A look back at the original research methods used to develop today's synchronization protocols

When thinking about lactation length and milk production, one aspect to consider is maximizing the returns to your most fixed resource on the farm. Is your most fixed resource the cow or the stall she occupies?

Fifty-seven percent of IVF embryos produced in the U.S. in 2020 came from dairy cattle. Proper care throughout ovum pickup, fertilization and embryo development can ensure the success of these embryos.

Today, DPR is not the only resource to gauge reproductive success of efficiency in a herd. Cow Conception Rate (CCR) was introduced in 2010 as a tool to analyze fertility.

Reproductive performance continues to improve across the dairy industry. Herds routinely achieve 21-day pregnancy rates above 20%, up from 14% reported as the national average in the 1990s.

Most dairy farmers labor under a strict routine they feel comfortable with. This comfort reaches well beyond daily milking parlor tasks and affects cattle breeding programs, likely touching on some variations of heat detection, estrus synchronization, artificial insemination (A.I.) and potentially in vitro fertilization (IVF), followed by embryo transfer (ET).

What does it take to build a facility fit to house an outstanding herd, recognized for its high-caliber classification around the world? Years of preparation, says Steve Comtois of Victoriaville, Quebec’s Comestar Holstein.