Role of nutrition in successful fertility management

摘要

Driving fertility gains in Irish dairy herds through better nutrition management is outlined by Joe Patton BAgrSc PhD, Teagasc dairy specialist.Successful fertility management for block calving dairy herds is best defined by calculating the proportion of the eligible herd calving in the first 42 days after planned start-of-calving date. The Teagasc research target is 90% calved in six weeks; some top performing farms are now regularly achieving 80% plus. A short calving season duration (<12 weeks) and low not-in-calf rate (<10%), in combination with a high six-week calving rate, bring significant whole-farm economic gains through increased milksolids output and reduced purchased feed costs, as well as lower culling and replacement rearing costs. A perceived downside is concentrated workload through February and March but labour efficiency is often improved across the year. The rationale for maximising six-week calving rate is self-evident for spring calving herds, but most liquid/ winter calving herds will also gain through a consequent reduction in the proportion of late calving and carryover/ recycled cows within the herd. The national average spring six-week calving rate stands at approximately 58% so there is ample scope for improvement.