On the dairy, the ability to get cows pregnant is the pivot point of profitability. Herds with sound reproduction programs are able to capture opportunities for milk production and genetic progress, while those that struggle to get cows bred back in a timely manner face the costly consequences of longer days open, increased breeding and replacement costs, and risk of reproduction-related culling.

Everyone in the dairy industry is breathing a collective sigh of relief. The drought-induced feed prices are ending, and new-crop corn and beans are flowing to the dairies at substantially lower prices. However, feed costs will still be double what they were just a few years ago, while milk prices are only up 30 percent. Margins will continue to be tight, and management must find every opportunity to maximize performance in order to increase margins and profits. One of the key elements to profitability on the dairy is reproduction.

In 1920, the world began changing faster than ever before. We had just left the horse and buggy for the car, and we were starting to use machines for heavy lifting, moving dirt and building skyscrapers. Research was starting to speed up as well, and with that research came the discovery of how to use oil. We also discovered that we could make many different things from oil that would make our lives easier, faster, more efficient or less expensive. New information was the sign of the times.

Two dairy producers talked about how they use activity and rumination data captured from their monitoring systems to better manage reproduction, as well as overall herd health, in a panel discussion led by the University of Wisconsin – Madison’s Paul Fricke during the PDPW Herdsperson Conference held last week in Appleton and Wisconsin Dells, Wisconsin.

With an annual pregnancy rate of 21 percent, the herd at D&D Dairy near Rushford, Minnesota, significantly exceeded the industry average for reproductive performance. But co-owner Dean Smith knew the dairy could do better.

Over the past 60 or so years, fertility has declined in all of the major dairy breeds, including the Jersey. The historical drop in fertility has been ascribed to a variety of factors such as an increase in milk yield, changes in management and herd structure, inbreeding and lack of selection for reproduction.

Everyone wants enough replacement heifers to maintain or even grow their herd size. Producers have achieved this goal with relative ease throughout the past 20 years. While the trend during that time has shown a decline in the number of U.S. dairy cows, the heifer population has remained fairly constant. This means the heifer population as a percentage of the total cow population has been on the rise.

When you set out on a trip, it’s usually a good idea to know where you are going. When it comes to breeding cows, the same theory applies. Without knowing where you are going, how you are going to get there, or being afraid to ask for help can end up having you breeding in circles.