Horizons

Transcription

Horizons

August 2006
Horizons
Powering your
Reproductive
Program
Introducing LNM$ 2006
Maximizing Fertility Through:
• Genetics
• Heat Detection Aids
• A.I. Technique
Boosting Program Compliance
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YOUR 0ROFTPARTNER»
EDITOR’S NOTE
Powering your
Reproductive
Program
With all the daily tasks on
the farm, we know there are
never enough hours in a day,
so getting the most out of
the time you do spend on
your reproductive program
is important. This issue of
HORIZONS focuses on
fine-tuning the basics of
your reproductive program,
thus making your efforts
more time efficient. With
an open mind, take into
consideration the tips
and suggestions in these
articles as they could add
the power you are missing
in your reproductive program.
Commitment to Cooperatives
by John Ruedinger
5 In the News
CRI Achieves Record-Setting Results
6 Genetically Speaking
Contents
4 Perspective
Lifetime Net Merit 2006: Building More Profitable Cows
8 In the News
Sharing Knowledge and Expertise
by Dean Gilge
10 Herd Management
Improving Fertility and Increasing Conception Rates
12 Herd Management
by Lloyd Simon
by Jenny Bjelland
Improving Cow Pregnancy Success During Summer’s Heat by Pete Hansen
14 Maximizing Fertility
Strong Repro Results Well Worth the Wait by Richard Wallace
Sire Summaries Reveal Profit-Packed Line-up
18 Herd Management
Boost Your Repro Program with Increased Compliance
A Guide to Heat Detection Aids
by Roy Wilson
Do You Have Picture Perfect Technique?
24 Herd Management
On-Farm Considerations for Early
Nonpregnancy Diagnosis by Paul M. Fricke and Ryan Sterry
26 Employee Development
Motivating: What is it? Where does it come from? by Jim Henion
Jenny Bjelland, Editor
jbjelland@crinet.com
29 Herd Story
Consistency and Cooperation Breed Success by Amy te Plate-Church
30 Herd Story
The Team “Clicks” at Allenwaite Farm by Jenny Bjelland
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
John J. Ruedinger, President
Van Dyne, Wis., 920.922.9899
Alfred Wanner, Jr., 1st Vice President
Narvon, Pa., 717.768.8118
Jimmy Franks, 2nd Vice President
Waynesboro, Ga., 706.437.0527
Duane J. Nelson, Secretary
Winthrop, Minn., 507.647.2540
Jacques Couture
Westfield, Vt., 802.744.2733
Jon Wayne Danielson
Cadott, Wis., 715.289.3860
Paul Greene
Berlin, N.Y., 518.658.2419
David Hileman
HORIZONS EDITORIAL BOARD
Members
Kirk Butcher, Senoia, Ga.
Steve Hendress, Wolcott, Ind.
Roger Henry, St. Charles, Minn.
Frank Orner, Rockton, Pa.
Mike Schlidt, Pleasant Dale, Neb.
Dan Tetreault, Champlain, N.Y.
Employees
Scott Bennett, Area Sales Representative, Ore.
John Jackan, Area Sales Manager, Wis.
Barry Putnam, District Sales Manager, N.Y.
Steve Schnell, Vice President Dairy Genetics
Sarah Thorson, Training Programs Manager
Tyrone, Pa., 814.684.1498
Don Taber
HORIZONS STAFF
Shoshone, Idaho, 208.886.7627
Jenny Bjelland, Editor, jbjelland@crinet.com
Amy te Plate-Church, Paul M. Fricke,
Dean Gilge, Pete Hansen, Jim Henion,
John Ruedinger, Lloyd Simon, Ryan Sterry,
Roy Wilson and Richard Wallace,
Contributing Editors
Kay Kristof, Graphics Supervisor, kkristof@crinet.com
Ronald Totten
Stafford, N.Y., 585.344.0758
David H. Watkins
Moscow, Iowa, 563.724.3451
Clarence Van Dyke
Manhattan, Mont., 406.282.7579
Richard Vold
ON THE COVER
A fresh heifer sniffs her newborn heifer calf
at Brown Star Dairy, Gillett, Wis.
