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Economic impact of different strategies to use sex-sorted sperm for reproductive management in seasonal-calving, pasture-based dairy herds
Ruelle, E. Shalloo, L. Butler, S.T.
Ruelle, E.
Shalloo, L.
Butler, S.T.
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2021
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Ruelle E, Shalloo L, Butler ST. Economic impact of different strategies to use sex-sorted sperm for reproductive management in seasonal-calving, pasture-based dairy herds. Journal of Dairy Science 2021;104(11):11747-11758; doi https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2021-20150
Abstract
To maximize efficiency, profitability, and societal acceptance
of modern dairy production, it is important
to minimize the production of male dairy calves with
poor beef merit. One solution involves using sex-sorted
sperm (SS) to generate dairy replacements and breeding
all other cows to an easy-calving, short-gestation bull
with good beef merit. We used the Pasture Based Herd
Dynamic Milk Model to investigate the effect of herd
fertility and use of SS on farm net profit in a herd of
100 cows. This was completed by simulating herds with
differing fertility performance (good, average, poor),
and differing farm reproductive management [conventional
semen (CONV) or SS with varying pregnancy
per artificial insemination (P/AI) relative to CONV
(i.e., relative P/AI 100%, 85%, and 70%)]. As an additional
consideration, the method of allocating SS to
cows was also examined. The first option used SS on
random heifers and cows (S). The second option used
SS on heifers and targeted high-fertility cows (SSel). The
final option was similar to SSel, but used a fixed-time
artificial insemination (AI) protocol to facilitate AI on
the farm mating start date (SSync). For CONV, dairy
breed semen was used for AI until 50 animals were
pregnant (50% chance of a female calf), whereas for S,
SSel, or SSync the target number of animals successfully
conceiving with SS was set at 28 (based on assumed
90% chance of a female calf from pregnancies derived
from SS). Beef breed semen was used on all other dams.
The results indicated that the biggest effect on farm net
profit was not based on whether or not SS was used,
but instead was most affected by the overall fertility
performance of the herd. Total farm profit decreased
by 10% between the good and average fertility herds,
and decreased by a further 12% between the average
and poor fertility herds. In almost all situations, when
the relative P/AI with SS was 85%, use of SS led to
an overall increase of the farm net profit. There was an
economic benefit of using either SSel or SSync compared
with S for the average and poor fertility herds but not
for the good fertility herd, highlighting an interaction
between SS P/AI and overall herd fertility as well as
management practices. If the relative P/AI with SS was
<70%, the use of SS led to a decrease in profitability in
all simulations except for SSync, highlighting the importance
of a good management strategy for use of SS. The
findings in this study indicated that SS has significant
potential to help facilitate greater integration between
the dairy and beef production sectors, as well as increase
farm profitability when used appropriately.