High Producing Cow Analyzed
(Continued from Pago A 29)
higher producing herds are not
only getting higher production, but
they are managing reproduction,”
O’Conner said.
Howevet.O’Conner said he can
go back through the records and
find the opposite trends indicated.
“You can go through the literature
and find anything you want...
“Inside the cow, from a repro
ductive standpoint, there are no
differences,” O’Conner said. He
explained that the study cows had
their average daily milk produc
tion recorded, up until 70th day,
and then production was projected
from those figures out to 305 days.
Also, the cows were monitored
for levels of progesterone in the
milk to determine when cows ovu
lated. According to O’Conner, the
higher producers had no differ
ences in ovulation.
“Equally, when the uterus and
cervix returned to breeding shape,
something called involution, there
were no differences in timing,” he
said.
“Days to first heat, was variable,
ranging from 69 to 77 days,”
O’Conner said of the study’s
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results. “Days to first breeding was
exactly the same. And days not
pregnant, 103 to 107. So, physio
logically, there are no differences
for reproduction.
“I’d like to dispel that concept
that the cow not functioning prop
erly rcproductively is because it is
giving too much milk,” he said.
He quickly added, however, that
geneticists’ research over the years
has seemed to show “that there is a
slight negative relationship
between production and fertility.
It’s slight, but it’s real.”
“It’s difficult for you folks to
select on the basis of fertility
because the highest estimates of
fertility inheritability are 10 per
cent and the most of the figures are
3 to 5 percent
“So even if you could select for
it you wouldn’t be gaining much.
Remeber, milk selection is on the
order 0f2540 30 percent heritablil
ity,” he said.
According to O’Conner, most of
the problem with breeding after 90
days is an “awareness problem.”
He said some people claim that
cows with higher milk production
have lower first service conception
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rate, but that records and research
shows that to be also a myth.
He also said that farmers appa
rently don’t like to check heats.
He said that in studying the vari
ous adherences to the 21-day estr
ous cycle in cows, the heat detec
tion methods used by farmers and
the accuracy of heat detection and
the success of conception on the
first service of artificial insemina
tion, there appears to be a sup
ported conclusion; those who use
stringent and rigorous heat detec
tion methods are more apt to have
better first service conceptions.
He also showed data that indi
cates that cows are more likely to
come into heat before 6 a.m. and
after 6 p.m., although the specific
reason is not known. O’Conner
said it could be that the cows are
distratcted during the day.
Nevertheless, O’Conner said
that the study shows that most
dairymen are missing the best time
of the day to determine heat.
He said he suggests to those who
desire an increase in conception
rate and a lower calving interval to
check their herds in the evening or
first thing in the morning before
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disturbing them.
O’Conner also had charts and
graphs that showed that cows who
were allowed on dirt where footing
was sure and not slippy, showed a
much higher incidence of recep
tion to mounting.
He said good dirt conditions, or
grooved cement could improve
cow receptability and increase the
probability of first service
conception.
Cows withjgood body condition
score (ideal weight and condition)
also show better estrous activity,
O’Conner said. Cows that arc too
fat will respond poorly and under
weight cows respond poorly.
Other problems with conception
rate includes cystic ovaries, uter
ine infections and other health
problems, O’Conner said. He said
overall herd health and environ
ment will improve reproduction.
Postpartum exams done 2S to 30
days after freshening can help
detect and then prevent such prob
lems, O’Conner said.
Likewise, clean and healthy sur
roundings during calving can help
prevent infections and disease and
help lengthen the reproductive life
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Charles Gardner DVM, with
Willow Creek Animal Hospital,
and a spokesman for Monsanto
Corp., a manufacturer of BST,
talked about herd health and how
to better manage.
According to Gardner, he used
to rely heavily on a computer to
help manage dairy herds, but
recently reverted to using colored
pencils and graph paper to chart
incidence of health problems with
in herds.
He said that, without charting,
incidents of one to two retained
placentas a month can seem
insignificant.
But, through charting the actual
cases over time and reviewing
them in comparison to the actual
herd activity, what at first seemed
insignificant suddenly shows up as
being 25 percent of the cows hav
ing problems during calving.
He said that rate was too high.
But added that unless good records
are kept on paper, and charted
later, a serious problem can go
undetected and the cause of the
problem can continue.
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