The heifer calf is the result of an embryo purchased
from the Genex GENESIS MOET program.
Cover photo by Jenny Bjelland.
ADDRESS CORRESPONDENCE
Cooperative Resources International
100 MBC Drive, P. O. Box 469, Shawano, WI 54166
info@crinet.com 888.333.1783 www.crinet.com
HORIZONS
August 2006 Vol. 12/No.3
Published quarterly for dairy producers
in the United States and Canada.
REPRINTS
Material may not be reproduced in any fashion without Cooperative
Resources International’s permission.
Glenwood, Minn., 320.634.4665
Horizons | ©2006 CRI
3
PERSPECTIVE
Commitment to Cooperatives
by John Ruedinger
President
Genex Cooperative, Inc.
Cooperatives have been part of
the agricultural heritage of the
Ruedinger family for three generations, and cooperatives remain an
important part of my life today.
In the 1940s, my grandfather helped
found the Oshkosh Shipping Association, a cooperative formed to meet
feed and seed needs of area farmers.
As frozen semen became available,
he began using artificial insemination service from a cooperative.
My father began his cooperative
career as a director for a local supply
cooperative in the late 1960s. For
nearly 30 years he was active locally
and nationally in cooperative work.
In the mid 1970s, my wife and I
attended many cooperative
leadership conferences. These
conferences solidified my commitment to the cooperative way of
doing business, offered insight,
taught us the value of organization,
business and governance structure,
and offered a chance to work with
other people in the industry — from
dairy producers to management.
Since cooperatives had become part
of the Ruedinger way of doing
business, when former director Ray
Koepp asked if I had an interest, I
decided to run for a 21st Century
Genetics director position. After my
election, I began to learn being a
member of a cooperative is not just
buying products and receiving
service. Cooperatives are a complex
system of smaller businesses rolled
into one large business. They can be
aggressive, yet conservative in their
business approach. They offer
diversity to the members they serve.
The cooperative model also offers
the ability for an organization to
4
© 2 0 0 6 C R I | Horizons
change. I am proud to say I have
helped to bring about some of
the necessary governance changes
for the membership of Genex/CRI.
Since I became a director in 1989,
growth through mergers and consolidations have offered opportunity
within a mature industry. The 1993
formation of CRI was an industry
milestone, creating new possibilities
for Genex and for members. The
consolidation was necessary to
maintain the excellent quality of
products and services members
had grown to expect.
The change to national membership
has been very positive for our
cooperative. With redistricting, we
have 13 directors across the U.S.
including two new board members.
This adds a much needed diversity
to the board of directors. There are
distinct differences between producers
in the West, Midwest and East. Now
Genex can add value by drawing
new ideas and suggestions for
products and services from a vast
population of livestock producers.
As the cooperative has changed in
the past, it will also change throughout the future. We will need to draw
from our sister subsidiaries
AgSource and Central Livestock.
They offer a wide variety of
programs which fit well into the
Genex producer profitability model.
We also need to continue to develop
international markets — marketing
not only semen, but our intellect.
International markets add new
dimension to the “outside the box”
thinking management instills within
Genex. This is evident in IndiaGen,
our venture in India. This project
could open the door to many more
franchising opportunities.
With knowledge and experience,
your board of directors and management team offer the leadership skills
necessary to meet the CRI mission.
This driving force gives producers
within the CRI family the ability to
grow their businesses while maintaining a strong, viable cooperative.
As former Genex president David
Hileman wrote in a previous
Horizons, “A member-controlled
cooperative led by engaged and
involved delegates, a strong board
of directors and a skilled, dedicated
management team all pulling together
is a powerful business model.”
I believe his statement to be true.
By working together your
cooperative has become a wellrespected leader in the industry.
