Archived at Internet Home Page www.lancasterfarming.com The last article focused on setting reproductive goals and calving intervals Setting goals is easy but accomplishing them can be a challenge, because "things" don't always go as planned In Table 1, examples 1 and 2 compare what happens when there is a problem with heat detection and conception rates In example 1, heat detection rate was only 53% and if only 38% of those heats resulted P re g n ancy (conception rate), the overall pregnancy success rate was only 20%' In other words only 1/5 of the heats resulted in a pregnancy At that rate it will take 105 days beyond the volunteer waiting until you get cows settled That translates into 165 days open and a 15 month calving interval Each extra day open can cost you about $2 50 Thus, the extra 2-month delay could cost you $l4O per lactation or il 13 per cow per year If you are aiming for a 13 month calving interval, as illustrated in example 2 you II need to have an 80/o heat detection rate and a 60% conception rate, or some combination thereof So, what goals do you need to set for yourself to attain the pregnancy success rate yoo want 1 Are you on track with the goals you have set? When things are not going right, what can you do to help improve the reproductive performance of your herd 1 Here are a few things to consider Is the breeding problem nutrition related 1 Check the energy balance of the ration, the flesh condition of the cows, and milk urea nitrogen (MUN) levels Cows don't conceive very well when they are in negative energy balance,- when the ration is out of balance, or when urea nitrogen levels are high Is the breeding problem caused by heat stress 1 If so, plan your breeding and calving seasons accordingly, or take measures to protect cows from heat stess Is the breeding problem caused by infections and diseases 1 If cows' have calving difficulties and retained placentas, and if maternity areas are unsanitary, the risk of uterine infections increases Check the sanitation of the maternity area 1 BARENBRUG Forages For Profit Increasing Your Per Acre Yield of Digestible Forages Is The Best Way To Lower Feed Costs And Boost Profits Bdralfa 54 Baralfa 54 is a variety selected for exceptional yield and excellent disease resistance It is a vigorous high yielding variety with very fast regrowth after cutting Baralfa 54 displays above average leafiness and is very persistent It has had yields as high as 10 71 tons per acre Dormancy of 5, Winterhardiness of 4 means more sth Cuttings Table 8. 1995 alfalfa variety tnal-Landisville Vaneti BARALFA 54 5454 DKI27 WL 324 ABT 405 7.58 MARINER 7 50 INNOVATOR +Z 7 43 TMF GENERATOR 7 34 5312 MAGNUM IV DOMINATOR DEMAND WL 323 PREFERRED SUPERCUTS ONIEDA VR MULTIQUEEN PRISM 2 EXCALIBUR II WL 332 SR AFFINITY +Z DIVIDEND WL 252 HQ ALFASTAR HAYGRAZEfI SARANAC AR MAGNUM 111-WET GRAND MEAN 7.15 LSD (p=.os) 0 52 CV(%) 5 19 CV= Coefficient of variation LSD = Least significant difference • Seeded April 20, 1995 • Yields (tons per acre at 12% moisture) • Yields indicated represent the sum of four cuttings each year • Stand score based on a scale from 1 to 100 A 100 is considered to be a perfect stand • Grand Mean, CV, and LSD values represent 64 total entries • Varieties are listed by rank for 1997 yield Numbers in parentheses indicate rank within the listed data (see column headings) i triaT^ flk DAIRY FARM MANAGEMENT BASICS A Farm Management Course by Glenn A. Shirk Penn State Extension Agent Lancaster County, Pennsylvania less - Arti 1996 Yield 1997 Yield 8.07 7.90 7.61 7.58 7.29 7.27 7.22 7.21 7 16 7 07 7.04 7 02 7 01 6 93 6 91 6.88 0 42 4 35 1996-97 Stand Average 10/21/97 73 8 75.4 72 8 73 1 7.98 (1) 7.75 (2) 7.52 (3) 7.33 (5) 7.25 (6) 7.44 (4) 7.10 (9) 7.24 (7) 7.09 (11) 7.10 (10) 6.95 (15) 6.93 (16) 7.11 (8) 7.02 (13) 6.90 (18) 7.01 (14) 7.06 (12) 6.89 (20) 6.89 (19) 6.88 (21) 73 7 73 2 73 1 73 2 67.6 72.1 67.4 72 2 6.70 (24) 6.90 (17) 6.82 (23) 6.67 (25) 6.82 (22) 6.66 (26) 6.53 (27) 7.05 72 3 68.3 70.3 69.6 71.3 69.7 73 4 70.8 39 4.0 0.42 4.23 Is the herd bull spreading infections 7 Are cows carrying diseases that suppress their immune systems 7 Were cows properly vaccinated 7 Consider using hormone therapy to help flush infections out of cows' reproductive tracts and prepare them for insemination, it might be cheaper and more effective than doing rectals Is the breeding problem related to heat detection, semen handling, and inseminating techniques'’ Consider programmed breeding in an effort to bring groups of cows into heat at one time It creates more sexual activity, concentrates heat detection time, and makes heats easier to detect Cows are most active between 6p m and 6a m Watch cows for heat twice a day, between these hours, when they are not preoccupied with other activities such as eating Consider using heal detection aids, such as marking the rumps with crayon, using pressure pad sensors on the rumps, motion detectors, etc Check timing of insemination and inseminating techniques Discuss these concerns with your veterinarian and your AI technician For ninety years BARENBRUG has excelled worldwide in plant breeding and seed production, constructing breeding stations and test plots throughout widely varied climatic zones. Our expertise will provide you with scientifically adapted forage grasses perfectly suited to any location. Baralfa 32 IQ Top Milk Yields Per Acre In Wis. Baralfa 32 IQ was bred specifically for Increased Quality, and combines excellent persistence, winterhardiness, and top-notch disease resistance (DRI of 29/30) with exceptional yields (7.52 tons per acre sum of four cuttings in Penn State trials). Adapted throughout the dairy states of northern U.S. and Canada, and it is a top choice for leading dairy producers who want the most out of their feed. Baridana Orchardgrass. Very productive. A few days later in Maturity than Pennlate and much better digestibility Baraula Orchardgrass. Extremely late maturity. Much better digestibility than Pennlate B.G. 34 Ryegrass. A blend of 3 late maturing Perennial Ryegrasses for grazing. “If we had to do it over again, we would plant at least 60 percent of our farm in BG-34 with Alice White Clover. Russ King Out of 6 Ryegrass varieties B.G. 34 had the least seedheads. Table 1 Pregnancy Success Rates and Calving Intervals % heats detected (decimal) % services that conceived (decimal) Pregnancy success % (expressed as a decimal) No heat periods needed per conception (1 0 - the breeding success rate, above) Days per heat period Days needed beyond VWP 1 to conceive Volunteer waiting period (days) Days open Gestation period Calving interval - days Goal - days (mo x3O days) Extra days open Calving interva. Gcal months (days - 30) months Extra days open Cost per extra day open ($) Cost per cow - per lactation - per year" Foot notes 1 VWP = volunteer waiting period (days to wait alter valving before breeding - Cost per year = tost per lactation x 12 mo actual calving interval in mo Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, November 21, 199&-A2l Matua Bromegrass. can utilize more N than any other grass. • Red & White Clovers • Chicory - Fescue • Annual Ryegrass • Pasture Blends for Grazing Timothy. High yielding early and late maturing varieties. VERY COMPETITIVE PRiaNG AARON M. KING SEEDS Fairview Fruit Farm 96 Paradise Lane, Ranks, PA 17572 Answering Service; 717-687-6224 Barenbrug Northeast 1-800-435-5296 No 1 0 53 0 38 0 20 No 2 0 80 x yo 0 48 Yours 21 10*5 x 21 _6Q 102 281 + 281 446 390 56 14 9 13 0 12 8 13 0 56 3 50 0 2 50
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