The latest research on Alfalfa seeding rates

 

Hay and Forage Grower reported this winter on research from South Dakota State University that says many of us are using more seed per acre than marginal yields justify.  In this study it was found that seeding rates as low as 12.5 pounds per acre generated the highest yields, or 9.6 tons of dry matter per acre over two years, in spite of the study being done under drought conditions.

For conditions around the Great Lakes given more water availability, the best yield strategy appears to be:  seed 12 to 16 lbs of alfalfa seed with 2 lbs of red clover in the establishment year (14 to 18 lbs total).    As rumen-efficient beef cows do not need the energy density of dairy cows (even when lactating), this “pure” alfalfa is rarely necessary and you can follow this with an overseeding of high energy grass in the second or third year of stand life.  This will aid in maintaining peak yields for an additional two+ years, resist weed incursions by maintaining a solid population of desired plant species.   It also creates a system in which your “hay” fields would transition into nice “mixed specie” fields very useful for grazing.

KF Synergy X Hydro-Power

Byron Seeds’  “Synergy”  concept is to combine differing types of alfalfas in a mix, (for example tap root, branch root, sunken crown, creeping root, disease resistant) that have developed affinity to differing soil types and express different feed traits which when planted together gives you a better opportunity for seeding success.

“Hydro-power” already includes a persistent red clover and has proven ability to tolerate wetter soils.   Leaf to stem ratio is excellent  (which was also why seeding rates have gradually increased:  higher yield varieties gained tonnage from stem weight as well as digestible leaf fiber).

Feeding  value  of  cover  crops

Some seed companies (owned by chemical companies) are not excited by “cover crop” mixes being used to regenerate soil structure, capture winter moisture and break pest cycles.    A “yield drag” is being predicted on the following grain crop.   However, utilizing the green growth as animal feed totally changes that dynamic.

A Refresher on Timing for Pregnancy Checks

 

With the transition of veterinary training for confirming pregnancies from manual palpation (of uterus, ovaries and fetal arteries) to the use of “Ultrasound” video of the same organs, there has been a tendency to “speed up” the timing.

Superiority of technology often runs up against the limitations of biology.  Nothing in breeding selection or veterinary practice has changed the cow herself;  she still gestates 280 days, and goes through steps of ovulation, conception, cell division, embryo migration from fallopian tube to uterine horn, membrane enclosure, and finally fetal attachment.   This process takes six weeks (42 days),  and pregnancies are not really “guaranteed” until eight weeks (56 days)  have passed.

A Reminder on Best Care for Cryogenic Semen/embryo Storage tanks

 

The outer shell of virtually all semen tanks is made of aluminum.    This malleable metal has a weakness for corrosion when in contact with cement floors, especially wet floors.    Early on, tank manufacturers figured out to coat the outer shells with corrosion-resistant paints, more recently paints with Teflon additives to give them a longer working life.    However, paints rub off over time on corrosive surfaces.

If you keep your semen/embryo storage tanks in a building or room with concrete floors, manufacturers recommend you put the tank(s) up on wood  (pallets will do particularly well, but short planking works)—or on a cushioning surface like carpet remnants (we offer protective floor mats for $65).    We learned from decades of experience that tanks sitting on concrete are going to fail faster than others.

Mich Livestock Service, Inc   “For the Best in Bulls”      “For High Energy Forages”
110 N Main St   (PO Box 661)   Ovid,  MI  48866                     phone (989) 834- 2661
         website:  www.michiganlivestock.com         email to:  greg@michiganlivestock.com

 

 

Still concerned about “inbreeding” depression?

 

In the heyday of “Mogul” at Select Sires, his developer Charlie Will noted that this bull had 90 pedigree crosses to “Elevation”, Select Sires’ greatest bull of the 1960s and  1970s.   In a seven year life producing semen “Mogul” put out well over one million straws and has a legion of sons and grandsons in Genomic AI.

His most important son may prove to be “Delta” who similarly gave ST Genetics an opening into the purebred world.     At this point it appears his son “Lambda” will be his major claim to fame.    