As I am proud to be the third
generation in my family committed
to the cooperative system of
business, you too, should be proud
of being a member of a strong
cooperative with a bright future.
Genex and CRI have outperformed expectations for the first
half of 2006. All international markets remain strong and the
International Division is above budget for revenue by $870,000.
Genex service and semen within the U.S. continues to reflect
our strong product offerings with a net savings of $2,777,000
as of June 30.
One bright spot for Genex has been consistent increases in
services. Producers have recognized the value of service teams
to improve herd reproduction leading to increases of nearly 10
percent each of the last four years. This year is no exception
with over 70,000 more services during the first half of the year
compared to 2005.
CRI Subsidiary News
On July 5, AgSource Cooperative Services announced the
acquisition of Harris Laboratories located in Lincoln, Neb. The
laboratory has a strong presence in the regional ag market for
soil testing, and an extensive clientele across the country in turf,
tissue and specialty markets as well as a sizeable international
business doing work for clients in 38 countries. The addition
of Harris Labs to AgSource and CRI more than doubles the
cooperative’s capacity in soil and agronomic testing.
Central Livestock Association proudly announced a new
relationship with an Internet auction called TEAM – The
Electronic Auction Market. TEAM is a very successful Canadianbased on-line auction for livestock. TEAM provides excellent
competitive marketing opportunities by bringing many buyers,
sellers and cattle together through an electronic format.
Individuals can register with TEAM as a bidder or an observer
free of charge at www.teamauctionsales.com.
Dates Set for Genex Fall Meetings
The dates have been set for the Genex Fall Input Meetings.
Delegates and alternates are encouraged and expected to attend
the meeting most conveniently located near them. Information
gained from these meetings is very important and highly valued
by the board of directors and staff. Each meeting will begin at
10:00 a.m. and conclude by 2:30 p.m.
Wed., October 11, 2006 Fresno, California
Thurs., October 12, 2006 Kansas City, Missouri
Tues., October 24, 2006 Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
Wed., October 25, 2006 Syracuse, New York
Thurs., October 26, 2006 Albany, New York
Fri., October 27, 2006 Concord, New Hampshire
Tues., October 31, 2006 Alexandria, Minnesota
Wed., November 1, 2006 Bloomington, Minnesota
Thurs., November 2, 2006 Dubuque, Iowa
Fri., November 3, 2006 Appleton, Wisconsin
IN THE NEWS
CRI Midyear Financial Review
Genex Event
Calendar
| September 12-15 |
Canada Outdoor Farm Show
Woodstock, Ontario
| October 3-7 |
World Dairy Expo
Madison, Wis.
| October 17-19 |
Sunbelt Agricultural Expo
Moultrie, Ga.
| October 19-21 |
Northeast Dairy Challenge
Waterloo, N.Y.
(Hosted by Cornell University)
| November 13 |
Dairy Sire Summaries
| November 19-21 |
Southern Dairy Challenge
Roanoke, Va.
(Hosted by Virginia Tech University)
Genex Career
Opportunities
Looking for a career change?
Become part of the Genex team
and provide dairy producers
with products to increase their
profitability, and top-quality
artificial insemination service and
reproductive assistance. A career
with Genex also offers flexible
hours and scheduling, opportunity
for education and on-the-job
training, hands-on learning, and
competitive wages and benefits.
See current Genex
and CRI openings
posted on our
Web site go to
www.crinet.com.
Click on CRI
CAREERS.
Or, speak with
your local Genex
representative.
5
by Lloyd Simon
Sire Procurement Manager
ion Traits
uct
Prod
DPR 9%
lvi
ng
Ea
se
Udder
Comp.
6%
Conformation 1
2%
3%
the index and quantifies the ability
of daughters of a sire to become
pregnant. It is measured as a
percent and each percent positive
reflects four less days open.
Reproductively efficient cows with
more frequent birthings provide a
farm with increased internal growth
and substantial savings in all phases
of a reproductive program.
