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Page Contents: Overview | In Focus | Funding |
Partners | Events | Results/Impacts
| Resources | Contacts
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Reproductive efficiency is the major factor that affects profitability in many livestock production systems. For example, the fertility of domestic ruminants (cattle and sheep), even under optimal conditions, is only about 50 percent. Inefficient reproduction may be caused by numerous factors, including: 1) increased genetic selection for meat or milk production traits, 2) early embryonic and fetal loss, 3) failure to reach puberty at an optimum age or an inability of young females to conceive early in the breeding season, 4) environmental stressors such as temperature extremes or changes in photoperiod (day and night cycle), 5) production of sperm with a low potential for fertilization, or 6) limited sex drive. The ability of livestock to reproduce efficiently affects the economic livelihood of producers and can ultimately affect the consumer cost of meat and other animal products. CSREES provides national leadership and funding opportunities to conduct basic and applied research to control reproductive efficiency, educate future livestock and poultry producers and professionals, and transfer research-based management practices to livestock and poultry producers through extension and outreach efforts.
In Focus
Partnerships
Events
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VIIIth International Conference on Pig Reproduction, Banff, Alberta, Canada, May 31-June 4, 2009.
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North American Colleges and Teachers of Agriculture/CSREES-SERD Conference, Stillwater, OK, June 17-20, 2009.
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Joint annual meeting of US and Canadian animal and dairy science societies, Montreal, Canada, July 12-16, 200
See all…
Selected Results and Impacts
Resources
Contacts
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Last Updated: January 15, 2009
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