During a time where you can't control the milk price, it's good to know what you can do by tailoring a breeding programme that ensures you're still meeting your herd improvement goals while remaining within your budget.
Consider your options
When considering your breeding plan, take your time to be selective. By working with your LIC Agri Manager who understands your business' breeding goals, you can create a more targeted breeding plan, such as using Premier Sires bull teams over your higher genetic worth animals or working through different options nominating bulls. You can also use herd test data to help identify high-performing cows and the ones you want to get replacements from.
Once you've selected the cows for your replacements, you still have plenty of semen options for the rest of your herd that can help to diversify your income.
You could also consider cost-effective options such as beef semen that can be more economical than natural mate bulls, especially in times where feed is tight. Beef animals also offer an alternative revenue stream, especially if they are available at the beginning of calving to capture that 'early calf market.'
Alternatively, SGL (Short Gestation Length) liquid semen offers you the opportunity to increase days in milk by decreasing the gestational length of your cows. Offered in both Dairy and Beef you can put it over any low-performing cows.
Preparing your team
Prepare your farm team ahead of mating by coming together to ensure a plan is in place for detecting cycling cows.
Accurately identifying cows on heat by observation and heat detection aids will ensure straws are not wasted and can reduce the loss of revenue from lower milk production and missed heats.
There are a wide range of tools available to cater to all different systems but take your time to observe cow behaviour.
In summary, stick to the basics, and consult with your trusted advisors to build a breeding programme for your herd that will make your budget go further and help protect the future profitability of your herd.
This content has been provided by Emma Gardiner LIC, Dairy Genetics Extension Specialist.