The History of A.I. – Stone Age to Present

By Michael Sleeper, Associate Vice President of International Marketing, CRI 

Being one of the longer tenured (i.e. older) members of CRI’s International Marketing team, it is interesting to reflect on all that has transpired in the time I have served the artificial insemination (A.I.) industry. It is fitting I am writing this now, because my 36th anniversary of employment with CRI and its predecessors was earlier this summer. When I started in the industry, I couldn’t imagine five years in the job, let alone nearly four decades!

It is fascinating to reflect on the many changes and advancements I have been privileged to be part of: 

Marketing concepts. When I began my career, there were more than 20 independent A.I. companies in the U.S.; today there are five major U.S. suppliers. Early on, most sales occurred within a regional membership area of each cooperative. Today, with the consolidation of A.I. companies, many of those membership regions have expanded.

Michael Sleeper, at right, looks over the cows at
Schmidt's Ponderosa, a GENESIS Cooperative Herd,
with herd owner Paul Schmidt and an international visitor.

International sales. International sales from U.S. studs hardly existed 35 years ago. A few aggressive breeders in a few countries came to the U.S. and asked if they could buy semen; we willingly complied. In those first years, we were warned to not become too dependent on those sales as they would surely never last. Today, more than 50% of the total U.S. semen doses are exported.

Genetic evaluations. In the earliest years, there was much debate regarding the merits of “breeder proven” versus “random sampled A.I.” bulls. As with most changes, there were some hard earned lessons; in this instance, it was as "elite" bulls crashed and burned when their A.I. daughters entered the proofs.

The A.I. sampled bulls weren’t perfect either. At Atlantic Breeders, my second stop in the industry, we earned industry-leading recognition for “40 in 40,” the idea that having 40 daughters in 40 herds was a measure of confidence and stability. The idea that we could look inside chromosomes and genes to get an accurate evaluation of an individual animal seemed to be science fiction.

The late 1970s brought dramatic advancement in genetic evaluations. Research at leading land grant universities coupled with advancing computer technology allowed for significant advancements in database management, statistical calculations, and the identification and evaluation of many innovative genetic traits. That trend continues today. 

Gender-sorted semen. In 1968 or 1969, there was a one page advert in the Holstein World, saying to watch for breaking news on sexed semen. I personally knew a couple of people who marketed products that were supposedly able to alter the gender ratio; the shelf life was about nine months! It took more than three decades to finally have a product in the marketplace. Today, it is a growing mainstay within the dairy cattle industry.

Michael Sleeper points out Genex sires' daughters
during an international tour of U.S. beef ranches.

Beef. I have to conclude with my newfound passion! Who would have thought a dairy boy from southern Minnesota would be fully engrossed in global beef marketing by the end of his career? In the earliest days of my A.I. industry involvement, we witnessed the boom of “exotic breeds.” Simmental, Fleckvieh, Limousin, Charolais, Chianina, Maine Anjou, Pinzgauer, etc. made a grand entry from Europe. A lot of money was made on these breeds for a few years. Then much of the industry turned to other breeds. The industry is embracing EPDs, A.I., adaptable breed composition, efficiency and profit-directed productivity. Sound science, logic and common sense are prevailing.

These are a few of the things that readily come to mind when I reflect on my 36+ years in the industry. I anticipate, and eagerly look forward to, additional innovations in the coming years. One cannot help but wonder where our industry will be in another 10, 20, 30 or even 36 more years. One thing is certain – the cattle industry is constantly growing and evolving. Get aboard and enjoy the ride!

Through Michael's travels with CRI, he has visited many different countries and experienced many
different cultures. He is pictured at left examining a herd of beef cattle in Colombia.