€1,500-per-cow loss from poor breeding strategies

Poor breeding strategies are costing some dairy farmers up to €1,500 per cow in lost income, the ICOS national conference was told in Dublin.

Bernard Eivers, chief executive, National Cattle Breeding Centre, told delegates only 35% of the national dairy cow herd is bred by artificial insemination (AI).

In Holland 86% of the herd is bred by A.I. while the figure for New Zealand is 75%.