Over time the knowledge and ability to get cows bred has taken tremendous strides towards greater on-farm success. Reproductive success takes effort from every angle of the dairy and starts with an understanding of pregnancy rate and the factors which impact it most.

Reproductive efficiency is a major factor for profitability in dairy herds. Artificial insemination (A.I.) is the most common practice used to breed dairy cows in the United States, accounting for approximately 78 percent of all services.

The following is the second article in a series about different activity monitoring systems currently being used on dairy operations. Click here to read the first article in the series, "Activity monitoring system researcher: ‘This is the right way’"

The lactating dairy cow is not as fertile as she once was. And the likely culprit is not going to go away. But wait, there’s hope for ol’ Bessie. This story will outline the likely reasons for the decline of dairy cow fertility and discuss reproductive management methods to help alleviate this problem.

The following is the first in a series of articles about different activity monitoring systems currently being used on dairy operations. The use of activity monitoring systems on dairies across the globe has broadened over the past 25 years, beginning with the use of pedometers and gradually expanding to allow the introduction of systems that focus solely on heat detection in dairy cattle.

Are you looking to improve your dairy herd profitability? A new program developed by University of Wisconsin-Extension and UW-Madison researchers is designed to increase farm income by enhancing the reproductive performance of a producer’s cows. Repro Money is team-based and farmer-directed with reproduction at the center of the program, according to Connie Cordoba, UW-Extension reproductive management specialist. Producers receive the resources and tools needed to make better management decisions regarding the reproductive management of their farm.

Ensuring cows are bred soon after the voluntary waiting period and subsequent open cows rebred in a timely manner is critical to the profitability of a dairy operation. Heat detection is one of the key components in the management of dairy herds. A delay in breeding either at first or repeat services will increase the number of days open and extend calving intervals. The cost of poor heat detection adds up with a greater risk of culling and reduced milk production and is the real driver of higher replacement costs, all affecting your profitability.

Utah dairywoman Maria Nye jokingly uses a line from one of the main characters from J.K. Rowling’s famous Harry Potter book series to describe what makes her A.I. and breeding program work – constant vigilance.

Cow fertility is a critical issue for modern dairy production enterprises. Dairy producers spend a lot of effort getting cows pregnant because every pregnancy is critical to the future economic success of the dairy herd.

Could reproductive performance be holding your dairy back? The primary reason for poor reproduction is the inability to determine which dairy cows are in heat and which cows are ready to be bred. With each missed heat, the number of days open increases, total annual milk production decreases and operating profits are reduced.