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During the peripartum, dairy cows face an increased demand for nutrients to support the initiating lactation. As this demand is followed by slower increments in dry matter intake (DMI), the levels of energy consumption do not meet the energetic requirements of the starting lactation.
Over time the dairy industry has encountered the challenge of declining trends for fertility and overall health, across diverse production systems. A number of reasons may explain this performance slope, including changes in cow physiology related to greater milk production, challenges in nutritional management, housing, increased herd size, reduced estrous expression and changes in the genetic makeup
This article was #24 of the Top 25 most well-read articles on www.progressivedairy.com in 2013. It was published in the May 30, 2013 Extra e-newsletter.
Click here for the full list of the Top 25.
In an effort to improve dairy cow fertility, Dr. Pablo J. Pinedo, CVM, of Texas A&M AgriLife Research and Texas A&M University, and Dr. Jose E.P. Santos of the Department of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida, are leading a team of scientists to carry out a five-year grant project looking at the heritability of reproduction traits.
