Improve your herd’s profitability with sexed semen

Using sexed semen is an excellent way to optimise your herd’s performance both from a genetic and management perspective. How can you achieve higher genetic progress in your herd and maximise the return on investment?

There are several genetic aspects in using X-Vik that will ensure a higher genetic gain from one generation to the next.

VikingGenetics' bulls deliver a strong genetic gain thanks to well-designed breeding schemes with a focus on improving health, production and efficiency. This gain will be transmitted into your herd with a delay of one generation.

Below you can see the genetic gain from bulls and the delay in your cows, and how you can close the generation gap between bulls and your herd by making the plan for “on-farm” selection and breeding decisions.

Using X-Vik semen on your best animals will optimise progress in your herd. You ensure that the next generation comes from the best cows and you exclude the poorest genetics from the future production animals. This leads to more genetically superior animals that are well-suited for your production environment and thereby deliver a better profit.

Breeding on farm level

The correct proportion of X-Vik semen differs from farm to farm. First, you should have a good reproduction level in your herd. If you struggle to impregnate your animals, X-Vik semen is probably not the best option due to the higher cost, and you are better off using conventional semen.

You benefit from X-Vik semen with good reproduction. The proportions of X-Vik and beef semen depends on how precise you are in your selection. Using high X-Vik and beef semen will speed up genetic gain, but you must ensure that you obtain enough offspring for replacements.

Below you can see the different breeding plans you can make on your animals – X-Vik, conventional, beef (Y-Vik and conventional) and slaughter. The dotted vertical lines show that the proportions can be adjusted based on your herd’s situation and goals.

With the help of a simulation software, you can make the optimal decision based on realised data from your own herd.

From the management perspective, using X-Vik helps you get an even distribution of heifers calving in or ensure group calving, if that is desirable.

Do not compromise on genetic level

It is very important to stress that you should have the same quality requirements in terms of the genetic level to the semen you use - no matter if it is X-Vik or conventional semen.

In VikingGenetics' bull line-up you can find the right bulls for your herd.

Have a look at the top-ranking bulls from the X-Vik list:

VikingRed: VR Thiago (NTM +30)
VikingJersey: VJ Janko (NTM +23)
VikingHolstein: VH Nader (gNTM +43)

The bulls on the X-Vik list have a high genetic level.

Average NTM for Top 10 X-Vik bulls

VikingRed NTM +30
VikingJersey NTM +24
VikingHolstein NTM +36

Indeed, it is a great opportunity to use X-Vik semen with a high genetic level, no matter what breed you prefer, to make your business more profitable

Quality semen

With X-Vik, you are tapping into more than a decade of expertise and data collection. Over the years, VikingGenetics has obtained a unique expertise in producing quality X-Vik semen. The purity of X-Vik semen is 90%, meaning that a minimum of 90% of calves born will be females.

Statistics based on all X-Vik inseminations on the commercial farms in Denmark, Sweden and Finland shows that X-Vik provides 91-93% purity in real life. The table below shows the sex purity by breed for the last two years of animals born.

	2019	2020
VikingRed	92.0%	92.9%
VikingHolstein	91.5%	91.5%
VikingJersey	91.7%	92.7%

Constant development of quality control procedures and performance follow-up ensure high semen quality measured by conception rate. The experience in the barn and lab following strict protocols in semen collection, semen handling and usage of the latest equipment for sorting semen allow us to deliver a semen dose of optimal quality.

Improve your herd with X-Vik semen from VikingGenetics. Get full access to high quality genetics and secure your farm’s profitability.

See available X-Vik bulls here:

VikingHolstein

VikingRed

VikingJersey