Dairy Reproduction
Improving pregnancy rate is one of the fastest ways to put more calves — and cash — on the ground in the next year.
Crossbreds are now part of the genetic picture, and new tools are making their evaluations more accurate.
The adoption of individual-cow monitoring technology has created the ability to customize reproductive decisions based on the potential of each cow to respond to a specific breeding strategy.
Researchers are beginning to step back and look at the bigger picture, examining how the virus affects cows not only in the days and weeks after infection, but what it may mean for their health and performance long after.
When replacement heifers are limited, every pregnancy counts.
Long before calving, subtle biological signals can influence the health, growth, and future productivity of a calf. Understanding and utilizing these signals could lead to the next revolution in reproductive management for cattle.
“We have different dairy farms, we have different preferences and we have these great new technologies and tools that let us filter for the traits we want,” says producer Kristen Metcalf. “Why not leave them as long as the data is there?”
Launching in August, the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding’s new Milking Speed PTA offers U.S. producers an objective, high-heritability tool to select for faster-milking cows.
As dairy producers increasingly use beef semen to capitalize on calf value, longer gestation lengths are straining pre-fresh pens, pushing the industry to rethink cow flow, facilities, and future genetics.
By focusing on evaluation, planning and economic considerations, producers can ensure their herd remains competitive and efficient.
Any hiccup in fresh-cow health is likely to put reproduction in jeopardy.
Activity monitoring technology is giving producers a more precise and efficient way to detect heats.
Facilities, genetics, nutrition, stockmanship and marketing are some of the impotant factors to consider in the transition process.
Lexi Anderson is a spirited kid who’s always supporting those around her. But Lexi’s big heart is now what’s needing saved, and it’s a constant showing of love and support that’s getting this family through.
While there are a myriad of factors affecting profitability on a dairy farm, the transition period continues to stand out as the most critical phase.
Kansas Dairy Development provides temporary housing for up to 80,000 head of cattle — from a few days old to springers nearly ready to calve. Their formula for success is all in the details.
Despite the myths, you can have both high production and high fertility.
These commonly overlooked issues are holding your herd back.
A massive question dairy producers often ask themselves is who should be raising replacement heifers. Should they be raised by the producer, contracted out and customed raised, or should they be purchased?
Heat stress undoubtedly causes setbacks for cows. But a growing body of research shows it also impacts the calves they are carrying, and possibly even the generation after that.
Raising too many heifers can be costly for producers, which is why David Erf with Zoetis recommends producers to check their cattle inventory numbers as much as they do milk prices.
Dairy farms are routine. Milk cows 365-days a year. This is the life that Kelly and Christy Cunningham with Milk Unlimited near Atlantic, Iowa, have grown accustomed to. Although in 2017, that nearly came to a halt.
As producers continue to dial in on productivity and profitability, they also leaned into technology to help them achieve these goals. Three producers talk tech on a Farm Journal Milk Business webinar.
After incurring the investment to raise a heifer to freshening age, a difficult calving is the last thing you want as she attempts to enter the milking string.
World renowned animal behavior specialist, Temple Grandin, shares her thoughts on animal welfare and the farmers role in it.
Every farmer has that one cow who just doesn’t want to get pregnant. But if she doesn’t get pregnant soon, her time left to stay in the herd is limited.
Getting cows pregnant is vital to keeping the pipeline full. According to Jeremey Natzke of Wayside Dairy, a 35% plus pregnancy rate equates to an outstanding repro program and a number his dairy worked hard to achieve.