Boost your dairy farm profits with LIC International’s Short Gestation Length (SGL) semen.
Our SGL bulls are selectively bred to shorten gestation length. So you can shorten your calving period, give your late-calving cows more chance of getting back in-calf and increase your days in milk. It all adds up to an improved bottom line.
Benefits of SGL bulls
More compact calving
SGL can get calves on the ground earlier than normal gestation length bulls. This is an effective way to compact your calving period and bring your late calving cows forward.
More cows in-calf
Cows that calve early in a herd’s calving period have more time to recover and cycle before mating season. This increases their chances of getting back in calf to artificial insemination (AI) and reduces empty rates.
More days in milk
When your herd’s calving spread is compacted, you can benefit from more days in milk which SGL can give you. If there is one thing every dairy farmer needs, it’s milk.
More control with AI
Extending your AI programme with SGL gives you the option to eliminate or reduce the costs and risks involved in using natural mating bulls.
Understanding gestation length
All our sires have a gestation length breeding value (BV).
It’s expressed in days. A negative number means a shorter-than-average gestation length.  
Bulls pass on half their gestation length BV to their offspring. For example, if a bull’s BV is -20 his calves are likely to be born 10 days early.
SGL products
SGL Hereford
LIC and leading NZ Hereford breeders, Shrimpton’s Hill Herefords, have developed easy-calving and easily identifiable Hereford sires that reduce gestation length. This means dairy farmers have more valuable calves to offer the beef industry and you save valuable time identifying calves.  
SGL + BW
Our SGL + Breeding Worth (BW) bulls are a win-win. They give you shorter gestation as well as sound genetic merit for heifer calf replacements. These SGL sires have been rigorously tested to ensure their traits are passed on to their offspring, to improve the overall efficiency of your herd.