If there is a focal weakness in this three-generation sire line, it may be “flinty bone hind legs”.    “Mogul” and “Lambda” both expired before their time due to failure of their rear end function.    As for “Delta” he is part of the Genomic trend toward straight legs and stiff pasterns, which has not helped cull rates to improve.

A growing body of evidence is suggesting that “inbreeding” depression is not the fault of having ancestors in common, so much as having a too-rigid breeding selection in favor of tall, narrow, straight-legged cows who are hard feeding and slow rebreeding.     “aAa” Breeding Guide is the more sure way to avoid inbreeding “effects” as the sires you use have more pedigree inbreeding.

Why do the Genomic AI studs not practice what they have preached?

 

Challenging the popular viewpoints on computer matings to avoid pedigree inbreeding

During the dynamic years of building high production dairy herds utilizing the higher ranking of high reliability evaluation of progeny across a diversity of herd environments, a small handful of 1960s sires came to dominate each breed.    Most notably, in Ayrshires it was Selwood Betty’s Commander:  in Brown Swiss it was Welcome In Stretch:  in Jerseys it was Observer Chocolate Soldier  (often in combination with his half brother, SS Quicksilver of Fallneva):  in Guernseys it was Maurana Wis Telestar:  finally, in Holsteins it was that duo of  Round Oak R. A. Elevation crossed with Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief.    (Many thought Carlin M Ivanhoe Bell as a leader in protein yields would eclipse them, but thanks to the “BLAD” and “CVM” recessives showing up as he was linebred against other “Ivanhoe” descendants, his pedigree influence waned.)

What these sires had in common was an ability to produce offspring that transitioned dairying from milking “hay burners” into today’s expansion dairy focus on corn silage forage and oilseed proteins.     Today, whether you look at Breed Association pedigree studies or the DNA genotype patterns, a full 25% of the modern Jersey genotype comes from “Chocolate Soldier” (and note he spread the lethal recessive for early-term abortion, JH1C, to a quarter of all Jerseys) and in the world-dominating Holstein breed, 30% of the Black and White genotype comes from those two 1960s bulls “Elevation” and “Arlinda Chief”.

What made these two bulls take over the Holstein breeding world?

My personal prejudice is that each sire was bred within herds that considered the “aAa” (Weeks Analysis) Breeding Guide.    These two bulls were magnificent physical specimens expressing an exceptional degree of phenotypic “balance”  (Chief, born 1962, eventually classified “EX” at 94 points while Elevation, born 1965, eventually classified “EX” at 96 points) and this enabled them to both live functionally to 14 years of age, thus producing large volumes of semen.    Their most notable recent descendant,  Picston Shottle  (a key influence within the Holstein Genomic/ DNA “reference population”) had a similar 16 year life span at his AI stud residence in England.   The biggest “secret” in dairy cattle breeding is that “aAa” exerts more influence on breeding cows that will reach a productive maturity than any other promoted approach to matings.

As Genomic selection approaches have advanced, the frequency of “Arlinda Chief” genes also advances.     Comparing “Arlinda Chief” to “Elevation”, you have a truly linebred bull in “Chief” (eight close crosses to ABC Reflection Sovereign *RC;  over 20 crosses to the originating bull of the “Rag Apple” bloodline, Johanna Rag Apple Pabst) – while you have an example of the old practice of line crossing in “Elevation”  (his sire an inbred son of linebred Wis Burke Ideal;  his dam a linebred descendant of Johanna Rag Apple Pabst with NO ancestry from the mentioned ABC Reflection Sovereign *RC so important in “Arlinda Chief”s “Rag Apple” heritage).

Outcrossing within a breed generates similar heterosis (“hybrid vigor”) as crossbreeding.

