Managing Reproduction in a Modern Dairy Herd Gregory

Managing Reproduction in a Modern Dairy Herd Gregory M. Goodell, DVM The Dairy Authority, LLC

�Transitioning a cow properly through the post partum period �Heat Detection/Timed AI �Pregnancy Diagnosis �Monitoring the reproductive process Components of Establishing Pregnancy

�Extremely �Large important impact �Multifactorial Transition through post partum period

Michael W. Overton, DVM, MPVM University of Georgia-College of Veterinary Medicine, Athens, GA

�Heat Detection ◦ Observe for signs of estrous ◦ Advantages: �Less expensive and easier to implement ◦ Disadvantages �Time consuming, more skill required Heat Detection: How do I find cows that are ready to breed?

�Marking Crayons/Chalk �Pressure-sensitive pads �Pedometers �Rumen boluses Heat Detection Aides

Pressure Sensitive Pads

Heat. Watch Pressure Pad

Pedometers

�Train personnel on signs of estrous �Cannot cut corners here! �Excellent tools for vets from stud services and breeding companies �Review numbers often as a program starts to evaluate heat detection numbers. Implementing Heat Detection on a Dairy

�Many different programs �Success depends on management/style of the dairy �Labor intensive �Compliance a must Timed Artificial Insemination (TAI)

TAI Programs

CIDRSync Programs with CIDRs

�Veterinarian should couple the management ability of the dairy with the TAI program �A producer will almost always go for the program with the best published rates but demand the most convenient program �In general the more intense the program the better the rates Which TAI Program is Best?

�Same time every day of week and time (including Christmas day and July 4 th!) �All cows MUST be found. ◦ Missed injections primary cause of compliance failure. Compliance to TAI Programs

� Preg � TAI rate = Heat detection X Conception rate programs force 100% heat detection � If a TAI program requires 6 visits to the cow and we miss 5% of the cows at all visits then we’ve reduced effective heat detection rate from 100 to 70%. If conception rate is 40% then we’ve reduce preg rate by 12% Example of Compliance

TAI Program Cow Visits Preg Rate Cost per Cow Co. Sync 72 3 28 -33% $7. 22 Ov. Sync 48 4 28 -33% $7. 38 Ov. Sync 56 4 30 -35 % $7. 38 Pre. Sync 12/Ov. Sync 56 6 32 -38% $11. 90 Pre. Sync 14/Ov. Sync 56 6 32 -38% G 6 G 6 40 -50% $11. 80 Double Ov. Sync 7 40 -50% $13. 96 Preg Rates and Costs $11. 90

TAI Program Cow Visits Preg Rate Cost per Cow Co. Sync 72 3 28 -33% $7. 22 Ov. Sync 48* 4 28 -33% $7. 38 Ov. Sync 56* 4 30 -35 % $7. 38 Pre. Sync 12/Ov. Sync 56* 6 32 -38% $11. 90 Pre. Sync 14/Ov. Sync 56* 6 32 -38% G 6 G 6 40 -50% $11. 80 Double Ov. Sync 7 40 -50% $13. 96 * If CIDR used add another $9. 00 Preg Rates and Costs $11. 90

�Rectal Palpation �Ultrasound �Blood �Milk Test Pregnancy Diagnosis

�Most common form of pregnancy diagnosis for cattle �Conducted breeding between 30 -50 days after �Sensitivity of 95% and specificity of 96% when conducted between 35 and 45 d post AI �Chronic Trauma to shoulder Rectal Palpation

�Usually performed between 28 -35 days �Sensitivity of 97. 7% and specificity of 87. 7% when conducted between 26 and 33 d post AI (Pieterse et al. , 1990) �Skills vary among ultrasonographers �Rechecks �Reduced used. still must be done shoulder trauma if extension arm Ultrasonography

�Current controversy regarding stage to preg check �Research shows no difference in economics when preg check between 32 and 39 days (Silva, et al 2009 ) �At 39 days U/S not required and neither is early P 2 Ultrasonography

