Know How / Breeding and fertility Case studiesSee all BREEDING AND FERTILITYHow cattle in-vitro fertilisation breeds more elite femalesThe use of in-vitro fertilisation in cattle breeding is growing globally, driven by advances in genomics and an increasing desire among farmers to breed more intensively from their best animals.… SHEEPHow a Romney flock is adapting to frequent droughtsRepeat periods of drought have highlighted the value of selecting resilient forage crops and breeding animals at Dineley Farming, near Shaftesbury, Dorset. Perin Dineley says the business, which is home… SHEEPHow a fine-wool flock is selecting for blowfly toleranceA sheep bred for high-quality wool naturally has thin skin. The bonus is that this sheep is also naturally resistant to blowfly strike. The connection between skin thickness and strike… SHEEPBenefits of breeding values in lamb weights and ewe fertilityThe only way of understanding the breeding potential of sheep is to use estimated breeding values (EBVs). However, they should always be used alongside traditional visual assessment to indicate functionality… BEEFHow 15% replacement rate helped add £500 to heifer valueImproved cow longevity has given a Scottish suckler farmer the luxury of greater choice when selecting replacement females, leading to a valuable bulling heifer premium. Wigtownshire-based farmer Robert Parker of… LIVESTOCKDairy tests genomics to unlock genetic gain in crossbred herdsConwy dairy producer Eurof Edwards believes genomics will fast-track genetic gain in his split-block crossbred herd. Eurof milks 180 spring-calving cows and 120 autumn calvers at the 149ha (368-acre) Rhydeden… Practical adviceSee all DAIRYAdvice on getting successful inseminations with sexed semenSexed semen has reduced the heifer or bull lottery from inseminating with a conventional straw. But its higher cost means it makes economic sense to be extra diligent with cow… BREEDING AND FERTILITYBenefits of annual testing for bull and ram fertilityIn 2025, 28% of bulls tested at Friars Moor Livestock Health failed their bull breeding soundness examination. By identifying and removing this cohort of subfertile bulls, ahead of them being… BREEDING AND FERTILITYAdvice on long-term dairy crossbreeding strategiesEarly adopters of crossbreeding as a tool to produce the right kind of cow for their block-calving, grazing-based systems, found that longer term breeding strategies could become haphazard. Selecting the… DAIRYAdvice on managing transition for better cow fertilityDairy farmers are losing too many cows to poor fertility, but good management from drying off to submission can prevent those involuntary culls. Getting the basics right, from cow condition… ASSESSING PERFORMANCEHow milk recording revival is identifying most efficient cowsThirty years ago, milk recording was dropped from spring-calving herds intent on cutting out superfluous cost. Breeding replacements became a simple strategy that focused only on the most fertile cows… DAIRYAdvice on running stock bulls with breeding heifersAccording to AHDB data, natural mating is now used to produce fewer than 5% of dairy heifer replacements in the UK. However, with routine euthanasia of bull calves discouraged and… InsightsSee all DAIRYHow breeding index could reduce dairy carbon footprintThe dairy genetic index EnviroCow can deliver environmental benefits on commercial dairy farms with a cumulative potential reduction in carbon footprint of up to 16%, according to a UK study.… BREEDING AND FERTILITYPros and cons of sweeper bulls v all artificial inseminationRunning bulls in dairy herds carries safety and biosecurity risks, but they are an effective and often low-cost means of sweeping up cows and heifers not in-calf after the artificial… ASSESSING PERFORMANCEHow even tiny losses in body condition impact dairy fertilitySmall changes in body condition score – invisible to the human eye – can have a detrimental impact on fertility in the next lactation, a commercial study has shown. See… SHEEPWhy there's still time to target ewe condition before tuppingLean ewes that were body condition scored post-weaning and moved onto a better diet should now be gaining weight steadily before tupping to reach a target body condition score of… BEEFBeef breeding index combines efficiency and environment gainsA beef breeding index that combines improvements in performance efficiency with a reduction in greenhouse gases is not only good for the environment and farm profit. It also offers a… ASSESSING PERFORMANCEAre smaller dairy cows a concern for the beef supply chain?The drive for smaller dairy cows has gained momentum over recent years as more milk producers appreciate the efficiencies of a lower cow maintenance cost. But while this trend has… DAIRYFocus on functional traits pays off for organic dairyTen years of focusing on traits to breed the right kind of cows for their system and lifestyle has resulted in a uniform herd for organic milk producers Sophie and… DAIRYDairy inbreeding target outdated, farmers advisedDairy farmers should not compromise their herd’s genetic gain simply to avoid inbreeding, said the AHDB’s head of animal genetics, Marco Winters. Instead, monitoring the rate of inbreeding from one… DAIRYBig cows are a drain on dairy feed bills and the environmentUK dairy farmers are milking their best-ever Holstein cows, having improved all health and production traits through breeding selection. However, there is an “unfavourable trend in maintenance” which has become… DAIRYPoor heifer retention rates costing dairies dearDairy farmers expect genetic gain to reveal itself in their herds despite farm system constraints or a lack of resources. “It’s like producing Ferraris to put in a banger race,”… LIVESTOCKHeifer-rearing costs lacking on “too many farms”Genetic potential is being lost because heifers are leaving dairy herds too soon. “Inefficient” heifer rearing is not only costing dairy farmers in lost performance, but is influencing the public’s… BEEFSuckler cow depreciation: Why it mattersSuckler producers looking to improve profitability should consider calculating cow depreciation and creating strategies to manage value loss in their herd. This is the advice of rancher and consultant Dallas…