Traits Included
Milk
Fat
Protein
Productive Life (months)
Somatic Cell Score
Udder Composite
Feet/Legs Composite
Body Size Composite
Daughter Pregnancy Rate (%)
Service Sire Calving Difficulty
Daughter Calving Difficulty
Calving Ability $ (CA$)
the equation. Both of these reflect
the impact of the sire and dam,
respectively, in the birthing process.
Average stillbirth percent among all
birthings is eight percent and rises
to 12 percent in first calvings. SCE
and DCE represent about one-third
of the value in CA$, and SSB and
DSB account for two-thirds of the
six percent. Each of the four birthing
traits will be published; however, the
CA$ will not be published as a
stand-alone trait.
The heritability of this group of traits
is relatively low (less than .10);
however, if no effort is made to select
for them, progress will not be made
except by accident. Overall, the value
of this group of traits increases from
22 to 32 percent or nearly a third of
the index.
“50 Pounds of Flour”
LNM$ 2006 also introduces the
Calving Ability Dollar (CA$) index
with a six percent weighting. It is
related to PL and DPR as it
measures the genetic birthing
efficiency of a bull and his
daughters. The index includes Sire
Calving Ease (SCE) and Daughter
Calving Ease (DCE) (first quantified
in LNM$ 2003) and introduces and
incorporates Sire Stillbirth (SSB)
and Daughter Stillbirth (DSB) into
USDA Economic Index (Year Introduced)
Table 1
6
Ca
Fat 23%
lth Traits 41%
Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR) has
also been raised to nine percent of
SCS
-9%
%
Non-production trait values have
been increased to reflect the value
of cows that produce longer and are
more reproductively efficient.
Productive Life (PL) is now 17
percent of the value within the
index. Additionally, PL has been
revised to reflect the ability of
today’s cows to produce high
volumes of milk for longer periods
of time. Its previous parameters
capped a lactation at 305 days
and a cow’s life at 84 months.
The changes now credit a cow
for more than a 305-day lactation,
and also rewards her for staying
productive past 84 months.
Productive Life
17%
4
hs
irt
illb
St
What changed? And why?
Protein 23%
FL Comp. 3%
Body Size -4
%
Lifetime Net Merit $ (LNM$) rankings
of bulls and cows were first
introduced in 1994 with the goal of
ranking the dairy cattle population
on bottom-line profitability. Since its
inception, it has been revised to
reflect progress in identifying and
evaluating traits in addition to
production that affect farm profits.
Table 1, below, reflects the most
recent changes and highlights the
LNM$ 2006 enhancements.
4 6%
Traits Included in
Lifetime Net Merit
Hea
GENETICALLY SPEAKING
Lifetime Net Merit 2006: Building More
LNM$ (2000) LNM$ (2003) LNM$ (2006)
5
0
0
21
22
23
36
33
23
14
11
17
-9
-9
-9
7
7
6
4
4
3
-4
-3
-4
—
7
9
—
-2
—
—
-2
—
—
—
6
Grandpa used to say, “You can
only put 50 pounds of flour in a
50-pound sack.” It is true in
indexing also. The increases in PL,
DPR and CA$ mean the production
value is reduced to 46 percent in
the index with equal values of
protein and fat. However, Table 2
indicates the amount of production
progress attainable using LNM$
2006 as your selection index.
And, frankly, we have been
pretty successful at weighing the
milk and increasing production.
Why is it Important to Me?
Obviously, sound management and
husbandry practices are a key
ingredient of any successful dairy,
but if you like the idea of a more
genetically efficient cow helping
with the project let LNM$ 2006 be
your guide. Table 2 reflects the
progress genetically that can be
made by using LNM$ 2006 as your
primary breeding tool. I encourage
you to note the progress that can be
attained in PL, DPR and CA$.
A Practical Approach
“One purpose of a breeding program is to
increase the frequency of those genes that
contribute to a more profitable herd.”
