Reproductive Management of Dairy Herds

Ray Nebel, PhD V.P. Technical Service Programs Select Sires Inc. Plain City, OH 43064 rnebel@selectsires.com

High Reproductive Performance WILL

• Increase the frequency of peak milk production, which is the time when cows are most profitable

• Reduce average herd Days In Milk (DIM)

• Increasing milk per day

• Reduce need for replacements

• Accelerate genetic improvement of the herd

Average Herd DIM (days in milk)

Mil

k P

rod

ucti

on

Increase in herd

Milk Production

Reduction in DIM

Excellent Reproductive Performance WILL

Limiting Factors to Reproductive Success

• Time

• Money

• Personnel

• Systems

VWP Allowable Breeding Time

Reproductive Management Program

Transition Cow Management

Calving

First Insemination

Early Pregnancy Exam

- Day 28 to 39

Re-breeding - ReSynch

Recheck Pregnancy Exam

- Day 63

Pregnancy

Determination

Strategy

Days in milk

Breeding

Strategies

All of the components require “managerial” efforts

Transition Cow Management

Culling Strategy

Transition Cow Index™

• Bunk space – both pre-fresh and fresh cow pens (30 inches per animal)

• Minimize pen moves (10 days prior to calving)

• Stall size

• Sand bedding

• Identify cows needing

medical attention

Cow Comfort • Stocking Rate

– headlocks or bunk space

• Stall Size/Cow Size

– Lunge Space

– Bedding

• Footing

– Foot Care (trimming and foot baths)

• Heat Abatement – Stalls & Holding Pen

• Mastitis

• % Resting

– Cud Chewing

VWP Allowable Breeding Time

Reproductive Management Program

Transition Cow Management

Calving

First Insemination

Early Pregnancy Exam

- Day 28 to 39

Re-breeding - ReSynch

Recheck Pregnancy Exam

- Day 63

Pregnancy

Determination

Strategy

Days in milk

Breeding

Strategies

All of the components require “managerial” efforts

Transition Cow Management

Culling Strategy

First Service Program

Time A.I.

Visual Heat Detection

Tail Paint/Chalk

Activity Monitors

Combination of Above

Ovsynch

OvSynch 56

CO-Synch 72

Double Ovsynch

Pre-Synch 14/12

Pre-Synch + CIDR

G – 6 - G

Synchronization Protocols

Targeted Breeding

PreSynch/Ovsynch, G-6-G, and Double Ovsynch

PRESYNCH + OVSYNCH

7 d 2 d 1st GnRH Final GnRH PGF2a 11 -14 d 14 d

PGF2a PGF2a

1st GnRH Final GnRH PGF2a Pre-GnRH Pre-PGF2 7 d G-6-G 2 d

6 d 2 d

DOUBLE OVSYNCH

7 d 2 d GnRH Final GnRH PGF2a 7 d

1st GnRH PGF2a GnRH 7 d 2 d

Protocol for Anestrous Cows

PGF2a 2 days

GnRH

+

CIDR®

GnRH

+ Timed A.I.

PGF2a

+

CIDR® out

11 - 14 days

14 days

PGF2a

Detect Estrus

and A.I.

7 days

Factors Influencing Heat Detection Rate

People Herdmate

Status

Stocking

Rate

Temperature

&

Humidity

People Facilities

Energy balance,

minerals,

vitamins, toxins

Lameness

“A.M. - P.M. GUIDELINE”

Cows Observed: Should be Inseminated:

Morning

Afternoon/

Evening

Afternoon of the

Same Day

Morning of the

Following Day

Timing of A.I. • AM - PM guideline only works as good as

heat detection program

• First mount versus first observed mount

• When in doubt, inseminate early

• Re-inseminate when necessary – Standing heat after A.I.

Tail Painting Combines tail stripe evaluation,

assessment for secondary signs of estrus, and interval review.

Tail Chalking

• Farris (1954) described the first potentially useful field

application of pedometry in dairy cows.

• Kiddy (1976) reported that cows in free stalls were

about 2.75 times as active during estrus as when not in

estrus.

Physical Activity

• Eighty seven years ago was first published recognition

that female mammals display a predictable increase in

physical activity when in estrus (Wang, 1923).

