A.I. & BREEDING

Although milk production has almost doubled in the past 50 years, reproduction remains a significant challenge for producers. The performance of average Canadian herds is still unsatisfactory, with a gestation rate of 17.6%.

As dairies seek to mitigate financial risk, in vitro fertilization (IVF) is moving to the forefront as a tool to capitalize on the best genetics in their herds through timely pregnancies, shorter calving intervals and reduced days open.

Holstein Canada and Lactanet, with support from Zoetis, launched Compass in November 2019. It is an online software system that aims to help producers navigate their herd’s genetics.

There are so many factors that affect how efficiently you can get cows pregnant. Cow comfort. Cow cooling. Nutrition. Herd health. Genetics. Dry cow, transition and fresh cow management. And the list goes on.

“If everybody is thinking alike, then somebody isn’t thinking.”
—General George S. Patton Jr., one of the top U.S. commanders in World War II

Since the introduction of Ovsynch more than two decades ago, dairy cattle estrous synchronization programs have been revamped, tweaked and refined in the quest to boost dairy cattle fertility and optimize reproductive management programs.