I took in a great presentation by Richard Pursley titled, “Importance of the High Fertility Cycle in Reproductive Management Decisions of Dairy Cows.” When talking fertility, I am usually thinking of an estrus cycle 18 to 24 days long. Richard was thinking of a longer cycle. His point was, cows that get pregnant on time do not have extended lactations or prolonged dry periods. Cows that don’t have extended lactations or long dry periods are less likely to become over-conditioned. Cows that are not over-conditioned are more likely to transition successfully in the next lactation. Cows that transition successfully are more likely to become pregnant in a timely manner – and the high fertility cycle continues. If you think in terms of this ongoing cycle, then the return on getting cows pregnant on time increases exponentially. The short-term return is measured in terms of days open in this lactation. The long-term return is compounded in terms of days open in the next lactation. In addition, there will be fewer repro culls, which will allow more voluntary culling for other reasons. Don’t do anything that disrupts this high fertility cycle.
Importance of the High Fertility Cycle in Reproductive Management Decisions of Dairy Cows J. Richard Pursley, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI; Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council Annual Meeting, Salt Lake City, Utah, November 14-16, 2023
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