The issue of the unwanted dairy bull calf is a financial and ethical concern for many dairy farmers looking to efficiently breed and rear replacement heifers.

SexedULTRA 4M is a product designed to double the amount of female sperm cells in an average sexed semen straw, giving a product that rivals conventional semen on conception rates with many UK farmers achieving this.

Compared to some competitor technology which uses a laser to kills male cells, leaving the dead cells in the straw, Cogent’s technology sorts the cells of the desired gender into separate containers. The gender accuracy of the calving’s has been consistently above 90% due to the innovative sorting technology ensuring successful separation of cells.

A tool employed by Cogent, the sexed semen calculator, estimates the difference in profit when switching to a sexed semen strategy. In many cases the cost benefit to using this strategy adds a worth of up to 1ppl in calf revenue with 70% beef calves born in the herd, an increase from 50% in a conventional semen strategy. With a genetic gain in the female replacements, an additional £11.60 per lactation per year can be achieved.

Using an appropriate strategy and management SexedULTRA 4M is not only a profitable choice but also eliminates ethical and management concerns for the farmer.