~ Bennet Cassel
Extension Dairy Scientist, Virginia Tech
Use of LNM$ 2006 fulfills this statement for me.
It is consistent with the Genex Mission Statement
and provides dairy owners, whether large or small,
with a current and practical approach to selecting
service sires. It is research based and weighs the
traits for bottom line profitability increasing the
frequency of those genes that contribute to a
more profitable herd.
Table 2
PTA Trait
Protein (lb.)
Fat (lb.)
Milk (lb.)
Productive Life (months)
Somatic Cell Score
Udder Composite
Feet/Legs Composite
Body Size Composite
Daughter Pregnancy Rate (%)
Calving Ability $ (CA$)
GENETICALLY SPEAKING
e Profitable Cows
Expected Genetic
Progress from LNM$
Breeding Value
Change/Decade
52
76
1720
6.0
-.34
+.80
+.60
-.80
1.4
25
Revealing the GenCheck™
Fertility Advantage
By Steve Schnell
Vice President Dairy Cattle Genetics
™
Each year, Genex Breeding Program Specialists collect data on over 1.5 million breedings. Each month, the latest
breedings are analyzed using the best statistical analysis for non-return (to service) data. The outcome is individual
bull fertility rankings. To date, these evaluations have only been used by our production division to optimize individual
bull performance and, on occasion, to remove a bull from our active line-up due to poor fertility performance.
Starting with the August sire summary, Genex will introduce GenCheck, a fertility evaluation on all bulls that have
300 or more services, but do not have an official Estimated Relative Conception Rate (ERCR) calculated by USDA.
GenCheck, published in the Investment Guide following each sire summary, will provide Genex member/customers
with reliable fertility rankings for more bulls based on the only true way to measure a bull’s fertility – through the cow.
The GenCheck advantage will rank bulls
in the following categories:
Excellent
+ Very Good
Average to Above Average
- Average to Below Average
L Recommend limited use
based on limited data
There are two outcomes for a bull
ranked with an “L”: 1. With additional
data his performance improves or 2.
The bull is removed from the line-up.
Three L Farm
Ellenburg Depot, N.Y.
5
IN THE NEWS
Sharing Knowledge & Expertise
by Dean Gilge
Chief Operating Officer
IndiaGen
An A.I. technician training group (above) stands outside the regional IndiaGen
office in Meerut, India. Fourth from the right, in the front row, is IndiaGen
COO Dean Gilge. A Murrah Buffalo (below) poses with her newborn calf.
India: An Industry Leader
When you think of India, think of sheer numbers. Approximately one billion people
live in India, a country one third the size of the U.S. The country is home to 100
million breedable dairy cows and buffaloes, compared to the U.S. with nine million.
The average herd size is just under two cows per producer with average production
close to 2,000 pounds/cow/year. Despite these low averages, India is the largest
producer of milk in the world simply because of sheer numbers.
Dairy Development
The National Dairy Development Board (NDDB) of India
deserves credit for strengthening the country’s dairy industry
in the past 40 years. In short, NDDB’s goal was to replicate
AMUL, a very successful milk producers’ cooperative.
NDDB spearheaded teams to go into villages and help
producers form farmer-owned cooperatives, much
like our own U.S. cooperative systems with elected
members serving on boards of directors. They titled
these efforts “Operation Flood” as they strived to
increase production to create a flood of milk,
improve rural incomes and ensure fair prices
for consumers. Today, NDDB is a cornerstone
in India’s production agriculture industries.
8
IN THE NEWS
At right, a proud dairy producer
in Tirupati, India displays his
two Holstein cross heifers.
In India, many people
use oxen (far right) or bulls
to plow fields and pull carts.
IndiaGen Technicians,
including these in
Mulaknoor, India, (center)
drive motorcycles to their
service calls. India is also
home to many Jersey cows.
Pictured (bottom right)
are Jersey cross cows
in Chittoor, India.
