Fewer Heifers Mean Higher Stakes for Reproduction
- ZISK
- 2 days ago
- 1 min read
Over the last 20 years, reproduction in dairy herds has changed in ways that were hard to imagine two decades ago. Pregnancy rates that once sat in the low teens are now climbing to levels that have reshaped how farms manage breeding decisions.
“We’ve seen average preg rates go from 13% to 14% to herds that now push 40%,” says Paul Fricke, professor and Extension specialist at the University of Wisconsin-Madison, on a recent Dairy Health Blackbelt podcast. “That’s why we’re using sexed semen and beef semen. It’s changed everything.”
However, that progress comes with a tradeoff. As sexed semen is used more strategically and beef semen fills in elsewhere, farms are raising fewer replacement heifers. According to Fricke, that makes it harder to absorb mistakes.
By Taylor Leach
Updated January 06, 2026 04:01 PM
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