What’s the secret to dairy reproduction success?

When you’re aiming for greater reproductive efficiency in your dairy herd, gaining even a few percentage points in heat detection or pregnancy rate can make a huge difference to push your operation forward. Although there is no single solution to optimizing reproductive efficiency, attention to details of every aspect of reproduction can amp up your herd’s fertility.

Here are some often-overlooked details that can unlock a higher pregnancy rate in your herd. Attention to these details can help you get the most out of your reproduction programs and achieve your herd goals.

Details that matter for reproductive success

1. Enlist a team. Your on-farm reproductive team should include your herd manager, veterinarian, nutritionist, genetics company representative and anyone else who is part of decision-making on the dairy. Enlisting outside advisors can help you think outside the box to solve reproductive challenges. Use their insights and expertise to address different aspects of reproduction. It’s important to set goals and create a plan for improvement. Schedule regular meetings — whether weekly, monthly or quarterly — to review progress and adjust accordingly.

2. Manage transition. Getting through the transition period without fresh cow problems is critical to optimizing reproduction. Health problems in early lactation can significantly impact return to estrus. In a University of Florida study1 with 6,000 cows across seven different operations, researchers compared the reproductive status of cows based on whether or not they experienced a health disorder in the first 60 days of lactation. They found 84% of healthy cows cycled in the first 65 days of lactation. But among cows that faced at least one health disorder in the first 60 days, only 71% had cycled by 65 days in milk. Managing cow health during transition is critical to move the needle in reproduction.

3. Invest in nutrition. In transition and early lactation, a cow’s body stores focus on recovering from calving and producing milk. Reproduction is secondary. That’s why proper nutrition is necessary for the cow to achieve an optimal body condition to return to estrus and conceive as soon as possible after the voluntary waiting period. Strive for a body condition score of 3.25 to 3.5 on a 5.0 scale at the time of calving. A higher body score increases risk of energy-related metabolic disorders, such as fatty liver and ketosis. Monitor your cows’ body condition and consult with your nutritionist to make needed adjustments.

4. Don’t forget supplements. Vitamins and trace mineral supplementation are essential elements of your reproductive program. Supplemental Vitamin E, in particular, is correlated with transition cow health, including reduced metritis and retained placenta. In addition, feeding monensin may help preserve energy balance in prefresh and early lactation cows.

5. Ensure cow comfort. Any kind of stress, including heat and cold stress, can prevent cows from achieving optimal fertility. Maintain proper bedding and ventilation, and ensure you have enough stalls for the proper stocking rate in your barn. Aim for 30 inches of feed bunk space per cow in prefresh and fresh-cow pens.

6. Check your equipment. Semen storage and handling can impact fertility. Keep a close eye on liquid nitrogen levels and check your warming water temperature. Ensure your breeder is following all protocols, including how long straws are thawed before breeding. Your AI representative should be able to assist with an audit of your semen tank and breeding practices.

7. Harness technology. Monitoring technology can help dial in the best timing for breeding and best candidates for estrus synchronization protocols. Scientists are uncovering new ways to combine technology with estrus synchronization for more strategic use of reproductive hormones. Monitoring technology can identify those cows that don’t show natural heats and therefore are good candidates for estrus synchronization.

8. Prevent reproductive diseases. Don’t forget pre-breeding vaccines. Some silent diseases like leptospirosis, bovine viral diarrhea (BVD), and infectious bovine rhinotracheitis (IBR) can hamper fertility and cause late-term abortions. Consult with your veterinarian to develop a vaccination program specific to your herd.

Having the right people and right protocols in place, starting in dry period through transition, can help you obtain the highest possible fertility on your farm. Pay attention to details at every step of the way can uncover opportunities to enhance reproduction in even the best-managed herds.