Genetic market in cattle (Bull, AI, FTAI, MOET and IVP): Financial payback based on reproductive efficiency in beef and dairy herds in Brazil

Abstract

A number of reproductive biotechnologies are currently available to multiply offspring from high genetic merit animals to enhance reproductive efficiency and profitability both in dairy and beef herds. Some of these technologies such as fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI), when correctly implemented, generally allow greater reproductive performance than natural breeding. Besides the use of frozen-thawed semen during artificial insemination, cattle recipients can also be synchronized to receive embryos (produced in vivo or in vitro) at set dates with fertility results that usually outperforms natural breeding as well as artificial insemination (AI), particularly during warm seasons and in repeat breeders cows. Altogether, the use of hormonal programs to synchronize ovulation time simplify field routine, can easily fix physiological limitations related to postpartum anestrus (beef cows), poor estrus detection efficiency due to less evident estrus signs (dairy cows), making AI and ET viable to commercial herds both in terms of results and economical returns.