Reproductive performance in some Minnesota dairy herds

Abstract

It is a considerable time since a detailed report of reproductive performance in Minnesota dairy herds was published. Since that time, new products and technologies have been introduced which result in an increase in the options available for the herd manager who seeks to improve reproductive performance and control in dairy herds. New therapies which have become available for reproductive disease have been shown to be successful in controlled studies. It is therefore time that a new look is taken at reproductive performance in Minnesota herds to determine if improvements have occurred. Another and perhaps more important reason to determine current performance levels is to identify the areas in the reproductive management system where improvements can continue to be made. It is hoped that information presented in this paper may provide some basis for comparison when veterinarians are evaluating the reproductive performance of herds which they serve.