Beef embryos fill dairy area of interest

“That means dairies can be selective about the animals they choose to remain in the herd,” said Brady Hicks, animal-science manager at the J.R. Simplot Company. “They can drive genetic progress faster, manage heifer inventories better, and take advantage of new revenue streams.”

More dairy farmers have shifted their reproductive strategy and incorporated beef semen into breeding protocols. Their aim is to generate a secondary revenue source with the resulting crossbred calves.

But dairy-beef crossbred calves’ inconsistent growth, performance and final size mean they face strong marketing headwinds from feedlots and packers. That can reduce the dairy farmer’s potential return on investment.

Performance data for cattle from excellent-quality beef embryos as part of a targeted breeding program show dairy farmers can continue to push herd and financial improvements.

Each embryo-mating is to a proven, elite sire to maximize the embryo’s genetic potential and value for key traits such as calving ease and ribeye area. Those traits are prized by feedlots and packers.

The embryos feature conception and pregnancy rates similar, and in some cases superior, to artificial insemination in a dairy herd.

“The key to success is to choose recipients with the dairy farm’s big picture in mind,” Hicks said. “Use beef embryos with cows in their second and third lactations. And implant embryos for first and second services to reap optimal return on investment.”

Embryo technologies historically have been a part of dairy and beef production to produce superior genetics. Simplot’s partnership with Select Sires allows production of excellent-quality beef embryos to be scalable to fit the needs of any dairy farm.

The full beef embryos’ genetic advantages to dairies, feeders, processors and consumers provide the most value. Beef producers and feedlots are more likely to purchase full beef calves from dairy farms. They offer greater premiums due to efficient gain and group uniformity. 

Traceability, along with early health and nutrition, is another important distinction for those calves. It’s valued and rewarded by the beef-marketing chain.

Embryo transfer is an exacting procedure, meaning proper technician training is essential. Allowances must be made in breeding programs to ensure and maintain technician proficiency.

It also can be more time-consuming than insemination. Some farms have incorporated embryo transfer as part of their overall dairy-management system to help avoid disruption to cow and people routines.

But those efforts can come with significant financial reward for dairy farms willing to invest in embryos and develop marketing strategies and partnerships. Visit HerdFlex.com for more information.