Reproductive efficiency in a herd is related to the capability of get the cows pregnant in a timely manner. Reproduction is key for success on a dairy farm and it’s highly associated with profitability.
The relationship between reproduction and profitability can be easily understood. A dairy that is unable to consistently get cows pregnant will neither have cows freshening, nor will they have cows milking. This, in turn, means no money coming in.
Although this can sound like simple math, the process becomes more complex when efficiency is considered. As much as milk production is crucial for a dairy farm, the investments made to get a cow pregnant and the time it takes between calvings also determine a sustainable operation.
A good way to approach reproduction on a dairy farm is to understand that all the variables within the farm are connected. These variables can be split into five major pillars: animals, people, management protocols, environment, and semen/embryos. This covers most of the area that can affect herd fertility. By categorizing things in this manner, whenever one of the buckets are underperforming, we can quickly identify and mitigate problems, avoiding tricky situations when a herd problem is kept in the blind spot.