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While achieving a 20% pregnancy rate was at one time the goal, today’s herds are striving for so much more and achieving great reproduction through improvements in genetics, sync programs, on-farm management and by elevating the plane of nutrition.
Profitability in dairy operations is directly related to reproductive performance. The results of the preferred reproductive program in the dairy farm will be used to measure essential parameters of success, for instance, decreasing replacements due to reproductive failure and increasing the number of heifers for replacement due to reproductive success.
A recent University of Wisconsin study shows the potential for greater fertility to sexed semen and improved reproductive efficiency in heifers with a specific synchronization protocol.
Voluntary waiting period (VWP) is more than just an arbitrary time frame. Even under the most ideal of circumstances, parturition is undeniably among the most strenuous actives an animal can undergo.
Training and working with many A.I. technicians – both herdsmen, inseminators and professional inseminators – reveals common mistakes that should be avoided. The following are seven points that can make or break insemination results.
Genetics are an efficient tool to achieve healthier cows and thereby contribute to empty the sick pen. Breeding gives a permanent and cumulative effect; genetic improvement achieved today is of value also for future generations.
A successful reproductive performance is fundamental to keep a dairy farm profitable. But how exactly can we measure repro success? Basically, this is measured by how fast we can turn nonpregnant cows into pregnant cows. The primary metric used to do this is by calculating the 21-day pregnancy rate (PR), which is defined by the total number of pregnant animals divided by the total number of eligible cows during a given time frame.
Most farmers and veterinarians see do not breed (DNB) cows at the end of their reproductive utility. It is true they will not produce any more calves and their life expectancy will be limited by how long they can maintain production.
When an IVF program is established, the first focus goes to donors – elite female genetics that will elevate the entire herd. Clear decisions are made about how those donors will be managed, fed, stimulated, collected and monitored.
No dairy producer has the exact same set of tools on their farm. A few core items might be similar, but every producer’s toolbox is going to look different. The same goes for a reproduction program.
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