Worth the Hassle
Heat synchronization, timed AI and strict culling criteria add $50,000 in value.
BILOXI, Miss. (June 9, 2015) — A small percentage of American producers utilize artificial insemination (AI) in their herds, with most American producers relying on natural breeding. During the 2015 Beef Improvement Federation (BIF) Annual Convention in Biloxi, Miss., Cliff Lamb, University of Florida Research Foundation professor, weighed the hassles most often cited as reasons for not AIing against the economic opportunity it offers.
Cliff Lamb, University of Florida Research Foundation professor, weighed the hassles most often cited as reasons for not AIing against the economic opportunity it offers.
When Lamb began at the North Florida Research and Education Center (NFREC), he set up a very strict set of criteria for the females on the ranch. To stay in the herd, cows had to calve by 24 months of age, calve every 365 days with no assistance, provide enough resources for her calf to reach its genetic potential, maintain body condition score and not be crazy.
In five years, he was able to convert the ranch from a 120-day breeding season to a 70-day breeding season using AI, estrus synchronization and a strict culling rule eliminating all heifers that became pregnant after the first 25 days of the breeding season.
“The other thing that I had to overcome when I first moved to the North Florida Research and Education Center was this mentality that it is too difficult to artificially inseminate cows,” Lamb said. “It is a hassle, and there are hassle factors.”
Complicated protocols, sire selection, reliable facilities, labor for AI and product administration, and time are all hassle factors used as excuses to not utilize AI and estrus synchronization, Lamb says. However, after implementing timed-AI protocols consistently for five years, the herd at the NFREC experienced an increase in herd value of $50,000.
Lamb attributed this success to managing the cattle operation in a real-world manner and pushing their cattle based solely on pregnancy.
“Pregnancy has four times greater economic impact than any other production trait,” Lamb says. “Ultimately, when it comes to a beef cattle operation, isn’t pregnancy the number one trait that we should be worrying about? … If a cow does not become pregnant, she cannot calve and she won’t be able to generate any income for the operation.”
The 2015 BIF Annual Convention was hosted by Mississippi State University and the Mississippi Extension Service June 9-12 at the Beau Rivage Casino and Hotel in Biloxi. The Angus Journal and LiveAuctions.tv provide comprehensive online coverage of the event at www.BIFconference.com. Visit the Newsroom for summaries, proceedings, PowerPoints and audio of the sessions; the Awards page for announcements of award winners; and the Photos page for photo galleries of the tour stops.
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