Dairy farmers are turning to technology to grow higher producing animals rather than increase herd size as the industry accepts it has reached peak cow. The Livestock Improvement Corporation’s sexed semen delivers a 90 per cent chance of producing a female calf. When used across a herd’s top performing cows, it can produce animals with superior genetics allowing farmers to increase production with the same number or even fewer animals. Sexed semen was collected from teams of 10-12 bulls from each of the Holstein Friesian, Jersey and KiwiCross breeds. “Using sexed semen across our top-tier cows has allowed us to produce roughly 30 heifer calves that would have otherwise been bobbies.

Source: Stuff October 02, 2021 21:21 UTC