When you cross a linebred bull with the equally linebred descendants of another linebred bull, but with those two sires appearing to be “outcross” to each other, you can generate a “hybrid vigor” response in purebred matings that is often as powerful as the first cross results from a “crossbreeding” scheme.   In fact, as far as Holstein breed progress since frozen semen came on the scene allowed better linebred bulls access to unrelated cows across the country (1955 in Ontario, 1957 at ABS, 1959 at Curtiss, 1963 at Carnation) the casual pedigree relationships in AI service produced a rising “inbreeding coefficient”.     Some University extension people became concerned, taught their captive state AI cooperatives to preach against “inbreeding”, and the result was a demand for AI mating services to consider inbreeding in mating suggestions.   So we might ask—how successful was this focus?     Dr Les Hanson of University of Minnesota is an example of a geneticist who predicted “the Holstein breed is getting so inbred that it could be obsolete in 10 years—the only solution will be to crossbreed” (which resulted in the “Pro Cross” concept promoted until recently from southern California).     He made this prediction over 30 years ago, but in spite of increasing efi% across commercial dairies, the Holstein still survives.

With Genomic mating selection, however, today’s sire offerings differ from what most AI studs offered between 1960 (when lots of bloodlines were represented) and 2000 (when sire lines were down to Ivanhoe (mostly through “Bell”), Arlinda Chief and Elevation.     The “heterosis” remaining in Holsteins came from the diversity of cow lines competing for AI attention.    It was also true that a plurality of the more successful breeders of AI stud bulls followed “aAa” matings in which the Breeding Guide avoids the mating of “likes to likes” at the level of physical genes.    Thus these donor cows who produced successful sons retained outcross vigor against the AI-generated mating sires who were increasingly sire line concentrations.

Farnear Delta Lambda  (late of ST Genetics) is a textbook example of Genomic matings
This bull recently died at the point where his oldest daughters were first calving.    He follows a pattern among the Genomic success stories—( McCutcheon, Mogul, now Lambda ) – unable to live a full productive life.    Why do these sires expire so much younger than the more famous of their progenitors?    Perhaps all this emphasis on “fast maturity” genetics is mainly giving us an “accelerated aging” of their physiques??

“Lambda” has 50 pedigree crosses to SWD Valiant, perhaps the most revered of the early sons of Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief.     “Lambda also has 25 crosses to Walkway Chief Mark, perhaps the last of the successful sons of Pawnee Farm Arlinda Chief.     Both “Valiant” and “Chief Mark” were pedigree outcrosses to Round Oak Rag Apple Elevation.    They both had “round” (code 4 aAa)  front ends, but were otherwise “sharp” (code 2 bodies and udders, code 3 rear ends)  in physical expression, relating to qualities that can use a corn-oilseed based ration to make milk.    You will find similar concentrations of blood to various high profile bull ancestors in the noted Genomic “success stories”.         So why do these bull studs caution you to avoid “inbreeding” seeing they are so enthusiastically following the practice themselves??   

The latest thinking on alfalfa seeding, stand life, and boosting nutrient quality

 Hay and Forage Grower reported this winter on research from South Dakota State University that says many of us are using more seed per acre than marginal yields justify.    In this study it was found that seeding rates as low as 12.5 pounds per acre generated the highest yields, or 9.6 tons of dry hay per acre over two years.    (These yields were made in drought conditions.)   

For conditions around the Great Lakes, the best yield strategy appears to be:   seed 12 to 16 lbs of alfalfa seed with 2 lbs red clover (14 to 18 lbs total) in the establishment year.    Follow this with an overseeding of high energy grass in the second or third year of stand life, which will aid in maintaining peak yields for an additional two years, resisting weed incursions.    

The Dairy Industry lost a stalwart friend

 Ron Sersland of Reedsburg, Wisconsin, principal owner of  International Protein Sires,  passed away tragically in a collision between his pickup and a semi-tractor-trailer late this winter.   He was only 63 years old, having begun his career as a foreign market representative for Tri-State Breeders Cooperative, forming his own export company Our Help, Inc and later purchasing the IPS brand name and bull stud from its founders Marlowe Nelson and Alvin Piper  (pioneers in exporting midwestern Holstein genetics to Europe and South America).

The tragedy in this is that, as Ron still felt young, the issues of business succession were not formally completed  (his stepson, Eric Taylor, was active in the management of the business)  and so the attorneys have managed the estate in a manner that has led to liquidation.

