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The Midwest Cattleman · April 22, 2021 · P24
Kansas State beef experts offer

considerations for using AI in the herd

Many beef producers as- AI are ones that calve within
cribe to the belief that the the first 20 days of the sea-
main job of a cow on the son.
ranch is to annually raise a Lancaster stressed the
healthy calf. To do that she importance of keeping the
must be bred on a regular in- cows in good body condition
terval post calving. and that in some programs it
According to Kansas State makes sense to segregate the
University Beef Cattle Insti- cows into breeding groups
tute veterinarian Bob Larson based on calving date.
and nutritionist Phillip Lan- “With that protocol, the
caster, artificial insemina- first group of cows are arti-
tion is one way that produc- ficially inseminated 21-day
ers can maintain the herd on intervals from the start of
a short calving season. calving, and each group is ar-
“While I highly recom- tificially inseminated when
mend an A.I. synchronization the average time since calv-
program in heifers, with cows ing is about 60 days,” Lan-
there are other factors that caster said. “Giving those
producers need to consider cows more time to recover
before making that choice,” after calving will make a big
Larson said. difference in the overall AI
Speaking on a recent Cat- success rate.”
tle Chat podcast, he explained Another factor for consid-
that breeding through AI eration is the cost of the pro-
synchronization is easier to tocols said Larson.
implement with heifers be- “Implementing synchroni-
cause they make up a small- zation protocols and AI does
er percentage of the herd and come with an increased cost
are females of a similar age in both supplies and labor, so
that haven’t raised a calf. it is important for producers
“In order for AI to be suc- to capture that value,” Lar-
cessful with cows, producers son said.
need to have good facilities Some of the ways he sug-
and plenty of labor available gested include retaining
along with cows that calve ownership in the calves
within a tight window of through the carcass phase or
time,” Larson said. capitalizing on the enhanced producers really need to own operation,” Larson said.
He said the most likely genetics through marketing. think through if it matches tsenews.net
cows to get rebred through “AI isn’t for everyone and the goals for the cows in their

WE ARE ON WHY SHOULD YOU Beef Extension Educator in

continued from page 19
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