Improving Dairy Cattle Reproductive Performance

• A calving interval of 13.5 months is an achievable goal that will produce higher daily milk yield and higher milk yield over the length of the lactation. To achieve this goal average days to first service should be <80, yearly 21-day Pregnancy Rates should average >20% and culling for reproductive failure should not exceed 10%. • Management must set standard operating procedures for all aspects of the breeding program, such as, heat detection, artificial insemination techniques, hormone injection protocol for synchronization program, and treatment of problem cows. The management team should established protocols and operating procedures to be followed by all involved. • Intensive management of the nutrition, feeding system, and environment of the periparturient dairy cow during the transition period reduces the odds of disease and increases the odds of pregnancy in a timely manner. Average loss in body condition score (BCS) should be approximately one point. Cows should calve having a BCS ranging between 3.25 and 3.75. • The goal should be to have 100% of the cows inseminated within 24 days of the voluntary waiting period. • Pregnancy rate is the benchmark that incorporates submission rate and conception rate in a timely fashion and should be the cornerstone of reproductive performance monitoring. Introduction