Best Practice for Frozen Semen Handling

 Best Practice for Frozen Semen Handling. By Michael Cox. Using artificial insemination straws as part of a herd’s breeding program is a wonderful way of rapidly improving the quality and genetic merit of the herd. But the benefits of A.I. can only be achieved if the straws themselves are...

Breeding Decisions: IVF or ET?

 Breeding Decisions: IVF or ET? By Jaclyn Krymowski for American Dairymen What constitutes “elite cows” differs from herd to herd. For some it comes down to genomic merit, for some its production traits and profitability, yet others it’s all about type. Regardless of what category your...

To Freeze and to Thaw

 To Freeze and to Thaw  Handling Semen and Embryos  By Jaclyn Krymowski for American Dairymen  Semen handling is such a common routine for herdsman and A.I. technicians. As monotonous as the process can get, it is important to remember that semen handling and storage is the most basic part of the A...

The Growing World of Crossbreds

 The Growing World of Crossbreds By Jaclyn Krymowski for American Dairymen No one will deny there is a whirlwind of change coursing through the dairy industry. With it comes discussion of both old and new ideas to best move forward. One of these hot topics is crossbreeding. It’s hardly a new...

Different A.I. techniques and method for fertility

 Different A.I. techniques and method for fertility  By Jaclyn Krymowski for American Dairymen  The A.I. procedure is very standard across the dairy industry and is often the exact same protocol from farm to farm. This simple procedure hangs very heavily on both method and skill of the technician....

Identifying Reproduction Benchmarks

 Identifying Reproduction Benchmarks  By Jaclyn Krymowski for American Dairymen Among the most important assets a cow can provide to a farm is pregnancy. The value of a single pregnancy varies from farm to farm and has a host of contributing factors. It’s estimated at an average worth anywhere...

Artificial Insemination Technique

Artificial Insemination Technique Prepared by Mike O’Connor, professor of dairy science, and Jana Peters, research technician, Department of Dairy and Animal Science.Within the cattle industry there has been a shift away from hiring professional technicians to artificially breed cattle and toward artificial...

GENDER SELECTION PROVES VIABLE FOR TODAY’S DAIRY INDUSTRY

Visit many of today’s dairy farms and you’d be hard pressed to find a plethora of bulls. In fact, the sight of a bull is becoming increasingly rare as more and more farmers are turning to artificial insemination to expand their herds. And while nature has historically determined the sex of the calves, many...