DHIA
Tips For
Reproductive Management
MICHAEL L. O’CONNER
Dairy, Animal
Science Extension
Penn State University
STATE COLLEGE (Centre
Co.) Too often on many farms
reproductive management
becomes inconsistent and, as a
result, conception rate declines
and a high percentage of the herd is
open an extended period of time.
The following are some dps for
establishing a systematic approach
to reproduction.
1. Institute a sound dry-cow
program so that cows to calve in
have proper body condition with
minimal problems at calving and
during early lactation.
2. Energy status during early
lactation is highly correlated with
the onset of ovarian function. The
mote negative the energy balance
during the first three weeks of lac
tation, and the longer duration of
severe energy balance, the greater
will be the delay to first ovulation.
Develop a feeding program that
minimizes weight loss and severe
negative energy balance without
overfeeding concentrates.
3. Set a goal of 70 days to first
atft o) hns tes'V fctM siJ
service and make this a major con
trol point for reproductive man
agement Provided that postpar
tum problems are kept to a mini
mum, several well controlled
studies have confirmed that con
ception tale and average daily milk
yield were not reduced by earlier
breeding.
4. Establish an aggressive and
routine heat detection program.
Heat detection efficiency prior to
first service must be high, to obtain
a reasonable average, and a narrow
distribution of, days-10-first ser
vices among cows. Remember that
pregnancy rate is a product of heat
detection rate and conception rate.
Most progress can be made by
improving the accuracy and effi
ciency of heat detection. Earlier
research demonstrated a $4 return
per dollar invested to improve the
rate of heat detection from 35 to 55
percent
5. Programmed breeding may
be considered. If it is difficult to
dedicate time and labor for routine
and effective heat detection, con
sider instituting a programmed
breeding program using defined
schedules of hormonal injections.
Although heat detection is not eli
minated, the onset of heat occurs in
a more predictable manner and
more cows are in heat simulta
neously so labor can be more
effectively focused on heat detec
TBtt rraisW .(sbiufaS .giiwml -ntMonsJ-SM
Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, Maiuli 1, IH7-A43 —
tion and timely insemination.
Timely pregnancy examinations
are critical so that cows diagnosed
open can be recycled through the
program quickly.
6. Set up a team using your vet
erinarian, nutritionist, AI represen
tative and employees to develop a
systematic approach to
reproduction.
7. Monitor reproductive perfor
mance so that progress towards
goals can be monitored, problems
can be quickly identified, correc
tive actions taken, and priorities
established.
(This article first appeared in
the March 1996 issue of the Penn
State Extension Dairy Digest.)
Average Farm Feed
Costs For Handy
Reference
To help farmers across the state
to have handy reference of com
modity input costs in their feeding
operations for DHIA record sheets
or to develop livestock feed cost
data, here’s last week’s average
costs of various ingredients as
compiled from regional reports
across the state of Pennsylvania.
Remember, these are averages,
so you will need to adjust your fig
ures up or down according to your
location and the quality of your
crop.
Corn, No.2y 3.045 bu., 5.45
cwL
Wheat, No. 2 4.02 bu.. 6.71
CWL
Barley, No. 3 3.12 bu., 6.68
cwL
Oats, No. 2 2.26 bu.. 7.05
CwL
Soybeans, No. 1 7.21 bu..
12.04 cwL
Ear Com—B2.l2ton,4.llcwL
Alfalfa Hay 137.50 ton,
6.875 cwL
Mixed Hay 133.75 ton, 6.69
cwL
Timothy Hay 122.50 ton,
6.125 cwL
Md., Va.
Co-op Pays
13th Check
RESTON, Va. Members of
the Maryland and Virginia Milk
Producers Cooperative Associa
tion Inc. recently received an addi
tional check on top of 12
monthly checks for 1996
marketings representing producer
shares of profits made on the sale
of raw milk by the cooperative’s
marketing division.
According a news
release this week from
the cooperative, more
than $4.4 million of
“extra funds” were dis
tributed in the co-op’s
19th issuance of an
annual 13th check.
Producers received
an extra 24 cents per
hundredweight in their
13th check, paid this
February, according to
the news release. The
payment was made on
more than 1.8 billion
pounds of milk mark
eted through the
cooperative in 19%.
The profit share was
paid out Feb. 1. On top
of that money was an
extra 6 cents per hun
dredweight of market
ing division premiums
paid out during August,
September, October and
November last year, in
order to help members
offset high feed prices.
The cooperative distri
buted $1 to members
during that time, paying
out a 30 cents per cwt.
premium, its highest
ever.
“Increased sales of
Class 1 milk into the
Southeast have been a
contributing factor to
this year’s excellent
13th check,” said
George Walgrove, gen
eral manager of the
cooperative. “We are
pleased to be able to dis
tribute these earnings to
our members immedi
ately. It is always
important to us that we
get as much money as
possible to our produc
ers as quickly as
possible.”
The milk marketing
and processing coopera
tive is headquartered in
Reston, Va„ and mark
ets milk for almost
1,200 dairy farmers in
Virginia, Maryland,
West Virginia, and
Pennsylvania.