Reproduction

What was once a cost-prohibitive and unprecedented management practice for beef producers has become more attainable in recent years. Assisted reproductive technologies, specifically in vitro fertilization (IVF) and embryo transfer (ET), have become stronger options to use alongside live cover.

Herd management decisions can have a heavy impact on the success of fixed-time A.I. and estrous synchronization techniques.

Commercial cattle producers may jump into the seedstock business because the notion of selling a bull or heifer for big bucks is appealing.

Developing replacement heifers is one of the most expensive aspects of a cow-calf operation. Eliminating heifers that may not be successful cows early in the development process reduces costs.

Understanding reproductive efficiency can sometimes be confusing. Does it mean getting the most cows pregnant in a single breeding season with little cost or fewer bulls? How does one quantify reproductive efficiency?

The 2-year-old year is the toughest time of a cow’s life. It’s nursing its first calf, still growing and needs enough nutrition and body condition to cycle on schedule after calving.