The most important job of any female on a beef cattle operation is to reproduce. Fertility plays a huge role in determining whether a female will stay on the ranch or head to the sale barn. Of course, there are several key factors that determine reproductive performance in females, and George Perry discussed these factors at the Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle Workshop at the 2010 Cattle Industry Annual Convention in San Antonio, TX on Jan. 29, 2010. As promised, I will continue to share the information I gather while on my travels; read on for Perry's conclusions on factors influencing fertility in synchronized breeding programs.
Perry shared some of the research studies conducted by him and his colleagues at South Dakota State University (SDSU). His findings indicate several key considerations for producers to keep in mind when planning synchronized breeding programs, either by artificial insemination or natural service.
According to Perry, there is an equation that influences fertility in females. This four-part equation includes:
1) Animals detected in estrus and inseminated
2) Insemination efficiency
3) Fertility level of the herd
4) Semen fertility level
When considering these four elements, Perry noted that all are equally important in getting females bred. Listen to a portion of his speech below:
Hey, readers! What's going on in your neck of the woods? Are you in the midst of calving? Are you feeding steers? Are you fighting to get through the tough winter months? Leave me an update in the comments section below! Thanks for the conversation.
BEEF Daily Quick Fact: In 2009, cattle became the first livestock animal to have its genome mapped. (Source: Wikipedia "Cattle Breeding")
