Create Value, Build Trust, Deliver Results
Alta fertility
ConceptPlus – leads the way
High, low, or accurate…what do you prefer when it comes to a fertility evaluation? High or low are just a guess
without an accurate evaluation. The need for accuracy drove us to develop the first sire fertility evaluation in the
AI industry back in 2001.
ConceptPlus maintains its claim as the most accurate sire fertility evaluation for two main reasons. First, it is only
based on real pregnancy check data, rather than non-return rates. And second, the ConceptPlus data we gather
from Dairy Comp 305 comes solely from large, progressive herds throughout the US and Canada. This data is
unbiased, complete, and contains large data sets for more accurate and thorough comparisons. And in order to
keep evaluations current and complete, we only use data from the most recent 48 months.
The USDA released its own official sire fertility evaluation called Sire Conception Rate (SCR) seven years later, in
2008. SCR was created, using ConceptPlus as a model, and is also based on known breeding outcomes, rather than
non-return rates. However, SCR data is collected in both large and small herds, where individual cow treatment,
environmental challenges and management intensity vary widely, increasing the chance of bias in the evaluation.
SCR helped close the gap between the industry and our ConceptPlus program, but the additional variables we take
into account to maintain the utmost accuracy with ConceptPlus keep us always a step ahead.
This is why, even though we controlled the highest percentage of high fertility SCR sires, we were the first
organization in the industry to make the conscious decision to forego SCR evaluations. One other AI company has
followed suit in excluding themselves from the SCR evaluations. We now continue to maintain ConceptPlus as our
exclusive method for evaluating sire fertility.
ConceptPlus also takes into account
technician and breeding code effects. The
technician doing the breeding can have a big
impact on a sire’s performance. The fact is AI
guns don’t get cows pregnant – people do!
Unlike SCR, our ConceptPlus evaluation
accounts for these differences which can
make a substantial impact on a sire’s fertility.
It’s more than the evaluation
SCR
ConceptPlus
Conception Rate evaluations based
on real preg check results


Accuracy (accounts for factors like
herd, year, month)


Accuracy (accounts for OTHER factors
affecting sire fertility)

Consistent data integrity

Fertility leadership comes from much more than a top-notch evaluation. The people collecting, evaluating,
packaging and distributing semen, along with the strict processes, innovative fertility trials and standard operating
procedures we follow all make our sire fertility second to none.
Just as cows need an ideal environment to maximize milk production bulls need an environment conducive to
producing high volumes of quality semen. Our production team does everything in its power to create such an
environment for our bulls. Quality nutrition, state-of-the-art-facilities and highly trained staff contribute to the
health, fertility and overall success of our sires in collection.
To maximize the customer experience with our product, the decision to cull bulls performing below our fertility
standards is generally an easy one. Our level of commitment to sire fertility has shown through when we’ve culled
highly marketable sires for fertility reasons due to the simple fact that customers will not be satisfied if that bull
does not create a pregnancy. Rare cases warrant a bull to stick around, despite low fertility.
A bull like AltaGREATEST is well below average for sire fertility, but still joined our daughter-proven sire lineup as
the #5 TPI sire in the whole industry. Our transparency about his poor fertility allows producers to weigh their
options when it comes to genetic merit versus sire fertility.
Create Value, Build Trust, Deliver Results
Quality is global
We have semen production labs in four of the seven continents, and multiple labs within those countries.
Regardless of location, our team works to ensure our product maintains fertility excellence. This means we process
and evaluate semen the same way in our lab in Conrich, Alberta as in our Alta CIALE lab in Argentina.
Every single ejaculate is evaluated for specific sperm defects before and after processing so we can be sure every
unit from every collection from every bull contains high quality, healthy sperm cells. Just as a bull can be culled for
low fertility so can an ejaculate. There’s no hesitation to make the expensive decision and cull an ejaculate worth
up to several thousand dollars, if the sample is below our standards.
In addition to testing every ejaculate for post-thaw survival, our lab and production staff use ConceptPlus as an
indicator to manage semen production and quality. We monitor fertility performance where it matters most – in
the field.
The gold standard – ConceptPlus
The inception of the Advantage program over 13 years ago marks the start of our charge toward industry-leading
sire fertility. As large, progressive farms throughout the US and Canada, who are also concerned about getting
cows pregnant, join the Advantage program, we are able to use their real preg check data to evaluate the
performance of semen products on farm. Our objective is to prove fertility in the commercial environments where
the semen is predominantly used.
Since its beginning, the ConceptPlus sire fertility
evaluation has delivered on that objective, and as
a result, has been fully embraced by customers as
the industry gold standard for fertility
performance.
ConceptPlus rating
Average sire fertility
5 Star ConceptPlus
4.0 % above average
4 Star ConceptPlus
1.4% above average
3 Star
Average fertility
Each sire is given a fertility rating of one through
2 Star
Below average fertility
five stars, based on the real pregnancy check data
we collect from our large, progressive Alta
1 Star
Typical cull based on fertility
Advantage partners. The table here shows the
average fertility of the sires for each rating. Only those bulls with a 4-star or 5-star status are awarded the coveted
ConceptPlus designation, ensuring a fertility advantage of up to four percent higher with the use of ConceptPlus
sires.
Producers can be confident in the use of ConceptPlus bulls to increase conception rates and fertility on their farm
and, in turn, increase their herd profitability. With the expansion of the Alta Advantage program, we are now
collecting more fertility data than ever on bulls early in their career. Our ever-growing list of ConceptPlus
designated sires is indicative of our commitment to prove fertility for even the newest additions to our lineup.