Case study

Effect of Implementation of a Systematic Reproduction Management Program in Dairy Herds

Abstract

The objective of this field study was to measure the effect of implementing a simple systematic reproduction management program in dairy herds with reproductive performance near or below typical in the industry. Thirty-nine herds across Canada that had annual herd 21-day pregnancy rates (PR) between 8 and 15%, and did not have a systematic reproduction program, were enrolled in a program that consisted of: enrollment of cows that were not inseminated by 70 days-in-milk into a timed insemination program (Ovsynch); enrollment of cows diagnosed not pregnant on Ovsynch; and a change to biweekly veterinary visits for reproductive management. Annual herd PR was compared one year after implementation of the program. On average, the systematic management program was associated with a mean increase in PR of 3.6 percentage points (95% confidence interval, 2.5 to 4. 7; P<0.0001), accounting for initial insemination and conception rates, herd size and method of pregnancy diagnosis. Assuming a milk price of $23/cwt to reflect Canadian milk price net of purchase of quota, economic analyses indicated that herds that increased PR by at least two points were estimated to have an annual net profit improvement between $20 and $250 CDN per cow, depending on the initial PR and the magnitude of the increase in PR. Overall, 72 to 77% of herds that implemented the program were estimated to have a net economic benefit.