July / August 2013
from
Livestock, pg. 15
of these cattle to help farmers chose what cattle is the best for breeding. The higher the beef quality measurement numbers are, the easier it is to get offspring, Dunkelberger said. There are many genetic qualities that go into producing a quality cow. By buying cattle with good measurements, the better chance there is for a calf with good genetics, because the bull with good measurements already has good genetics. “[I am] buying on their genetics,” he said. The males’ sperm that Dunkelberger, or any farmer for that matter, uses, can essentially last forever. Even when the bull that produced the sperm has died, farmers can still order the sperm because
17
it has been cloned and frozen. The sperm can virtually live forever. The cattle sperm, once ordered, comes frozen in a test tube and usually comes with a back-up, just in case the female cattle does not ovulate in time to become pregnant. The breeding process is very challenging because there is a 12-hour period of when the sperm can take after the female has ovulated. Dunkelberger said that he has to ultrasound the cow to find out when she will ovulate, then inject the sperm and then ultrasound again the next day to make sure the female has ovulated in time. Unlike alpacas, cattle carry their offspring for nine months, like humans. The
see
Livestock, pg. 18
Photo by Xxxxxxx
This cow produced by Mountain Edge Farm is a recent winner of the Pennsylvania Livestock Evaluation.
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