Dairy

Dairy cattle selection programs aim to improve the profitability and sustainability of the dairy industry, either by targeting traits that increase revenue or traits that reduce expenses. Fertility is one of several major trait categories that includes production, longevity, health, calving ability, conformation, and sustainability.

Why is it that dairy farms in my area are averaging under the Wisconsin average of 24,884 pounds of milk per cow?  This question got me asking questions to some farmers and agri-service providers.  One piece of the puzzle that emerged is that we may need to be paying closer attention to transition cows in our smaller herds.  Care of the transition cow is not a new concept, but management strategies for the smaller farm may be overlooked when recommendations are shared.

The three–week period before and after calving is one of the most challenging times for dairy cattle because they must cope with physiological challenges such as decreased dry matter intake, impaired immune system function, and increased metabolic and systemic inflammation (Drackley, 1999; LeBlanc, 2010). After calving, inflammation has been documented in cattle (Bionaz et al., 2007; Huzzy et al., 2009).  This suggests that cattle experience some degree of inflammation due to tissue damage associated with birthing and the immense metabolic demand associated with the onset of lactation (Bradford et al., 2015).

Raising heifers is one of the most cost-intensive areas of the farm.  From the day these animals hit the ground until they calve, they are a monetary burden on the farm. Therefore, getting these animals to calving as efficiently as possible makes sense.