Maximising fertility efficiency on farm is paramount to a profitable enterprise. With autumn calving, there are some considerations that need to be managed slightly differently. In this article, I will look at some principles or areas to focus on to maximise the fertility for autumn breeding.

Sometimes you have to make things very simple to help understand and work through problems.

When I look at investigating fertility issues, I start at the very beginning with the sperm and egg.

The aim is for a healthy sperm and a viable healthy egg to meet in the right environment at the right time.

So there are three important factors involved:

  • the male effect (healthy sperm);
  • the female factors (healthy egg); and
  • the environment (a healthy uterine tract).

    • You could also then add timing in when using AI, as when using bulls they have mastered this one.

    So, there are hundreds of tips. Here are 10 good ones to start with for autumn breeding.

    Cow comfort and breeding

    When we consider autumn breeding in Irish beef and dairy herds, much of it can be done indoors. For this reason, cow comfort becomes very important. So what does this really mean?

    A cow that is comfortable in her environment is free to express normal behaviours and maximise her physiological potential. Any disruption in this will lead to cows not fulfilling their potential.

    When we discuss breeding, we talk about heat expression. This is the cow displaying the outward signs of ovulation or the egg being released into uterus to allow sperm (if timing is right) to fertilise them.

    Where you can have challenges with heat expression is where cow comfort is compromised. The big factors here are space per cow, lying facilities and underfoot conditions.

    So allowing sufficient space within sheds for cows to move around, adequate lying space and having the feet on and in good conditions helps a cow express natural behaviours like heat expression.

    Slippy floors are another challenge when breeding indoors, particularly on concrete. This is why grooving to allow grip is beneficial. Getting this right is important, so do not have grooves too deep or shallow.

    Top tip 1

    Allow adequate space per cow indoors to display her normal behaviours

    Heat detection

    Every farmer knows the importance of heat detection. Before breeding, this is important, so a note can be taken of cows seen cycling. A heat is where a cow is showing the outward expression of that egg being released.

    Cows not seen in heat before breeding can be marked, so when breeding begins they may be checked or watched more closely.

    Cows not seen in heat often are cycling, but where we want to tighten up our calving pattern and improve efficiency, it is often very useful to get these ladies scanned or examined. Then we can take action on what we often refer to as these problem cows (not cycling) to help them get back in calf.

    Some of these cows can be dirty where the environment the sperm and the egg want to head for is infected and inhospitable.

    There is much research done on expression of heat indoors versus outdoors. It is important to maximise normal behaviours, so we manage the housing facilities (cow comfort) to allow this.

    Where using AI in herds, there are few things that will positively affect efficiency more than good heat detection. We have established the importance of the environment, which allows her express heat, so the next job is to detect this heat.

    The more time spent observing cows, the more odds of spotting this standing heat. There can be some challenges, with silent heats or because a lot of heat expression can occur at night time.

    As labour and time are at a premium on most farms, the use of heat detections aids must be considered. Where electronic detection aids are used like collars or pedometers, there can be a cost, but this is offset by time and labour savings.

    Top tip 2

    Use heat detection aids to improve the odds

    Managing disease

    For a cow to ovulate, she must be healthy and have no disease issues. There are a couple of infectious diseases that can affect cow fertility and reproduction on Irish farms.

    Bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) is a disease in which a national eradication programme is making huge strides to remove. This infectious virus can affect breeding and the viability of the young embryo, along with more devastating effects later on.

    The big question is around the need for vaccination when the disease is being eradicated.

    While levels of BVD are getting much lower, my advice to herds vaccinating is to keep doing what you are doing. To herds that are not vaccinating, it is so important to maintain biosecurity and not allow the disease into your herd.

    Leptospirosis is another bacterial disease that affects fertility in suckler and dairy herds. It is quite prevalent in Ireland, as a lot of our herds have been exposed.

    It is one disease that I think most farms should be vaccinating for. It is one of the cheaper vaccines and can be given pre-breeding.

    Another disease which has come on the radar of late is campylobacter fetus, a bacterial disease that may cause infertility and abortions in herds.

    It is important at all times of the year to minimise infectious disease. Where infertility issues are occurring, it is important to rule out infectious causes of disease.

    Top tip 3

    Consider vaccinating pre-breeding with leptospirosis vaccine, as it is endemic in a lot of Irish herds

    Trace elements

    There is much discussion about the role trace elements play in fertility in Irish herds. The main focus is often on selenium, iodine and copper. Some literature will talk about cobalt and even zinc in some cases.

    There is no doubt that the first three play a role in good fertility. However, my feeling is they are blamed for problems too often. Selenium and iodine, in particular on some farms, can cause issues.

