At a Glance:
- Farm: Dary farm split by two units Bach Y Graig & Bryn Gwyn Hall
- Herd Size: 500 cows across two units
- System: Block calving (8-week and 10-week blocks)
Making every calf count
Gareth Roberts runs two high-performing dairy units in North Wales, Bach Y Graig and Bryn Gwyn Hall, milking 250 cows on each. With tight Autumn block calving windows (8 and 10 weeks), efficiency is everything.
“We rear all our replacement heifers and send them away at 9 months old, which then come back back in-calf” Gareth explains.
Moving to 100% Sexed Semen
Four years ago, Gareth began using sexed semen to improve their herd replacement strategy. In the last two years, they transitioned fully to Genus ABS Sexcel Sexed Semen for both dairy and beef.
The decision? Driven by fertility performance and calf value.
“We’ve now gone 100% sexed for both dairy and beef. We’re seeing conception rates of 62% with dairy heifers overall, up to 68% on first lactation cows, and Sexcel Male Beef is performing consistently well in both units” Gareth says.
To find out more on how to tailor your breeding strategy to incorporate Sexcel Male Beef reach out to your local Genus ABS representative.
Conception rates that deliver
With Genus ABS’ Reproductive Management System (RMS) in place, both units are achieving strong fertility results across the board:
Bach Y Graig (8-week block):
- Dairy Female Sexcel: 62% overall, 68% on 1st lactation
- Male Sexed Beef: 41% overall
- Overall Conception Rate: 56%, with Pregnancy Rate of 34%
Bryn Gwyn Hall (10-week block):
- Male Sexed Beef: 49% overall, 56% on 1st lactation
- Conventional Beef: 52% conception rate
- Overall Conception Rate: 50%, Pregnancy Rate 32%
Calf value that pays off
For Gareth, the financial gains of using Sexcel Male Beef semen are clear.
“We figured out that even though male sexed straws are a bit more expensive, the calf value more than pays for that. Our local buyers want bull calves, and selling in batches of 20, the value really adds up.”
The move to male sexed beef semen has helped the farm consistently deliver higher-value calves, while not compromising of calving ease which is especially important in our flying herd systems. “We’ve used bulls like Fletcher for his calving ease, because we don’t want big calves from beef straws.”
The Bigger Picture: Breeding for Profit
At an average of 7,500 litres per cow and strong milk components, Gareth’s breeding programme is designed to support both milk production and long-term herd profitability. The shift to 100% sexed semen and strategic use of Sexcel beef is giving him more control over replacement rates, fertility, and calf income.
Want to explore how Sexcel Male Beef can work in your system?
Talk to your Genus ABS representative today or click here to find out more.
