Optimizing fertility on dairy farms is necessary and challenging on today’s dairy farms.
Visit Dr. Paul Fricke’s: Extension Program in Dairy Cattle Reproduction
The goal of Dr. Paul Fricke’s extension program is to improve 21-day pregnancy rates by applying knowledge gained through scientific research to develop practical management strategies and assess new reproductive technologies, and to disseminate that information throughout Wisconsin, the U.S. and the world.
Today, we can form our own pyramid of characteristics for high performing dairy herd reproductive management. During a recap of the 2024 Reproduction Roadshow, Dr. Paul Fricke, Dairy Cattle Reproduction Specialist for UW-Madison and Division of Extension, introduced his building blocks for top reproductive performance and how achieving each step opens more opportunities to use additional reproductive technologies.
Proper semen handling requires being comfortable with a liquid nitrogen tank so you can work quickly and effectively to avoid damaging frozen semen.
Why do cows that face a common challenge (Stress) respond differently to it (Strain), and how do managers capitalize on this?
Advances in activity monitoring technology have taken electronic estrus (heat) detection from concept to reality on more dairy farms today. This is of significance because estrus detection has historically been a challenging task.
Kent Weigel, Professor and Chair of the Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences at the University of Wisconsin – Madison Division of Extension, presents on current research on the day-to-day consistency of dry matter intake, milk yield, and the genetics behind it.
Advances in dairy genetic research have created an ever-increasing amount of information for dairy farmers to take into consideration for sire selection. Dairy sire proofs contain a mix of numbers, acronyms, and other terminology. This reference guide covers common sire proof information and what it means.
The Council for Dairy Cattle Breeding releases updated dairy sire summaries in April, August, and December. The science of sire summaries has changed in recent years. More traits, especially for health, longevity, and efficiency can now be evaluated and included for selection.
Synchronization protocols evolve rapidly as newer procedures are tested and improvements are made. To help veterinarians and industry professionals deal with rapid change and make informed decisions related to synchronization protocols, the Dairy Cattle Reproduction Council (DCRC) has created synchronization protocol sheets for dairy cows and dairy heifers.
Earlier in the year, I attended the Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference, where many of the topics focused on transition cow care. One of the big take-home points from more than one speaker was that prevention of clinical disease is vital for long-term success of your cows. Issues during the transition period are associated with reduced reproduction and milk production. Prevention is followed closely by early diagnosis of clinical disease issues.
Over the past two decades, a reproduction revolution has occurred in the dairy industry. Twenty years ago, the 21-day pregnancy rate in U.S. dairy herds averaged about 14% with conception rates rarely exceeding 40%. In 1998, the annualized 21-day pregnancy rate goal was 20%, which few herds could achieve.
In 2020, there were multiple calves found unable to stand at birth or shortly after and were then seen by veterinarians in Pennsylvania. Calves were either weak and unable to stand immediately after birth, could stand with assistance, or lost the ability to stand within the first two weeks of life.
Early in April, the Council for Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB) released one of the three-times-a-year updates to sire summaries. It can be a lot like looking through seed catalogs to find what bulls to select for the future of your herd. The rankings of bulls keep on getting better, and fast!
