Research has found that having semen from three bulls in one straw can increase dairy farmers’ average 56-day Non-Return Rate (NRR) by 4.2 per cent.

The research was carried out in The Netherlands by CRV in partnership with the Belgian Blue Group. Initial trial results are based on NRR data from over 1,000 inseminations using CRV Fertabull Belgian Blue.

This improved NRR means for every 100 inseminations, at least four more cows will get in calf using CRV’s Fertabull when compared with average conventional straws.

Fertabull straws contain semen from multiple sires, lengthening the life of the semen in the straws and giving cows a greater chance to get in calf.

CRV Genetics Product Manager (NZ Market) Mitchell Koot says the research findings are good news for dairy farmers looking to tighten up calving patterns, reduce bobby calf numbers and breed higher-value dairy beef calves from their lowest genetic merit cows.

“This large-scale trial backs up the results that CRV’s New Zealand farmers have been experiencing since the introduction of CRV Fertabull more than 20 years ago,” he says.

CRV has provided New Zealand farmers with CRV Fertabull Hereford for over 20 years and more recently has introduced CRV Fertabull Angus with dairy beef partners Focus Genetics. This season CRV is offering Fertabull Belgian Blue from the same bulls that were used in the Dutch trial.

CRV currently has 20 breeds of dairy beef for farmers to choose from. These range from breeds with easy to identify coat markings, such as Hereford and Belgian Blue, to breeds with high growth rates that appeal to beef finishers, such as Charolais, Angus and Stabilizer.

“CRV’s dairy beef Fertabull (Hereford, Angus, Charolais and Belgian Blue) remain the most popular options within the respective breeds to give dairy farmers the best chance of getting cows in calf,” says Mitchell.