Many dairy farms use artificial insemination with sexed semen to reduce male (bobby) calves, but lower conception rates and limited genetic choices have slowed wider adoption.

There are a number of advantages and disadvantages to using artificial insemination with sexed semen on dairy farms.

Artificial insemination with sexed semen is being used on many dairy farms to increase the number of heifers born (female calves). As of 2022, nearly 90% of Australian dairy farms use artificial insemination, and nearly 50% using some sexed semen to reduce the number of male calves born. 

The advantage of using sexed semen is that 90% of calves conceived are female. Farmers are strategically using sexed semen for their most fertile cows in order to reduce the number of bobby calves (mostly male calves) produced.

Although technology is continually improving, some disadvantages remain. These include:

• Lower fertility – the process of sorting semen damages sperm, resulting in lower conception rates.
• Limited genetic choices – sexed semen is only available for a limited number of bulls, which limits access to specific traits or the ability to reduce inbreeding.
• Too many female calves – only a certain number of heifers are needed to maintain a herd. It can be difficult to find buyers for surplus female calves.

If all farms only used sexed semen, too many heifers would be born each year resulting in an unsustainable oversupply.

Increasingly, farmers are also using beef genetics to improve the value of the calves as beef animals. These animals can then be grown out to enter the beef supply chain.