ADVANCED FERTILITY DAY MARTIN BEAUMONT, SHORN HILL FARM

ADVANCED FERTILITY DAY MARTIN BEAUMONT, SHORN HILL FARM

8600 MILK PER COW PER YEAR PRODUCTION

MILK PROFILE AND PRODUCTION

HEIFERS HOUSED IN SEPARATE GROUP AND AVERAGING 28LITRES/DAY

COWS AVERAGING 30 LITRES PER DAY

Good fertility has to be earned rather than forced Fertility management is about creating an environment where the cow can easily get in calf

EVALUATE YOUR CURRENT FERTILITY PERFORMANCE Calving to first service Calving Index <80 days < 390 days Culls Barren <6% Abortion/ Embryo Loss First Service conception rate MAKING HERDS HEALTHIER <2% abortion <2%embryo loss >40% % served by 80 days >50%

Milk fever/ DA s General Cow health Body Condition Loss Cow Fertility Potential Uterine problems Lameness Infectious disease MAKING HERDS HEALTHIER

DRY PERIOD IDEAL SERVICE PERIOD Good energy balance Ovulation(+) CL Pregnancy established 1 ST DOMINANT FOLLICLE PRIMORDIAL FOLLICLES XS Negative energy balance Regression Ovulation (-) Cystic No pregnancy establishe d -3 MONTHS -21 DAYS CALVING Blood test: -Energy balance +21 DAYS 50 DAYS Service period begins 80-90 DAYS Conception target date

VACCINATION AND INFECTIOUS DISEASE PROGRAM IBR/BVD and Lepto/ BTV vaccinated. BTV and Lepto risks are reducing. BVD virus free, tested and removed PI cattle using milk and blood tests Johne s present at low level- less than 1.5% prevalence, using Herdwise with aim to produce lower prevalence herd with option to sell low risk stock in future

FEEDING AND ENERGY

LACTATION PERFORMANCE

MINIMAL ECONOMIC LOSS DUE TO FERTILITY

FERTILITY STATISTICS

MINIMAL DISEASE AND ECONOMIC LOSS DUE TO PERIPARTURIENT DISEASES

More than 93% of cows served conceive FERTILITY BASICS

FERTILITY ANALYSIS Only 15% of services are greater than 50 days apart Conception rate circa 40% Av calving to first service achieved through heat detection and vet visits

CALVING TO FIRST SERVICE Target is to get cows served up between 42-80 days. Target mean Ca-1 st Service interval is 70 days post calving Majority of cows are served prior to 100 days calved

% SERVICES 18-24 DAYS AFTER LAST SERVICE= 50%

CALVING TO CONCEPTION 40 % of the herd conceive prior to 100 days calved No cows conceive after 280 days. Cows are culled FTC preventing fat cows calving again

CALVING INTERVAL Bulk of cows calve again around 365 day calving interval Few stragglers extend the mean interval

REPRODUCTIVE PROGRESS

100 DAY IN CALF RATE- >40%

% COWS SERVED BY 80 DAYS RANGES BETWEEN 74-82% DURING BREEDING SEASON

% COWS CONCEIVING OF ELIGIBLE IS 16-26%

PRACTICAL VET HEALTH PROGRAM Myhealthyherd health plan to help define risks of infectious disease, monitor economics, store lab and vaccines Fortnightly vet visits during breeding season PD cows >32 days Post Natal check 20-30 days Non seen bullers 50 days plus

COMMON TREATMENTS Non seen bullers Corpus luteum present= Prostoglandin and serve to observed heat Follicle- observe and if not served within 7 days 2.5mls Receptal Represented to vet 7 days later for examination and Prostoglandin followed up by Receptal 60 hours later and fixed time serve at 72 hours (Ovsynch)

METRITIS AND ENDOMETRITIS Cows with signs of illness/ high temperature or smelly discharge within 10 days of calving are treated with Excenel ( 5days) or Naxcel( 7 days treatment) Endometritis treated at vet visit with Metricure( no corpus luteum present) or Prostaglandin to bring on bulling Chronic endometritis or suspect cows AI served and Metricure 24 hours later

clinical mastitis NEW IDEAS ABOUT THE INFECTED UTERUS clinical metritis / whites subclinical mastitis. high cell count, reduced yield subclinical endometritis. reduced fertility

Percent animals I M Sheldon 2006 BACKGROUND Pathogens: Escherichia coli and Arcanobacterium pyogenes 100 80 60 Normal 60% CR 40 20 0 Sub-clinical inflammation Metritis Endometritis 0 10 20 30 40 50 60 Days after calving 30% CR 0% CR

CYSTIC COWS Treated with Receptal at vet visit (2.5mls) and then enter Ovsynch regime ( 2.5 mls Receptal followed by PG at vet visit and then repeat Receptal at 60 hours later, serve at 72 hours) Or treated with PRID or CIDR regime combined with Receptal at insertion and PG at removal

PREGNANCY DIAGNOSIS Ultrasound scan at 32 days plus Suspect re-absorption or twins are re-examined again

HEAT DETECTION RMS AI program in place with all cows tail painted Westphalia pedometers Observation

CALVING COWS Monitored around calving. Fed TMR Given warm water and Propylene Glycol immediately after calving Suspect or high risk cows may be Aggers Pumped All cows double treated with dry cow therapy and Orbeseal

YOUNGSTOCK HEALTH PROGRAM All replacements and bulls are home reared at Shorn Hill Vaccinated Rispoval intranasal at 3 weeks, BVD vaccinated prior to service, Huskvac prior to turnout, IBR prior to entering milking herd 250 calves per year are reared with 1-2% mortality and low incidence of diseases Heifers enter the herd at 24-28 months depending on when born

WHAT NEXT Farm walk Return back here for discussion

WHY DO YOU THINK THERE IS ABOVE AVERAGE FERTILITY AT SHORN HILL FARM?