strategies in our latest article.