�Detection of early pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs) �Pregnancy-Specific Protein B (PSPB) �Proteins only produced by the placenta of the growing fetus Blood Tests for Pregnancy

�Sensitivity reported to be between 96 -99% �Specificity reported to be between 97 -99% �Lay personnel can pull the sample �Often combined with other modalities of pregnancy diagnosis allowing for coverage of more animals or larger herds �Decrease physical wear and tear of shoulder Advantages of Blood Testing

�Requires result �Does minimum of 24 hours to achieve not provide any fetal staging �Half life of some PAGs may be as long as 90 day postpartum Disadvantages of Blood Testing

�bio. Tracking �Idexx �Conception Commercially Available Tests

�Test name is Bio. Pryn �Located in Moscow, Idaho �Characteristics ◦ Se/Sp is 100/87. 8 at 30 -36 days post breeding ◦ Used as early as 28 days post breeding ◦ Must wait until 90 days postpartum �Cost is $2. 50 -$3. 50 per sample bio. Tracking

� Idexx Bovine Pregnancy Test � Serum or milk � Located in Westbrook, Maine � Characteristics ◦ Se/Sp is 99. 3%/95. 1% at 30 days post breeding ◦ Used as early as 28 days post breeding ◦ Must wait 60 days post partum before using � Cost between $2. 50 and $3. 00 per sample Idexx

�Test name is DG 29 �Located in Québec, Canada �Characteristics ◦ Se/Sp is 99. 4/100 at 29 days post breeding ◦ Used as early as 29 days post breeding ◦ Must wait 90 days post partum before using �Cost between $3. 20 and $4. 00 per sample Conception

Reproduction Analysis

�Case Definitions!! �Pregnant Cows/Exposed Cows �Pregnancy Rate, DIM, DOPN, etc. ◦ Include cows in EWP? ◦ Include Dead/Sold Cows? ◦ Include Dry Cows? ◦ Frequency of preg checks Basic Concepts

� 40 -45% of milking herd pregnant � 180 -200 Average DIM �Cull rate less than 35% (? ? ? ) High Production Herd Characteristics

�# milking cows pregnant/total # of cows milking. � 30 -50% �Dry �In is the goal (moves with DIM) cows not included DC 305… ◦ Sum by rc for rc=1 -5 Lact>0B % of the Milking Herd Pregnant

�Days in milk at first breeding (DIMFB) �Days Open (DOPN) �Days in milk (DIM) Herd Averages

�Days in milk at first breeding (DIMFB) �Days Open (DOPN) �Days in milk (DIM) Count Av. DIMFB Av DOPN Av DIM -------2851 62 Herd Averages 119 180

�Days in milk at first breeding (DIMFB) �Days Open (DOPN) �Days in milk (DIM) Count Av. DIMFB Av DOPN Av DIM -------2851 62 119 180 4412 63 146 200 Herd Averages

�Need to be certain of where CLEANUP parameters are set �Commands like COUNT, SUM and PCT do NOT look at sold/died cows unless told to �Switches in DC 305 ◦ B, D, L Using DC 305 for Repro Analysis

�# milking cows preg and >150 DIM / #cows milking and greater than 150 DIM �In DC 305… ◦ Sum by RC for DIM>150 RC=1 -5 Lact>0 �Goal �Dry 50 -70% (moves with DIM) cows not included % Milking Herd Preg and >150 DIM

�Calendar �Times Month Bred �Tech �Breeding �Interval �Day Code Analysis of the Week Specific Areas of Monitoring

