As we look to rebuild the U.S. beef-cow herd and meet the increasing demand for high-quality- beef products, we must strive to enhance the efficiencies of all beef-production enterprises. Profitability and efficiency in the cow-calf sector is heavily dependent on the reproductive efficiency of herds. One way to improve reproductive success in cow-calf operations is by using estrus synchronization in conjunction with A.I. Estrus synch programs can be as simple as one injection, or a series of products, each administered to help get the maximum number of animals pregnant early in the breeding season, resulting in more calves being older and heavier at the time of weaning.
A successful estrus synchronization and A.I. program can allow you to calve over 50-60% of the herd in the first 15 days of the calving season. This allows you to manage those cows and calves as a more uniform group throughout the production-life cycle of those animals. Heifer calves resulting from the estrus synchronization and A.I. program that are born early in the calving season will make great potential-replacement females to bring back into the herd. They will be older and heavier at weaning and breeding time, which means more of them will be cycling and ready to breed early in their breeding season. Thus, you increase the likelihood that more of the heifers will become pregnant early and continue the cycle of becoming more productive females to retain in the herd.
As the start of the spring beef A.I. season gets closer, it’s time to prepare for a successful season. Are you fully stocked on A.I. supplies, and is all your A.I. equipment working? Have you started having discussions with your CentralStar representative on which bulls might fit the needs of your herd? Now is the time to have these conversations to help ensure everything is in place when the breeding season starts.
Which synchronization program will work best for your facilities, herd, and management program? Take a look at the estrus-synchronization programs that can be found in the Select Sires Beef Directory and visit with your CentralStar team to see if there may be an opportunity to work together to improve your A.I. success this year.
Article by Dan Busch, Select Sires Beef Reproductive and Research Specialist