    Often, autumn breeding occurs indoors on a predominantly silage diet. Is there anything we can do to rule in or out these mineral issues?

    It always surprises me how little silage mineral analysis we do, yet spend large sums of money on minerals for our cows. When I did silage analysis, along with some mineral bloods on farms, I found I was able to give much more specific advice around mineral supplementation pre-breeding.

    Top tip 4

    Get your silage analysed and interpret the results. Silage mineral analysis is something you can do right now

    Lameness

    A lame cow is a cow in pain. Pain limits performance and none more so than when we talk about reproductive performance. To maximise fertility indoors, we really need to get a good handle on lameness control.

    There are two types of lameness – infectious lameness or mechanical lameness.

    The two main types of infectious lameness are mortellaro and fouls. To help minimise your risk on farm, my advice is aggressive treatment of cases and regular footbathing during the winter months.

    Most of these diseases thrive in environments where we have slurry buildup. Maintaining scrapers and clean passages are a big help to reduce lameness.

    Mechanical lameness is wear and tear of the feet. By allowing enough cow space and comfort for lying, we minimise standing time in cows, which can greatly improve the pressure on cows’ feet.

    Cows like to move at 3km/hr, so when we push cows around in yards, we risk putting more pressure on feet. So, look at good cow flow to manage injuries at housing.

    Remember, when a cow expresses heat, she is standing. Also, when using a bull, after his testicles working right, he needs good feet.

    Lameness has a very direct effect on fertility in your herd, so preventing it can improve reproductive efficiency.

    Top tip 5

    Regular weekly footbathing during the winter months can reduce the impact of infectious lameness on your herd

    Bull management

    When relying on bulls in autumn, there are many factors to consider. The bull’s fertility is key and this might not always be just black and white. Subfertility is the grey area where some bulls can return disappointing conception rates.

    So, four to six weeks out from breeding, it is really valuable to get the bull fertility tested. This not only involves checking for viable motile sperm, but also a full health check to pick up any problems that might affect bull performance. It also includes staining and examining sperm in more detail.

    When depending on one bull, this is important. Bull power is also important. Young bulls need less work. On the other side, young bulls who are lighter often suit indoor breeding because of their lower impact on cows and heifers.

    Do not to forget the bull when drawing up vaccine plans, including regular fluke, worm and lice treatments.

    Top tip 6

    Get your bulls fertility tested six weeks out from breeding

    The value of synchronising animals

    There are a number of hormones that influence what happens a cow’s ovary. These hormones influence what happens this egg developing and ovulating.

    By synchronising cows (using synthetic hormones), we are manipulating the timing of that ovulation to increase the odds, particularly when using AI. This also has huge benefits where we need to address problem cows and tighten up our calving pattern.

    With heifers, it also allows us to help them enter the herd at the start of calving season where we can focus more on management with this group.

    Most of these programmes come with a significant cost, so using them properly is really important to get value for money.

    It is also worth remembering most of these interventions will only generally work where animals are cycling.

    Top tip 7

    Use hormone treatments in heifers to help manage this group

    Problem cows not seen cycling

    Cows not seen cycling before breeding, or problem cows, are the ones we haven’t seen in heat. A cow will fall on to this list if she has had a hard calving, kept cleanings or any discharges from her womb.

    Early intervention and treatments with these ladies can have a big affect on getting them back cycling and keeping your calving interval tight, which is one of the important measures of efficiency. The good news when we scan these cows is that a high percent are often cycling, but are just missed.

    Top tip 8

    Identify cows not cycling during breeding and get them examined to increase your herd reproductive efficiency

    Energy

    One of the most important factors that affects fertility is energy. A cow will have energy needs for her level of production – beef or dairy. After calving, particularly in the dairy cow, this is big and often cannot be met by what she can consume. She uses body reserves to fill that gap.

    This is why we focus so much on BCS monitoring on our farms. Being aware of and managing this energy gap is probably one of the biggest factors in helping the freshly calved cow get back in calf.

    If she falls into a big energy deficit, it has a pronounced affect on her ability to get back in calf.

    Top tip 9

    If you want to have the biggest influence on the fertility of your herd, focus on minimising this energy gap before and during breeding

    Parasites

    Parasites can have a huge affect on herd performance. Use data such as factory reports, bulk milk screening, FECs and clinical signs to decide on appropriate risk.

    A good winter dosing plan drawn up with your vet that is farm specific can have huge benefits to herd performance.

    Top tip 10

    Set up a farm specific dosing parasite plan for your herd with your vet