Electronic Activity Systems

Monitors

Base Station

Computer –Software

Interface

MooMonitor/Select Detect

Activity System

Accelerometers were developed

first for the military, aerospace and

automotive industries…

Now they are becoming more

popular in industrial, medical and

consumer devices…

Dairymaster was at the start of this

curve with state of the art animal

activity monitoring…

Accelerometer 4mm x 4mm

1/6” x 1/6”

Accelerometers…

Daily Activity

Hourly Activity

Days in Milk at 1st Service

Before Select Detect

Nu

mb

er

of

co

ws

125

100

75

50

25

0

25 50 75 100

1000 Cow Dairy After 1st Year

Days in Milk at 1st Service

After Select Detect

125

100

75

50

25

0

Nu

mb

er

of

co

ws

25 50 75 100

1000 Cow Dairy After 1st Year

VWP Allowable Breeding Time

Reproductive Management Program

Transition Cow Management

Calving

First Insemination

Early Pregnancy Exam - ReSynch

Re-breeding

Late Pregnancy Exam

Culling Strategy

Days in milk

Re-synchronization- Initiation prior to or after Pregnancy Determination!

Resynchronization Protocols

33+ 40+ 42+

GnRH+TAI PGF GnRH

33+

GnRH+TAI PGF GnRH

CIDR 40+ 42+ 0

AI

0

AI

OP

33+

PGF

26

GnRH

40+

GnRH+TAI

0

AI

OP

OP

26

GnRH

1000 Cow Dairy After 1st Year

Before Select Detect

Detection via Chalk Timed AI

700

500

300

100

0

Nu

mb

er

of

co

ws

21 42 Days Since Last Heat

Nu

mb

er

of

co

ws

100

75

50

25

0

21

42

Timed AI Detection via Select

Detect

Since Select Detect

How quickly are cows re-inseminated?

Days Since Last Heat

Factors Influencing Conception Rate

A.I.

Technique

Transition

Management

VWP

Temperature

&

Humidity

Mastitis Abortive

Diseases

Accuracy of

Heat

Detection

A.I.

Sire

Key Factors – Conception Rate

• “The Cow”

Metabolic diseases Nutritional status Reproductive diseases

BVD IBR Ureaplasma Lepto hardjo-bovis

Key Factors – Conception Rate

• “The Environment”

Ambient temperature/heat stress Voluntary Wait Period Cow Comfort

Key Factors – Conception Rate

• Semen Initial quality Handling of semen Sire differences

• Man (people and processes) Thawing of semen Semen Handling Semen placement Accuracy of heat detection

VWP Allowable Breeding Time

Reproductive Management Program

Transition Cow Management

Calving

First Insemination

Early Pregnancy Exam

- Day 28 to 39

Re-breeding - ReSynch

Recheck Pregnancy Exam

- Day 63

Pregnancy

Determination

Strategy

Days in milk

Breeding

Strategies

All of the components require “managerial” efforts

Transition Cow Management

Culling Strategy

• 21-day Pregnancy Rate Voluntary Waiting Period (PCDART default 60 days;

DairyComp default 50 days)

DIM and by Date

• Three options to improve it: Heat Detection Rate (Service Rate)

Conception Rate

Increase BOTH

Monitoring Reproductive Performance

21- day Pregnancy Rate

“Percentage of Eligible Cows Becoming

Pregnant in a 21-Day Period”

(Time component!)

NOT

Heat Detection Rate X Conception Rate

50 cows in a pen are eligible for breeding Heat Detection Rate = 50%

25 cows submitted for AI

40% Conception Rate =

10 Cows Pregnant

50 Cows Eligible for Breeding 50% HDR 40% CR 20% PR 10 Cows Pregnant

Limiting Factors to Reproductive Success

• Time

• Money

• Personnel

• Systems

Factors Influencing Reproductive Success

Potential to Manage

Imp

ort

an

ce t

o P

erf

orm

an

ce

LOW

LOW

HIGH

HIGH

Age/Parity

Breed

Twinning

Climate/Season

Dystocia

Embryonic Mortality

Ovarian Function

Retained Placenta

Sire Fertility

Uterine Health

Inbreeding

Milk Production

Vaccination Program

Accurate Heat Detection

Cow Comfort/Facilities

Efficient Heat Detection

Heat Abatement

Insemination Technique & Timing

Nutrition/Energy Balance

Semen Handling

Transition Management

Source: Senger, 2001

Thank You!