Efficient. Sustainable. Profitable. Productive. Economical. They feel like buzzwords, yet they’ve maintained their lofty position in the cattle industry zeitgeist for long enough now that it’s impossible to shy away from the inevitability – and even merit – of defining and reaching for such ideals.

Every cow you create might not be right for your market. To withstand market ebbs and flows, you need to create cows that meet the needs of your operation.

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.

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.

Genomics has become one of the most powerful tools in the cattle industry over the last decade, but the technology is often misunderstood. The goal here is to help dispel some myths and confusion around the use of genomics.

The truth is simple. Genomic prediction works. However, it is not a magic bean.

Historically, the relative value of traits to the commercial cow-calf sector has been stated as the “10-to-2-to-1 rule of thumb,” where fertility traits are 10 times more important than carcass traits and five times more important than growth traits.

In the past, the process of acquiring a new herd bull likely included the scouring of a local newspaper, visiting a neighbor or attending a nearby auction sale. The bill of sale’s fine print may or may not have detailed the requirements and results of a semen test.