May 21, 2021

A genetic approach to improved fertility

In April 2025, the US dairy genetic base was updated to reflect the amount of genetic progress made since the last base change five years ago.

A genetic approach to improved fertility

Improved fertility on your farm makes good business sense. But don’t leave pregnancy to chance. Take advantage of the genetic edge you have available to you.

1. CREATE MORE PREGNANCIES NOW

If you’re looking for a fertility advantage on inseminations today, sire fertility rankings are where you’ll want to focus. The Alta CONCEPT PLUS sire fertility evaluation ranks each sire on his ability to get cows pregnant. In fact, regardless which semen type you use in your breeding strategy, you’ll find high fertility CONCEPT PLUS options to fit.

Why should you trust Alta’s CONCEPT PLUS ratings? They are based on real pregnancy check results from progressive dairy herds throughout North America. The evaluation also maintains accuracy by accounting for factors like number of times bred, month/season, technician and breeding code effects.

  1. Improve conception rates now by using sires with the high fertility CONCEPT PLUS rating to boost your herd’s current conception rates.
  2. Improve fertility of your future herd by including DPR and/or HCR and CCR in your customized genetic plan.

To learn more about Alta Concept Plus speak with your Alta Rep or click here. 

  • CONCEPT PLUS DxD
    high fertility sires will give you a 2%-5% greater chance at creating a pregnancy with conventional semen.

  • CONCEPT PLUS 511
    high fertility SexedULTRA sires offer a 4%-9% conception rate advantage over the average sexed bull

  • CONCEPT PLUS BxD
    high fertility beef x dairy sires give you a 2%-5% greater chance at creating a conventional pregnancy than the average beef bull used on dairy cows.

If you’re more familiar with sire conception rate (SCR), keep in mind that Alta’s CONCEPT PLUS 511 evaluation is more complete, current, and consistent – and actually served as a basis for SCR. The info below compares each evaluation.

How does this genetic base change compare to previous base changes?

We’ve made more genetic progress in the past five years than during any other five-year span in recent history.

The charts below show the base change numbers for 2025, 2020, 2015, and 2010. As you can see from the charts, the base change in 2025 is significantly more for most traits than it was for previous base changes.

That means we’ve made more progress over the last five years than during any other five-year span in recent history.

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