Sexed semen gives Australian dairy farmers a 90% chance of producing a female calf.
This means you can generate more heifer calves from your best cows. Meanwhile, you are free to generate more non-replacement animals from poorer performing animals, with potential to tap into the beef market.
We contract Sexing Technologies (STgenetics) to sex-sort our bull semen for AI. Sexing Technologies uses state-of-the-art equipment and specialty media to ensure the best possible chances of conception.
A selection of LIC’s top bulls are available in Ultraplus™ sexed semen. We have Jersey, Holstein Friesian and KiwiCross® sexed bull semen available for sale to dairy farmers in Australia.
Benefits of sexed semen
As part of a well-managed breeding programme sexed semen can help you:
- Breed your herd’s next generation from your best cows
- Get more high genetic merit heifer calves from LIC’s sexed semen bulls
- Boost genetic gain
- Reduce male dairy calf numbers
- Create opportunities from surplus calves
- Target the market with beef-cross calves
- Drive more profit to your bottom line.
Considerations when using sexed semen
There are wider considerations to keep in mind to optimise sexed semen use on dairy farming operations.
A New Zealand trial showed that frozen sexed semen thawed at room temperature averaged 13% lower conception rates compared to conventional semen.
Europe and US trials showed that frozen sexed semen thawed at 37 degrees Celsius and inseminated 16 hours after a standing heat resulted in a 3% to 6% difference between sexed and conventional semen.*
Execute a well-managed plan to reap the benefits of sexed semen:
- Mate yearling heifers to sexed semen as they have higher conception rates than milking cows
– Choose bulls suitable for yearling mating
– Pregnancy scan early to identify cows in-calf to AI bulls - Mate heifers 10 days before the main herd
- Avoid mix-ups by calving cows in-calf to AI bulls separately to cows in-calf to stock bulls
- Use strict criteria when selecting cows for sexed semen. For example, young, high genetic merit, healthy, early-calved and cycling cows
- Mate selected cows before your herds mating start date. Move the mating start date forward if necessary
- Ensure herd fertility is high before you consider using sexed semen
- Be certain cows are on full standing heat before mating with sexed semen. If you’re unsure use a conventional straw
- Have plenty of stock bulls ready to cover returning cows. For example, two teams of one bull to three non-pregnant cows if using two-year-old bulls, plus spares
- Follow STgenetics handling and insemination instructions for Ultraplus sexed semen.
*Trial information provided by STgenetics
