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Managing Dairy Cattle for Fertility¹

Department of Dairy, Michigan State University, East Lansing 48823

ABSTRACT

High reproductive efficiency in dairy herds is dependent upon good management. Accurate records on the reproductive status of each cow are essential for efficient management and for diagnoses by veterinarians. No single nutrient is required specifically for reproduction alone. The nutritive requirements for reproduction should be adequately supplied. Current evidence fails to show any relationship between infertility and feeding urea at recommended levels.

Following parturition, rebreeding should be delayed until the reproductive tract has fully recovered from pregnancy. Without postpartum examinations to confirm that cows are ready to breed, higher fertility may be expected by waiting 60 days or more after calving before rebreeding. Cows and heifers should be observed carefully at least twice daily for standing estrus, and should be inseminated near the end of standing estrus. Faulty estrus detection and breeding at the wrong time during estrus constitute prime management errors that limit reproductive efficiency.

Current progress in hormone assays should provide clinical tests for future use in managing cattle reproduction and in diagnosis and treatment of infertility. It is possible that estrus and ovulation control may enable mass handling of cows at breeding time.

¹ Approved for publication by the Michigan Agricultural Experiment Station as Journal Article no. 4982.