There are many tools available to dairy farmers to achieve a high 21-day pregnancy rate, but what rate delivers the best return? Victor Cabrera from the University of Wisconsin-Madison discussed this topic in a recent Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council webinar.

Cabrera began with some important points related to measuring reproduction through the 21-day pregnancy rate. He stated that it is important to consider your voluntary waiting period (VWP). A change in the VWP can affect the 21-day pregnancy rate by making more cows eligible. He also mentioned that “do not breed” criteria, while hard to measure, is a factor to consider.

Cabrera’s research helps create tools to measure economics on dairy farms. While a farm may be able to achieve a higher pregnancy rate, it may come with a lower economic value. A farm’s level of production plays a factor in which A.I. program performs best in their herd. It is also important to recognize that as a farm’s 21-day pregnancy rate improves, profit rises to a point but then eventually plateaus.

What economic factors are important to consider related to the return of a certain 21-day pregnancy rate? Cabrera walked through some key points:

• Optimal herd demographics: Keeping cows bred back means more cows will be in the most efficient part of their productive life.
• Greater milk income over feed costs: This also indicates cows are in the most efficient part of lactation when they get pregnant.
• Greater calf sales
• Lower replacement costs
• Reduced relative reproduction costs
• Improved herd genetic progress
• Ability to use selective breeding and semen

Feed costs and the milk price can also alter the net return with high reproductive performing herds.

Multiple tools that allow producers to input their herd specific data and analyze economics for different reproductive programs are available at dairymgt.cals.wisc.edu. These tools can compare A.I. programs, beef and sexed semen use, timing of pregnancy, and more. Cabrera’s goal is to continually collect data from farms to create and improve tools that help dairy farms improve their economics.