Is Sexed Semen In Your Future? Sarah Roth Penn State Dairy Alliance The accelerated expansion of dairy farms has re sulted in an increased demand for heifers. To in crease and maintain herd size, producers are in need of more heifers than what they can produce on the farm, leading to the purchase of expansion ani mals. Also, the investment that a producer makes to produce a calf is considerable. Heifer calves usually have more value to the commercial dairy producer than bull calves in terms of income generation. Therefore if the producer can guarantee, to a cer tain degree, that the offspring will be female, it is more likely that he will recoup his investment and profit in the long run. ! Why might a dairy producer want to use sexed semen? Farm Expansion. The use of sexed semen may have great appeal to producers looking to increase herd size but are wary of purchasing animals from outside sources. Internal growth, especially when initial herd size is small, can be a lengthy process. However, when a producer can use sexed semen to achieve an approximate 9 to 1 ratio of the number of heifers to bulls calves born, the expansion process is greatly accelerated. , eo«»' ****** ** ""provlna e . The Comfort Zone™ n ” b " The Comfort Zone Tie Stall Designed to maximize cow comfort Available in stainless steel and galvanized steel Perfect for new or remodeled facilities ca » 610-59 Genetic Improvement of the Herd. Through gender selection, producers can more quickly real ize the benefits from breeding for genetic improve ment. Producers would have the ability to choose which cows would be bred with sexed semen to pro duce the next generation of replacements. Thus, cows that were genetically superior to their herd mates would produce high-quality heifers and the remaining cows could be bred to produce males or bred with non-sexed semen. Calving Ease. With first-calf heifers, calving ease is a great concern. Heifers are still growing when they first give birth, and their smaller size at this stage in life contributes to a higher rate of dystocia. Add to this the larger size of bull calves and the po tential for calving difficulty increases further. Using semen selected to produce female offspring can de crease the rate of dystocia and its negative economic impact upon the business. On the other side of the coin, potential disadvan tages to the use of sexed semen include: Premium Pricing. As with all new technologies, the cost to purchase sexed semen will demand a premium pricing structure. It is estimated that there will be a premium of $3O to $46 above the cost PastureMat' The multi-celled cow mattress recognized world-wide as the closest thing to natural pasture! Proven Durability and Comfort! Reduces Leg Injuries! Increases Profitability! iiumißH US Patent #5653195 (Turn to Page 51) Y2K Free Stall Eliminates barriers that prohibit natural movements Increases forward lunge space Gatorsheild corrosion protection t in ur ar ea/ ■jfeCj
Significant historical Pennsylvania newspapers