|
Artificial Insemination
Can Work for Commercial Producers :
By Kyle Stutts
Artificial insemination (AI)
is one of the most effective tools available to enhance the productivity
and profitability of beef cattle production systems.
Even though this tool has been commercially available
for more than 65 years, it is still dramatically underused in today’s
beef herds. Less than five percent of the nation’s beef cows are bred
using AI,
with the majority of these breedings taking place in the seedstock and
club calf sectors.
AI is not just for
purebred breeders, but has applications at the commercial level, as
well. The advantages of using
AI are numerous and well
documented. Some of them are:
• the ability to use sires of
superior genetic merit;
• rapid improvement in traits important to an operation;
• the ability to mate specific sires to individual cows;
• elimination of separate breeding pastures;
• elimination or reduction of disease transmission from cow to cow;
• increased genetic merit of retained replacement heifers; and
• when combined with estrous synchronization, a shorter calving season
can be achieved, resulting in a more consistent, uniform calf crop.
For the commercial cattleman, this could mean increased
weaning weights, improved post-weaning performance, enhanced carcass
value and more productive replacement heifers.
The usual arguments against
AI
programs are lack of time, additional labor and the cost of implementing
a program.
AI programs do require
more intensive management of the herd. To be successful, a producer must
have a sound nutrition program that keeps the cattle in good condition,
an efficient record-keeping system, an effective herd health program,
adequate working facilities, accurate estrus detection and a
well-trained
AI technician.
The primary reason for undesirable results with an
AI
program is poor management in one or more of these areas.
In the past, the greatest demand on time and labor came
from proper estrus or “heat” detection. Recent research in reproductive
physiology has improved and refined estrous synchronization systems,
making them more feasible for beef producers.
Today, there is technology available that allows
producers to set the time and date they want to inseminate their cows.
Several estrous synchronization programs allow producers to successfully
inseminate cows at a predetermined, fixed time, resulting in pregnancy
rates similar to those achieved with estrus detection.
The cost of implementing an
AI
program can be variable, depending on the method of estrous
synchronization used, cost of semen and whether an
AI
technician is hired or the producer performs the inseminations.
A couple of recent economic studies have indicated that
several estrous synchronization/AI
programs cost less than natural service and several others have costs
that are only marginally higher than natural service. In addition, the
model used to evaluate these programs did not include the added value of
AI-sired
replacement heifers, which will increase the overall productivity and
quality of the cow herd over time.
If you are ready to take the next step in improving the
quality of your herd or simply want to reduce the number of bulls needed
or eliminate bulls altogether, I strongly encourage you to consider
implementing an
AI program in your herd.
Attend an
AI school and get
prepared for the upcoming breeding season. If you would like more
information on
AI, estrous
synchronization or a list of upcoming
AI schools, feel free to contact a Samuel Roberts Noble
Foundation livestock specialist.
Kyle Stutts,
formerly with the Samuel Roberts Noble Foundation, Ardmore, Okla., has
taken a teaching position at Sam Houston State University.n
|
