Unfortunately, every farmer has that one cow who just doesn’t want to get pregnant. Maybe she’s cystic. Maybe she has an underlying health issue that we don’t know about. Maybe she’s just getting old. Whatever her problem may be, she’s a repeat breeder. And if she doesn’t get pregnant soon, her time left to stay in the herd is limited.
According to Alan Ealy, Professor of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech University, repeat breeders are categorized as heifers or cows that have no clinically detectable reproductive disorders, but fail to become pregnant after three inseminations. These problem animals can also be classified as moochers, as they live off the hard work from other productive cows without giving anything in return.
“The incidence of repeater breeders varies, but based on a recent University of Minnesota study, it is not uncommon for 15 to 25% of the lactating cow herd to be repeat breeders,” Ealy says. “Herds with >25% incidence of repeat breeders have a severe problem that requires immediate action.”
If you can think off the top of your head of a few cows who aren’t getting pregnant, now’s the time to evaluate what the problem might be. Ealy recommends looking into the following areas:
Overall Health – One obvious place to start is to look at an animal’s overall health. According to Ealy, cows who experience an illness or lose a substantial amount of weight in early lactation are more likely to require multiple inseminations than healthy cows. Diseases that occur during the transition period can particularly have lingering effects on fertility.
Ovarian Disorders – Another common reason repeat breeders don’t get pregnant stems from an ovarian disorder. Cysts, extended postpartum anestrus and delayed ovulation can negatively impact an animal’s chances of getting and staying pregnant.
Poor Progesterone – According to Ealy, poor progesterone production in the estrous cycle before breeding and the cycle immediately after insemination can contribute to infertility.
Genetics – Just like other physical traits, poor reproductive genetics can be passed down from cow to cow. “Inbreeding is concerning, but unfortunately, crossbreeding is not necessarily the answer,” Ealy says. Pay attention to reproductive traits when selecting semen for your future herd.
Age – Sometimes the reason a cow can’t get pregnant might simply be because she is past her prime. Generally, older cattle have a greater incidence of requiring multiple breeding attempts.
Blame the Breeder – While we often pass blame onto the animal, sometimes the reason why she can’t conceive is our own doing. “Synchronization and artificial insemination problems can contribute to repeat breeding,” Ealy says. “Strict compliance to estrous synchronization protocols and refinements in semen handling/thawing and insemination technique are the first set of factors producers should examine when developing a plan to overcome their repeat breeder problem.”
Anatomical Defects – While anatomical defects are hard to detect, they often contribute to lower fertility. This is usually only a concern in heifers. Cows that have already successfully calved usually do not display anatomical disorders unless they experienced a difficult birth.
While repeat breeders can be incredibly frustrating to deal with, don’t throw the chance of them getting pregnant out the window just yet. Ealy recommends the following tips to help get these problem cows pregnant.
- Modify your estrous synchronization program for repeat breeders. Programs that include progesterone supplementation (e.g., CIDR insertion) or that promote progesterone production (e.g., Double Ovsynch Protocol) are especially attractive because they will help ensure that cows are not ovulating an aged follicle. Some studies also report conception rate improvements when using protocols where GnRH is administered at the time of insemination.
- If you are culling cows, consider culling repeat breeders that do not show estrus. Cows that exhibit estrus have greater conception rates than those that do not show estrus.
- Try administering hCG 7-days after insemination. This will increase progesterone concentrations, which aids in maintaining pregnancies.
- Embryo transfer is a popular approach for getting repeat breeder cows pregnant since it allows us to bypass ovulation failures and early embryonic losses. Several companies offer affordable frozen dairy and beef embryos. This scheme is especially useful during the summer months.
If you notice that you have a few moochers in your herd, take time to consult with your veterinarian and formulate a reproductive plan to help eliminate repeat breeders from taking advantage of your bottom line.