By Calendar Month for past 12 months Month 95% CI %Conc #Preg #Open Other Abort Total %Tot SPC ========== ===== ===== 2012 January 35 -45 40 142 214 72 41 428 4 2. 5 2012 February 35 -44 40 179 271 79 46 529 5 2012 March 35 -43 39 204 319 108 47 631 6 2012 April 37 -45 41 251 358 134 62 743 8 2. 4 2012 May 36 -44 40 220 336 110 47 666 7 2. 5 2012 June 28 -35 31 178 392 74 46 644 7 3. 2 2012 July 13 -19 16 100 531 117 20 748 8 6. 3 2012 August 8 -12 10 83 742 134 8 959 10 9. 9 2012 September 14 -18 16 158 837 203 11 1198 12 6. 3 2012 October 27 -32 29 314 754 310 19 1378 14 3. 4 2012 November 37 -44 41 333 487 166 6 986 10 2. 5 2012 December 30 -38 34 192 373 * 144 2 709 7 2. 9 2013 January 0 0 93 * 141 0 234 2 TOTALS 28 -30 29 2354 5707 1792 355 9853 100 3. 4 1002 non-AI breedings were omitted

By Times Bred Number 95% CI %Conc #Preg #Open Other Abort Total %Tot SPC ========== ===== ===== 1 27 -40 33 62 124 4 0 190 32 3. 0 2 30 -46 37 51 86 0 1 137 23 2. 7 3 22 -42 31 25 55 4 1 84 14 3. 2 4 18 -40 27 17 45 2 1 64 11 3. 6 5 18 -47 31 11 25 1 0 37 6 3. 3 6 22 -56 37 10 17 1 0 28 5 2. 7 7 12 -55 29 4 10 2 0 16 3 3. 5 8 15 -58 33 5 10 1 0 16 3 3. 0 OTHERS 6 -38 16 3 0 22 4 6. 3 TOTALS 29 -37 33 188 388 18 3 594 100 3. 1 35 non-AI breedings were omitted

By Technician 95% CI %Conc #Preg #Open Other Abort Total %Tot SPC ========== ===== ===== Efrain 19 -31 25 50 153 5 1 208 35 4. 1 Luis 17 -35 25 21 64 4 0 89 15 4. 0 Alfonso 35 -46 41 117 171 11 2 299 50 2. 5 TOTALS 29 -37 33 188 388 20 3 596 100 3. 1 35 non-AI breedings were omitted

By Breeding Code 95% CI %Conc #Preg #Open Other Abort Total %Tot SPC ========== ===== ===== CIDR 12 -49 26 5 14 0 1 19 3 3. 8 Thur PM 40 -63 52 33 31 3 1 67 11 1. 9 Normal 31 -44 37 85 142 8 1 235 39 2. 7 TAI 20 -30 25 65 199 9 0 273 46 4. 1 OTHERS 0 -66 0 0 2 0 TOTALS 29 -37 33 188 388 20 3 596 100 3. 1 35 non-AI breedings were omitted

By Day of the Week Day 95% CI %Conc #Preg #Open Other Abort Total %Tot SPC ========== ===== ===== Monday 24 -55 38 13 21 0 0 34 6 2. 6 Tuesday 36 -70 54 15 13 0 1 28 5 1. 9 Wednesday 25 -51 37 17 29 5 0 51 9 2. 7 Thursday 33 -52 42 45 62 3 1 110 18 2. 4 Friday 22 -32 26 81 225 11 1 317 53 3. 8 Saturday 14 -44 27 8 22 0 0 30 5 3. 8 Sunday 20 -55 36 9 16 1 0 26 4 2. 8 TOTALS 29 -37 33 188 388 20 3 596 100 3. 1 35 non-AI breedings were omitted

�Survival �DC 305 Analysis on DOPN command… ◦ Graph DOPN for Lact>0 RC=1 -5S ◦ Survival Curve DIM for 25, 50 and 75% Preg. Rate

GRAPH DOPNS

GRAPH DOPN FOR TID=3 WITH TID<>3S

�Caveats ◦ Interpret results with other repro parameters ◦ There is a lag in reproduction data equal to days till preg check post breeding ◦ Should also apply monitoring techniques to parity groups DOPN Cohort Analysis

�Know the case definition �Record �Look the data often at the data often �Check data against other criteria Conclusion

QUESTIONS?