Nearly 200 producers, veterinarians, researchers, artificial insemination technicians and Extension specialists met in Fort Collins, Colo., Dec. 2-3 to discuss ways to control and improve reproductive success in beef cattle. Presentations at the “Robert E. Taylor Memorial Symposium: Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle” ranged from improving pregnancy rates in natural-service programs to opportunities for using DNA technology to improve reproductive efficiency.
Tuesday morning workshops were designed to improve understanding of the physiological processes of the estrous cycle, currently available procedures to synchronize estrus and ovulation, and the proper application of these systems. Tuesday afternoon's presenters explored the role of management and nutrition on reproductive rates.
Highlighting Tuesday's sessions were a keynote address by Ivan Rush, professor emeritus with the University of Nebraska, discussing why commercial cattlemen have been slow to adopt AI as a management tool and a producer panel describing the benefits and limitations of AI in three real-world settings.
Presenters Wednesday addressed male fertility, procedural and health-related factors affecting reproductive rates, as well as the value of using improved genetics and a futuristic look at potential advancements in assessing reproductive traits in beef cattle.
Visit the symposium newsroom at www.AppliedReproStrategies.com for summaries of the presentations, along with accompanying PowerPoint and audio files.
The symposium is co-sponsored by Colorado State University and the Beef
Reproduction Task Force, which is comprised of Extension animal scientists from Kansas
State University, the University of Nebraska, South Dakota State University,
Iowa State University, the University of Idaho, the
University of Illinois, the University of Florida and the University
of Missouri with support from several industry sponsors.
Online coverage of the symposium is provided by Angus Productions
Inc., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the American Angus Association®.
