ACCESSING ELITE GENETICS
Building a successful breeding program with A.I. from Biozyme, Inc.
Artificial insemination (A.I.) is not a new technology for those in the cattle business. In fact, the first dairy cows in the United States were bred via A.I. in the 1930s, and advancements in the genetic technology have been made every decade since then. A.I. is a great tool to advance the genetic merit of your herd, while shortening your calving window and therefore, reducing labor costs on your operation during and post-calving.
Sire Selection 101
Perhaps the greatest advantage of using A.I., is the chance to use multiple sires without buying multiple bulls. Instead of spending $5,000 or more on one bull that will only cover a handful of cows, you can spend $15 to $50 on a straw of semen on a bull that will add the genetic merit that you are looking for to a particular cow or heifer. Bulls can be sorted and evaluated on their expected progeny differences (EPDs), indexes and accuracies from everything including calving ease and maternal traits to growth, feed conversion and carcass traits. Actual data like birth, weaning and yearling weights should also be reviewed depending on the specific goals of your operation. If you are breeding a group of heifers that will be calving for the first time, choose low birth weight bulls that excel in calving ease. “A.I. allows you to bring a lot of different and new bloodlines in, rather than if you ran just four or five bulls. With A.I., we’re able to bring in 10, 15, 20 different sire groups. So, from an A.I. perspective, it gives you more sire potential and more marketing potential,” said thirdgeneration Angus breeder Britney Creamer, Lazy JB Angus, Montrose, Colo. In addition to looking at the genetic potential of a bull by evaluating his numbers, you should also get a look at the
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bull himself or his calves. Is the bull structurally sound on his feet and legs? Does he take a long, easy stride on a big foot? And is he heavily muscled? Phenotypic design is still a very important indicator of how the calves will look. If you can’t physically see the bull, look for calves sired by him, or ask others who you trust who might have seen him or his calves for their input. Once you have found the bulls you want to mate your females to, contact your local semen sales representative to order and purchase semen in time for your breeding dates. Be sure they have the semen available or can have it to you when you need it. And feel free to ask them questions about particular bulls. Some of these bull stud representatives spend a lot of time looking at calves and examining the bulls they represent. They might be able to suggest a bull for you.
Preparing your Cows
Getting your cows prepared for A.I. is not much different than preparing them for natural service. You’ll want to make sure they are on a good plane of nutrition, at an ideal body condition score (BCS) between 5 and 6 and have cycled at least once since their last calf was born. Also be sure to give any vaccinations at least 21 days prior to their breeding date. One of the ways that Lazy JB Angus makes sure their cow herd is in top reproductive shape is using the VitaFerm® Concept•Aid® mineral. VitaFerm Concept•Aid is a vitamin and mineral supplement for beef cattle specifically designed for reproductive success when fed 60 days pre-calving through 60 days post-breeding. The ...CONTINUED ON PAGE 44
