Natural Service versus Estrous Synchronization and AI
by Ryon S. Walker, Regional Extension Educator – Beef, University of Minnesota
This time of year producers are planning their summer breeding season schedules. In the months prior to the breeding season, producers are fine tuning their herd bull management. Every year the question always sits in the back of most producers’ minds whether they should try using estrus synchronization and artificial insemination (AI) this year. However, the lack of change and a producer’s management goals usually persuade the use of natural service breeding over estrus synchronization and AI from year to year. The question remains, if goals such as length of a calving season, reproduction, growth or carcass performance are being achieved with natural service breeding, why change. Remember there are pros and cons to both natural service versus estrus synchronization and AI. Utilizing natural service requires management of factors affecting fertility of bulls such as nutrition, health, injury and age and having to purchase herd bull replacements of superior quality and genetics can become costly to a producer as well.
