The increasing cost of cattle production has made producers take a proactive approach to cutting the costs for carrying unproductive cows for a calendar year.  One effort to ensure that cows can be productive is to ensure that they are bred during the proper time of the year.  

Grant County cattle producers have drawn on current market conditions with the Extension Agents for Agriculture in Grant Counties developed and implemented a series of educational programs on nutrition, evaluation and selection strategies for herd sires .  Agents and producers coordinated with a local veterinarian and hosted a Breeding Soundness Evaluation for herd sires.  

Through participation in the programs producers understand that by having this procedure performed on their breeding sires that they are partially insuring the farm's production crop for the following year.  

 In 2023, 17 herd sires that have been tested for duty this year were expected to cover 840 breeding females.   Based on current calf prices of $1200 per head the potential loss for the county's beef producers was $1,008,000.00.   Two of the animals tested were not considered duty fit as a result the farmer can replace these animals and know that they will get their females bred and ensure the returns of a calf crop in 2024. A follow-up assessment was completed by the producers completing the series and examination.  Participants reported that 100% would make informed choices as to the size of their cattle production enterprise from information presented.  Additionally, 85% had implemented at least one of the principles discussed in their choices for selecting a herd sire.    Respondents also indicated a greater need for marketing opportunities for utilizing similar genetics.   All participants indicated that they will continue to have bulls examined and vaccinated prior to the breeding season.