Those of us who were Ron’s friends and acted as his distributors are disappointed by this, and we at Mich Livestock Service have acted to secure a working inventory of the IPS sires we most favored as we work out this transition in our genetic focus.    There is a likelihood that a new AI marketing system, supported by the many breeders who provided sires for IPS, will be formed.    We have committed our experience to encourage this group so his concepts will carry on.

The new approaches to seeding hay stands and pastures

Most farmers know that the best field of corn you ever raise follows termination of a multi-year alfalfa (or grass + clover) hay field or pasture.    Nitrogen nodules on alfalfa and clover roots gives the corn plant a head start and the reserves of fertility from the recycling of organic matter (root systems) feeds the ear later.

When you have livestock, nothing feeds them cheaper than good hay and pastures

There comes the time when you need to rotate back into hay and/or pasture to restore soil structure (water holding capacity and recovery from compaction).     Alfalfa became preferred because of dairy cow and horse demand, was the focus of seed breeding for a time, but has declined as No-till and Round Up made growing row crop corn and soybean more “convenient”.

Byron Seeds remains focused on crops for animal feeding.    Thus they are maintaining alfalfa availability from independent growers as the chemical company brands lose interest.

Synergy X alfalfa blends are the innovation Byron has brought to alfalfa hay and haylage systems and are proving most cost-effective because the combining of alfalfa types leads to longer stand life.    No matter your soil profile, there is diversity in that Synergy bag that will thrive;  lowered risk of failed stands, better winter survival than depending on a single chosen alfalfa variety.

All four “Synergy” mixes are compatible with the practice of overseeding high energy grass into established stands (which also profitably extends stand life)  and in the Beef feeding world, this makes the sort of hay / haylage / balage that best fits low-cost reproduction and rate of gain.

     So what about the “nurse crop” for a spring seeding?
Oats are the traditional choice.    Why?    Because you get more straw, and when left to grain, grandad got “free” oats to feed the horses.   

However, recent comparison studies show that modern high-yield-potential Alfalfa varieties get stunted by Oat exudates in the young seedling stage.    In searching out alternatives, Byron has tested seedling vigor with varieties of Barley, Triticale, Wheat, Ryegrass, as well as forage oats.

Are you wanting to get feed volume out of your spring nurse crop in the seeding year?
Pick a Spring season variety of the above.   Harvest green as forage, leaving stubble protection.

Are you wanting to suppress weeds in your spring seeded stand, waiting to fall for first harvest?
Pick a Fall season variety of the above, which slows down its growth as the summer warms up.

Epigenetic effects when cattle are fed grass vs corn & oilseed

 

Beef is clearly targeted by “climate change” advocates as negative for atmospheric gases (primarily methane, a by-product of ruminant digestion).    But the data for that has not convinced many people yet, especially once the earth’s carbon cycle (and its relationship to supporting life) is fully understood.  Consumption of meat shows us most consumers are not switching away from animal proteins.

However, the nutrition industry may exert more influence on the future of animal food production by weighing in on the differences between corn and oilseed fed ruminants, compared to grass and forage fed ruminants for slaughter animals.

A recent issue of Stockman Grass Farmer carried an article by Allen Williams, PhD with the following comparisons in desired vs undesired animal fats, as examples of how Epigenetic effects change the function of genes within DNA,  resulting from major and sustained changes in the animal environment.    Nutritional changes in ration composition is as big an environmental change as modern cattle have faced.

Phytonutrients are naturally occurring bioactive compounds derived from plants:  anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory  benefits to animals come from these compounds found in fresh forages at a level  5 to 20 times greater  than exist in the typical grain-based feedlot Total Mixed Ration.

Phytonutrient profiles are significantly higher in  grassfed beef  finished on diverse pastures than you will ever find in typical feedlot beef.  Likewise, the vitamin profile is superior.   The inference is simple:  Healthier soils growing healthy vegetation makes the ideal feed for any ruminant.  For humans the meat of these subsequently healthy animals is provably superior for our health.

Hippurate.   Improved gut microbial diversity and metabolism.    57% higher from grassfed beef.
Cinnamoylglycine.    Reduces Parkinson’s and cancer risks.     65% higher from grassfed beef.
Ergothioneine.    Aids immune function vs an array of diseases.    59% higher from grassfed beef.
4-Ethylphenylsulfate.   Strong anti-fungal activity.    85% higher from grassfed beef.
Histidine Betaine.    67% higher from grassfed beef  when grazed on healthy soils higher in soil fungi and microbial activity...   evidence of the benefit of animal exudates to soil biology.   
Dimethyl Sulfone.    Found in native plant species, 71% higher  demonstrating value of diversity in pasture seedings.        (Clearly, “animals are what they eat.”   All beef is NOT the same.)

As for Vitamin profiles, these studies found Vitamin E to be 64% higher, Vitamin A to be 34% higher, Vitamin C to be 33% higher, Vitamin B6 to be 27% higher, and Vitamin B3 25% higher.    

TRENDS IN MEAT CONSUMPTION over the recent decade

 

40% of USA annual corn production and 60% of USA annual soybean production is currently used in livestock feeding.     Of course, the majority of forage production, in the form of pasturage, hay, haylage, balage, etc is also used in livestock feeding.

And how do we use this livestock?    For dairy, beef, pork, lamb, poultry and pets     (that includes horses)   Of the fraction utilized for meat consumption, the pounds eaten per person per year has increased slightly:

Chicken        115 # per person in 2020      vs  95 # per person in 2010.
Beef                84 # per person in 2020      vs  82 # per person in 2010.
Pork                67 # per person in 2020      vs  59 # per person in 2010.
Lamb     under 2 # per person in 2020      vs 1# per person in 2010.

Of 268 pounds of livestock meat consumed in 2020,  Beef  represented 31.5% of the total.    This compares to 34.75% of the total consumed in 2010.

Is any livestock meat being replaced by seafood (wild caught plus farmed)?
Seafood        19 # per person in 2020      vs  16 # per person in 2010

Fake “meats” made from soybeans have proven to be negligible in consumption.

The cheapest milk you make comes from matured cows

  As you will find from reading the bull highlights enclosed, the cows who make the exceptional lactations and breed back in the process, do these feats in and after a third lactation.

The theory behind “accelerating generations” to increase production carries with it the negative concept that a third lactation cow is “obsolete” fit only for Burger King.     Given Zoetis’ research still proves that a functional third-plus lactation cow will out yield heifer cows by at least 30% is a qualitative gain well above the marginal gains from genetic/genomic selection.   

Productive Life  (PTA-PL)  has done a decent job of screening out the short herdlife cows, but has accomplished nothing across five genetic base periods to increase the realized lifetime of a common dairy cow.    If you wish to breed for exceptional cows, you need to bring in maternal lines that express exceptional productivity in maturity.    This is common cow-sense that seems to be lacking among many who advise you on what sires to use and why you choose them.

When your breeding (and cow performance) gets stuck in a rut of fast turnover and a low percentage of third-plus lactation super cows, consider these concepts.

What do exceptional milk cows look like?

 

The trend of cow physiques coming from multiple generations of highly-ranked Genomic sires may be capable of marginally superior first and second lactations  (when fed an energy-dense ration based on grain corn and oilseeds)  but a trend of progressive physical failure beginning in  third lactation aligns with the sales pitch for accelerating the generations in your herd—keeping a “young” herd from “current” ranked Genomic sires masks the lack of maturability these tight- hipped, short-necked, heavy-shouldered, posty-legged cows typically express in production.

A tight-hocked cow who starts out standing on her toes develops very stiff joints as her legs and feet cope with her maturing weight, leading to early onset of arthritis.    The shallow flank, tight hips and coarse legs squeeze udders forward, with rear udders never developing full capacity – none of these physical developments will aid a cow in fulfilling her mature milking capability.

Among desired qualities:    straight topline, level loin, maintains alignment of interior organs.

Level ridge to rump, moderate interior slope to pelvis, wide thurls centrally placed, open pins.

Full rear udder.   Ample teats centrally placed under quarters, level udder floor.   Soft texture.

Deep, well-sprung rib, triangulated loin from shoulder back to broad hips, elastic fore udder.

