Make Sure Cows are in the Right Condition to get Pregnant

During the first 60 to 90 days of lactation dairy cows experience what is referred to as negative energy balance. Simply stated it is the period during early lactation when the cow's feed energy intake lags behind that necessary to support the energy expended to produce milk. Dairy cows compensate for this increased metabolic demand by drawing on its body reserves. Consequently, some weight loss during early lactation is to be expected, particularly in high producing cows. Controlling the weight loss of these animals is particularly important when it comes to reproductive well being.

Body Condition Scores- Another Tool for your Dairy

Cows can be scored in any situation that allows the animals to be temporarily restrained. Body condition score (BCS) is assessed around the tailhead and over the loin. Standing directly behind the animal, assess the fat cover over the tailhead and loin visually and by feeling using just one hand to examine the cow. Assessments are given using half points from 1 to 5, with 1 indicating severe under conditioning and 5 severe over conditioning. Condition scoring is not completely objective, so different assessors may give different scores. These differences are relatively unimportant as long as each assessor is consistent. Within a herd the same, trained member of staff should make the assessments on body condition scoring for the entire herd.

Condition of cows between Calving and First Insemination:

• Very thin cows tend to have longer periods between calving and the resumption of ovarian activity and longer calving to conception intervals.
• Very thin cows are associated with reduced peaks in luteinising hormone (LH), a hormone that plays an important role in controlling the activities of the ovary
• Cows still losing BCS/weight (> 1% per week) at the time of AI are likely to have reduced pregnancy rates.
• Aim to control BCS between calving and first insemination to a maximum loss of 1 BCS point.
• The effect of BCS loss on fertility appears to be greater in older cows compared to first lactation heifers.
• Condition score at first insemination should be between 2 and 2.5.
• Overall loss of body condition > 1.0 BCS point (or > 10% body weight) in early lactation is associated with reduced fertility, low pregnancy rates and a high incidence of metabolic disease.

The key to successful pregnancies is to minimize changes in body condition.

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Posted Oct 15th

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