DairyTalk 150: Rebuilding the Replacement Pool - Strategies for a Post–Beef-on-Dairy Era - by Helmut Demmelhuber

The U.S. dairy industry is heading toward a heifer shortage - not
because of disease or genetics, but because farmers have become
too efficient. The widespread use of sexed semen for targeted
replacements and beef semen for higher calf value has
dramatically reduced the number of dairy heifers available for
future herd growth. As data illustrates the shift away from
conventional semen, the industry now faces the challenge of
rebuilding the replacement pool before 2027. Yet projections
suggest relief by 2026, as strategic adjustments help rebalance
supply and demand. This episode unpacks the economic drivers,
risks, and long-term implications of today’s breeding choices.
With comments on a "Hoard´s Dairyman"-article (November 2025) by
Abbi Prins and Corey Geiger: https://hoards.com