Novel New Concepts for Reproductive Management and Strategies to Improve Reproductive Efficiency in Dairy Cattle

Genomic Selection and Reproductive Efficiency in Dairy Cattle

Thomas E. Spencer1, Peter J. Hansen2, John B. Cole3, Joseph Dalton4, and Holly Neibergs1 1Department of Animal Sciences, Washington State University, Pullman, WA 99164 2Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611 3USDA‐ARS, Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Beltsville, MD 20705 4Department of Animal and Veterinary Science, University of Idaho, Caldwell,...

Reproductive Efficiency of Purebred and Crossbred Dairy Cattle

Nine measures related to breeding efficiency were used for comparisons among purebred Ayrshires, Brown Swiss, Holsteins, and Jerseys and between purebreds and 32 crossbred groups representing 2-breed, 3-breed, 5/8, and backcrosses by purebred sires and progeny of crossbred sires. There were four herds wi th Holsteins common to all, Brown Swiss and Jerseys in three herds and Ayrshires in one her...

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 aspec...

Use of herd management programmes to improve the reproductive performance of dairy cattle.

There has been a long history of herd health and production management programmes in many dairy industries around the world, but evidence for the efficacy of such programmes is limited. In response to a perceived decline in fertility of dairy cows, a herd reproductive management programme (InCalf) was introduced in New Zealand in 2007. This programme uses a management cycle approach that includ...

Management Strategies to Optimize Reproductive Performance of Dairy Herds