Search our website enhanced by Google.
How dairy inseminations will impact calf numbers
Wednesday, 7 July 2021
By Chris Gooderham
The results from our genetic team’s latest survey of breeding companies shows sales of sexed dairy semen doubled over the last two years. In the dairy herd, we have recently seen an increase in dairy youngstock numbers being registered. What impact are semen sales expected to have on the number of calves being born in the dairy herd over the coming months?
Since the start of 2020, births of dairy female calves have been increasing year on year. Expectation is that this trend will continue through to the end of 2021. The use of more sexed dairy semen will increase the number of dairy females born, with our estimate showing a 7% rise in 2021 compared with 2020.
The opposite is true for dairy male calves. Expectations are that the recent downwards trend in births of dairy males will continue. In 2020, dairy male registrations were down 13% compared with 2019. Our expectation is that this reduction will accelerate, with an estimated 19% drop in 2021 compared with 2020. That is equivalent to 46k fewer dairy males compared with the year before.
For beef crosses, the picture is slightly different. Over recent years the number of beef cross calves born has been rising. In 2020, there were 3.7% more (26k head) more registered than in 2019. However, our expectation is the number of beef cross calves born will reduce in 2021, by around 2%.
These projections will feed into our dairy and beef Agri-market outlooks, which are due out at the end of July.
Sign up to receive the latest information from AHDB.
While AHDB seeks to ensure that the information contained on this webpage is accurate at the time of publication, no warranty is given in respect of the information and data provided. You are responsible for how you use the information. To the maximum extent permitted by law, AHDB accepts no liability for loss, damage or injury howsoever caused or suffered (including that caused by negligence) directly or indirectly in relation to the information or data provided in this publication.
All intellectual property rights in the information and data on this webpage belong to or are licensed by AHDB. You are authorised to use such information for your internal business purposes only and you must not provide this information to any other third parties, including further publication of the information, or for commercial gain in any way whatsoever without the prior written permission of AHDB for each third party disclosure, publication or commercial arrangement. For more information, please see our Terms of Use and Privacy Notice or contact the Director of Corporate Affairs at info@ahdb.org.uk © Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board. All rights reserved.
Topics:
Sectors:
Tags: