There are two sides to the fertility discussion – genetics and fertility management. Genetics means the sires that you will choose to breed your next generation of milking cows. Fertility management means all the tools and activities you complete to ensure as many cows as possible are submitted for breeding such as tail paint, condition score, etc.
At a recent meeting in Hillsborough, Steven Morrison (AFBI) and Marco Winters (Dairy Co) outlined where the trend has been for the last 20 years in terms of genetics used on Northern Ireland farms. Figures 1 to 3 outline the trends.
Figure 1 shows the upward trend in the genetic potential for milk yield. Effectively UK and Northern Ireland cows are getting better in terms of their genetics to produce milk. The bottom line in terms of yield per cow is that it is increasing by about 100 litres per cow per year.
Figure 2 presented by Winters tells us a similar story in terms of the types of genetics that are being used on Northern Ireland farms. Milk yield has been climbing for the last 20 years based on inseminations used since 1995.
Figure 3 shows one measure of fertility – calving interval, which is measured in days. Steven Morrison from Hillsborough outlined how fertility has gradually declined for the last 20 years. Remember calving interval is the number of days between successive calves. The objective is to get a calf per cow per year so that means the target calving interval is 365 days. The message from the data presented by Morrison is that 20 years ago the genetics for calving interval in milk-recorded cows delivered a calving interval that was minus eight days and now on average it is closer to zero days, so effectively on average Northern Ireland herds have lost days of production.
Remember also that while the genetics for milk yield are improving, herds are also getting bigger. So much so that almost 60% of dairy cows in Northern Ireland are now in herds of 100 plus milking cows. Now unless a lot more labour comes into a business, this effectively means that dairy farmers have less time for individual cow attention.
It is that mix of higher yield, poorer fertility and increased herd size that is creating the problems encountered by dairy farmers. Some of the mistakes we have encountered already and measured on Dairylink farms include:
Losing control of breeding decisions and letting others decide what is important for your herd and your business. The farmer must have a plan and not be led by vested interests in this.Increased herd health problems due to higher yields.Spread calving pattern making the job more difficult to get cows back in-calf.No measurement of fertility measures such as calving rates, calving pattern and/or sires used.Poor replacement potential because of spread-out calving and not enough dairy AI bred replacements coming into herds.Breeding for excessive milk yields and encountering all the problems of very high milk yield which impacts on fertility.The solutions
You need to have a clear plan and policy for how sires fit with your overall business plan. Can you put sire selection and breeding goals on the agenda for your next discussion group? Can you book time with your adviser to discuss the matter before it is too late?
Select sires with good fertility traits, not just high milk yield. Select a number of sires, not just one sire. For many herds with already adequate genetic potential for yield, sires with little or no extra milk volume will be required. Some herds need less milk and a higher weighting on fertility to correct past mistakes.
There are two farm walks coming up on Dairylink farms. Nigel Corbett is hosting a walk on Thursday 6 October at 72 Garvaghy Church Road, Banbridge BT32 3SB, Co Down. Robin Clements will host a farm walk on Tuesday 11 October on his farm at 40 Keenogue Road, Trillick, Co Tyrone. Both events start at 11am and will be signposted near farm. The walks are open to the public. The main focus of the walks will be around autumn grassland management, business planning and herd fertility.
There are two sides to the fertility discussion – genetics and fertility management. Genetics means the sires that you will choose to breed your next generation of milking cows. Fertility management means all the tools and activities you complete to ensure as many cows as possible are submitted for breeding such as tail paint, condition score, etc.
At a recent meeting in Hillsborough, Steven Morrison (AFBI) and Marco Winters (Dairy Co) outlined where the trend has been for the last 20 years in terms of genetics used on Northern Ireland farms. Figures 1 to 3 outline the trends.
Figure 1 shows the upward trend in the genetic potential for milk yield. Effectively UK and Northern Ireland cows are getting better in terms of their genetics to produce milk. The bottom line in terms of yield per cow is that it is increasing by about 100 litres per cow per year.
Figure 2 presented by Winters tells us a similar story in terms of the types of genetics that are being used on Northern Ireland farms. Milk yield has been climbing for the last 20 years based on inseminations used since 1995.
Figure 3 shows one measure of fertility – calving interval, which is measured in days. Steven Morrison from Hillsborough outlined how fertility has gradually declined for the last 20 years. Remember calving interval is the number of days between successive calves. The objective is to get a calf per cow per year so that means the target calving interval is 365 days. The message from the data presented by Morrison is that 20 years ago the genetics for calving interval in milk-recorded cows delivered a calving interval that was minus eight days and now on average it is closer to zero days, so effectively on average Northern Ireland herds have lost days of production.
Remember also that while the genetics for milk yield are improving, herds are also getting bigger. So much so that almost 60% of dairy cows in Northern Ireland are now in herds of 100 plus milking cows. Now unless a lot more labour comes into a business, this effectively means that dairy farmers have less time for individual cow attention.
It is that mix of higher yield, poorer fertility and increased herd size that is creating the problems encountered by dairy farmers. Some of the mistakes we have encountered already and measured on Dairylink farms include:
Losing control of breeding decisions and letting others decide what is important for your herd and your business. The farmer must have a plan and not be led by vested interests in this.Increased herd health problems due to higher yields.Spread calving pattern making the job more difficult to get cows back in-calf.No measurement of fertility measures such as calving rates, calving pattern and/or sires used.Poor replacement potential because of spread-out calving and not enough dairy AI bred replacements coming into herds.Breeding for excessive milk yields and encountering all the problems of very high milk yield which impacts on fertility.The solutions
You need to have a clear plan and policy for how sires fit with your overall business plan. Can you put sire selection and breeding goals on the agenda for your next discussion group? Can you book time with your adviser to discuss the matter before it is too late?
Select sires with good fertility traits, not just high milk yield. Select a number of sires, not just one sire. For many herds with already adequate genetic potential for yield, sires with little or no extra milk volume will be required. Some herds need less milk and a higher weighting on fertility to correct past mistakes.
There are two farm walks coming up on Dairylink farms. Nigel Corbett is hosting a walk on Thursday 6 October at 72 Garvaghy Church Road, Banbridge BT32 3SB, Co Down. Robin Clements will host a farm walk on Tuesday 11 October on his farm at 40 Keenogue Road, Trillick, Co Tyrone. Both events start at 11am and will be signposted near farm. The walks are open to the public. The main focus of the walks will be around autumn grassland management, business planning and herd fertility.
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