Milking around 650 cows, Suzanne and Maurice run a predominantly crossbred herd with a slight lean toward Jersey, a balance that reflects both efficiency and adaptability within their system.
For the past five years, the farm has quietly built confidence using sexed semen in its heifers. The results were encouraging - with promising conception rates and a consistent lift in heifer calf numbers. But the real test came this season, when Suzanne says they decided to take the approach across a much larger portion of the herd.
“The in-calf rates we noticed from sexed semen in the heifers were positive. So, we thought, let’s actually bite the bullet and try this across the herd.”
That decision marked a significant shift, not only in their mating strategy, but in how the farm captures value from every calf born.
A different approach
The new approach was quickly put into action. The first 340 of their cows were inseminated with sexed semen, with the goal of producing around 90% heifer calves from that group. Around 65 lower Production Worth (PW) cows or those with poorer udders, were bred to beef.
It was a calculated split, designed to lift the value of every calf while still accelerating genetic gain within the herd.
By the end of the second week of AB, they had a 64% herd conception rate from using fresh sexed semen. Remaining cows were mated to conventional semen, followed by short gestation Hereford, before Hereford bulls were introduced after six weeks to catch any cows that had been missed.
Suzanne says she worked out the farm would end up with around 300 non-replacement calves.
But the strategy isn’t just about improvements for this season. By breeding replacements primarily from the most fertile cows, the Hanning’s expectation is that herd fertility and calving patterns will continue to tighten over time.
Whether it delivers exactly as expected remains to be seen. But early data shows positive signs with their 6 week in-calf rate up 9% on last year.
Focusing on the basics
Before mating even began, Suzanne says the couple focused on getting the fundamentals right.
"We revisited every single detail and aspect of our mating approach to see if there were areas we could do better.”
Body condition score was closely monitored through winter, with three-year-olds wintered separately so they could be managed more carefully. Historically, that age group had a lower in-calf rate, so the team focused on ensuring they entered mating in ideal condition.
Other steps included:
- Blood testing to check trace element levels
- Adjusting mineral supplementation, including additional iodine
- Multiple rounds of MetriCheck® testing after calving
- Treating infections early where needed
- Using heat detection patches
- Careful observation of cows before mating
Suzanne says they also implemented a dedicated “picker” system during mating which involved the same person standing on the platform every day for six weeks, identifying cows on heat.
“It sounds tedious, but if you’re spending an extra $10,000 on AB, you want to make sure you’re mating the right cows.”
Short returns were double checked, the herd was drenched with Cydectin in September, and lime flour dusting continued through to Christmas. The Hanning’s also started doing Johne’s testing about four years ago.
“We stepped up doing the basics really well to support strong conception rates with sexed semen. We prepared everything for mating so the only thing that could influence the in-calf result is the semen itself.”
Long-term breeding philosophy
Since converting back to dairying nearly 20 years ago, Suzanne says her and Maurice have consistently focused on improving their herd by culling the bottom and breeding from the best animals.
“The best way to genetically improve your herd is to cull the bottom,” she says. “Ever since we've been dairying, we have taken the bottom out continuously. We've done 25% replacements and sold surplus heifer calves.”
Over time that steady selection pressure has produced a herd Suzanne describes as “reasonably tidy.”
Steeped in more than 150 years of history, she says the farm itself has come full circle over time. “It actually started off as a dairy farm which was converted to sheep and beef in the 60s. Then, somewhat ironically, returned to dairy in 2007/08.”
Today, that long history underpins a modern, performance-focused system, one where breeding decisions are increasingly strategic, and every mating carries more intent.
The Hanning’s breeding focus has largely centered on Breeding Worth (BW) and trusting national breeding systems to balance multiple traits rather than chasing individual characteristics.
“When you focus too narrowly on one thing, you can lose sight of everything else,” she says. “If companies have been focused on breeding for hundreds of years and different people have been working in those companies and trying their best all that time, there can't be too much rubbish left!”
For other farmers thinking about adopting a similar approach, Suzanne stresses that success won’t come from just one change.
“It’s not a silver bullet,” she says. “You have to do lots of little things well, to get the one thing right."
