In Central Kentucky, where beef cattle are a cornerstone of the agricultural economy the Marion and Washington County Cooperative Extension offices, in partnership with the Loretto Motherhouse, hosted a Beef Reproduction Field Day.

Held in May, the field day brought together 42 participants from across the region to dive deep into reproductive strategies. Dr. Les Anderson, University of Kentucky Extension Beef Specialist, guided attendees through the science and practice of pregnancy checking methods, including rectal palpation and tail bleeding, and discussed how to synchronize herds effectively for controlled breeding seasons. Participants were then able to try their hand at inserting CIDRs, pulling blood, and palpating. Each participant was also able to leave the field day with a chute side pregnancy test to utilize on their herd. 

Post-event survey results underscored the impact:

• 93% of respondents reported an increase in knowledge of beef cattle reproduction, with 56% rating their learning a “5” on a 5-point scale.
• 86% of participants reported increased awareness of estrus synchronization protocols, a key to herd reproductive success.
• 93% expressed stronger understanding of the importance of controlling calving seasons, with one participant stating, “It’s clear now how timing impacts the entire operation.”

With strong participant feedback and clear educational gains, the Beef Reproduction Field Day reinforced the value of Extension-led, experience-based learning. As one attendee put it, “You can read about this stuff all day—but getting to actually do it made all the difference.”