Sturdy front end—even stance on front feet, width in chest.          Deep chest—for full heart.

50,000 actual pounds of milk in a 365-day lactation … Is still an enormous achievement for any Holstein cow!

 

50,000 pounds  (actual, not “Mature Equivalent”—which old timers call “Maybe Eventually”)  is 137 pounds per day, every day for a year.     While a normal lactation less than the world record cows (82,600 pounds in Japan;  78,170 pounds in the USA;  68,900 pounds for Red & Whites), it is still a magnificent 99^th percentile achievement for any dairy cow.

Our combine of  “real numbers”  AI studs may have the most sons of such cows

The ”Big Genomic AI studs” have adapted the IVF- ET technology to its most extreme level, thus their embryo donors never calve—never produce a drop of “real” milk.    The surgical process in use to harvest oocytes [eggs] from juvenile ovaries basically ruins the donor for any production.
With the exception of bulls big studs may buy from a handful of competing breeder-dairymen, you will never see a production record (or classification score) on the ancestry of their Genomic sires.    There are now bulls in AI service with no verified lactation or classification records for their nearest three generations of dams and grandams.

Examples  of  “real numbers”  cows behind bulls we offer

54 HO 929  Joliam DR Gamechanger- ET     (aAa 6 1 5)      A1A1 Beta Casein            $ 15
This even-tempered and intelligent bull is owned by No Bull Solutions.     His dam is the amazing USA world-record holder Selz-Pralle Aftershock 3918 who has twice exceeded 70,000 pounds (in fact, she did this back to back with only 55 days dry between!)  so has  three 50,000# lactations.
Her life production total of 317,150 pounds means she averaged 153 pounds per day in milk!!

54 HO 935  Jeffrey-Way Sporty *RC- ET       (aAa 2 4 3)                                           $ 15
This bull’s EX 94- 3E “Gold Medal” dam proves that polled in no way interferes with production.   Her last three lactations all exceed 50,000 pounds milk on 2x milking; with a life total to date of over 316,170 pounds at 12 years of age she continues to soldier on adding to exceptional totals.   Six of his seven nearest pedigree dams have made lactations above 40,000 pounds, proving this sort of behavior is maternally heritable.

Also worth considering:    566 HO 1303  Misty-Moor Porsche- ET    (aAa 3 1 5)     A2A2
His lower Somatic Cell Scores reinforce that healthy udders produce more milk, like his momma!
                                       288 HO 0237  Adaway Rio 2183    (aAa 3 4 5)     A2A2  &  BB
He has three maternal dams all over 40,000 pounds at immature ages, and is our highest PTAM.

Foreign investors now control the “Big AI” systems in the USA

 

Originally viewed as a major technology transformation in Dairy genetic selection, DNA mapping of the bovine genome is used to calculate “Genomic” index values.   Wider use of gender-sorted semen (under a patent controlled by Inguran LLC, dba “Sexing Technologies”) came about due to the sales spin put on Genomic “values”, causing a shift in favor of marketing young sires over progeny-tested sires, and the faster turnover of bulls from marketing lists.    

                              A destabilizing decade of change for the AI industry
At the time these two factors took hold the major Dairy AI studs were Accelerated Genetics, CRI Genex, Select Sires, ABS Global, Semex, Alta Genetics,Taurus-Service and International Protein Sires.   Sexing Technologies quickly formed “ST Genetics”  using the cash this generated to invest in high value Genomic ET donors…   Now, after ten years, first Accelerated failed and was absorbed into Select Sires;  then Genex failed and was absorbed into Alta Genetics;  Taurus-Service was purchased by ST Genetics; and last fall it was announced that Select Sires and ST Genetics are merging their genetic programs and technology development.   Ownership control of “big [Genomic] USA- AI” is now in Columbia, Europe, and Canada … 

Dean Wittenbach—in memoriam

  Many of you will remember Dean, our long-time route serviceman originally hired by my Dad (Charles Palen) back in the late “Curtiss” days, transitioning to Tri-State Breeders and Landmark Genetics, then Semex USA, then Taurus-Service.    Retiring in 2017, he had lived quietly with wife Julie outside Ionia.    Dean dealt with major circulation issues since then, and passed away after a heart attack late December. 
He was 72 years old.   

CONFIRMING PREGNANCY IN THE FALL

 

A highly skilled inseminator on a ranch with a lot of cows might choose to purchase their own “Ultrasound” equipment, but you have to be prepared to spend around $ 5,000.    For the rest of us, hiring a veterinary service to check the herd once or twice a year still pays, IF you decide to send the “open” cows to market, to save the feed $$ they will cost to carry to next season.

The cheapest alternatives today may include the Enlabs “P Test” which is a strip that will test for hormones in the urine stream.     They will give some indication nearly as early after breeding as ultrasound, but are most accurate around 60 days post breeding— and when you are checking spring bred cows in the fall, this covers a majority of the cows.

Breeding cows to get pregnant more easily, is a good long term strategy.    How much money is an “open” cow making you?     (She is costing you feed instead.)      How much do you currently spend to achieve optimal pregnancy percentages?     Genetic selection for cow fertility is maybe even more important to cow-calf profitability than chasing the premium price “performance” sires that do not enhance fertility genetics in your future cow herd.

Irregardless, whether seeking show type “clubby” sires, or performance type purebred sires, or maternal traits sires, our selection of breeds and variety of breeder sources works in your favor.

Mich Livestock Service, Inc  ***     “For the best in bulls”   as well as    “Higher energy forages”
ph (989) 834- 2661                              email:  greg@michiganlivestock.com

Yes, we stock “portable” semen tanks

 

Many of you keep an extra standard size (20 liters, six canisters) semen tank to be able to use portably in the breeding season or when attending events where semen gets traded.    As the typical “standard” tank weighs close to 60 pounds full, this can give you a strenuous workout in corrals or at fairgrounds when you get parked in the “back 40”.

We now stock for sale new “portable” semen tanks from MVE.     The canisters hold as many semen canes as a standard tank, but they only take 10 liters of liquid nitrogen and will weigh 20 pounds less when full than that older standard size 20 liter tank. 

Unlike the “vapor style” shippers accepted by UPS and Federal Express, that only hold nitrogen for three weeks, these model SC 11/7 vessels will usually hold long enough to be recharged on our eight-week service schedules.        They are 9 inches in diameter and 22 inches tall, so will ride on the car floor behind a seat or in the cargo space of a cab pickup.

At any time you find you need to upgrade your semen storage and transport equipment, give us a chance to help you arrive at the ideal configurations.

 

Mich Livestock Service, Inc   ***     “For the Best in Bulls”     “High Energy forages”
110 N Main St   (P.O. Box 661)   Ovid,  MI  48866    office ph (989) 834- 2661 fax (989) 834- 2914
website:  www.michiganlivestock.com        email:  greg@michiganlivestock.com

Select bulls from long-life naturally productive cows

 

What do we know about any momma cow who earns the nickname of “brood cow”?    She gets with calf every year.   She delivers a live calf every year.    She coaxes that calf to life after birth, getting it to stand up, teaching it to nurse.     As that calf grows alongside her, she teaches it to forage for its feed, preparing it for a seamless weaning.    She does this every year into a great older age.     No cow gets “old” unless she has good reproductive genes.     Any son she raises should have half his genetic makeup from her;  hopefully, it includes the natural fertility genes.

These kinds of cows produce the “maternal trait” bulls.     As much as you can, get your cows bred to enough “maternal trait” sires that their heifers meet your annual replacement needs.    It will over time produce a less efficient cow herd if you are forced to keep heifers from the “performance type” sires, as they will be more masculine/less feminine, have bigger calves and more difficult calving, all indicators of a progressive loss of fertility (the result of “single trait selection” over multiple generations).

Using “performance” sires on “maternal” cows maintains a constant level of heterosis in your mating results, so you will get competitive growth on your male “market” calves and superior mothering ability and potential long herdlife from your female calves.     The odd female that is not “shemale” enough to be a good mother cow brings a good price in today’s fed cattle market.