IndiaGen Advancements
Indian Immunologicals Ltd. (IIL), an
NDDB organization dedicated to
improving animal health, and CRI
officially launched a joint venture in
January 2005. The result was IndiaGen,
the first artificial insemination (A.I.)
company of its kind in India.
Historically, A.I. has been available
in India for many decades, but has
always been subsidized to producers
through a government agency or
dairy cooperative union. IndiaGen
is the first A.I. company to charge
for service on a commercial basis
to the producer.
After the launch, the first group of
A.I. technicians was selected and
trained. They began breeding cows
and buffalos in June 2005. By the
end of the fiscal year, in March
2006, 120 IndiaGen technicians were
performing A.I. services. Strategic
goals call for an additional 380 A.I.
technicians by the end of the 2007
fiscal year. In five years, the goal is
to more than triple the number of
IndiaGen technicians.
In under two years’ time the
IndiaGen field force will become one
of the largest in the world, however
these IndiaGen technicians operate
in different conditions than U.S.
technicians. While they use mobile
phones to receive service calls from
farmers, they use 150 cc motorcycles
for transportation, carrying a three-
liter liquid nitrogen tank on the side
of their bike and A.I. kits in their
backpack. Semen is procured
through the top two bull stations in
India, Sabarmati Ashram Gaushala
(SAG) and the Animal Breeding
Center (ABC). Breeds offered
include Holstein, Jersey, Holstein
cross, Jersey cross, Indigenous
species and Murrah Buffalo. CRI
semen will be available in the future
as the USDA and India government
develop import protocols.
The relationship between CRI,
NDDB and IndiaGen goes beyond
semen sales. CRI has been hired on
a consultant basis to increase
IndiaGen knowledge of direct
marketing, semen production and
bull housing, progeny testing and
information networking. Already, the
system put in place through collaboration with CRI has helped
IndiaGen technicians increase
conception rates by nearly 20
percent to reach rates of 56 percent.
A New Role with Genex/CRI
For 23 years, I have been employed
by CRI, most recently serving as an
Area Sales Manager in central
Wisconsin. In 2006, I became the
first CRI employee to live outside
of the U.S. and Canada, as my wife
Jayne and I moved to the IIL campus
in Hyderabad, India. My main
responsibility as Chief Operating
Officer at IndiaGen is to help
establish A.I. centers throughout
India. I focus on training technicians
and managers, establishing delivery
routes for semen and supplies, setting
goals to meet budget, promoting
products, and marketing the IndiaGen
brand through village meetings,
DVDs, radio and other media.
My job has been exciting, though
not without challenges such as
language barriers. Some English is
spoken, though Hindi is the national
language. Also, each state within
India has its own common language,
which makes developing promotional
material a difficult task. Traveling
within the country has been an
obstacle, too. Back home, 60 miles
meant an hour or less drive. In India,
60 miles can take up to three hours
on narrow roads shared with
bicycles, cows, goats, dogs, motorcycles, bullock carts, elephants,
camels, buses and large trucks.
Working to overcome these and
other challenges has made me
enthusiastic about CRI and
IndiaGen’s future together.
8
HERD MANAGEMENT
Improving Fertility and Increasing Conception Rates
The dictionary defines fertility as “the state of being fertile, especially the ability to produce young.” Conception
is “the actual formation of a viable zygote by the union of the male sperm and female ovum.” Together, they
result in replacement animals and milk production - both of which affect on-farm profitability.
To improve fertility and increase conception rates, consider Daughter Pregnancy Rate (DPR)
and Estimated Relative Conception Rate (ERCR) respectively. Though they are very different
from each other, both can positively affect reproductive programs if used correctly.
| DPR |
Q Definition: DPR measures the fertility of a sire’s
daughters. It is the ability of daughters of a particular
sire to become pregnant relative to a herd’s 21-day
pregnancy rate. It is expressed as a percent, and each
+1 percent DPR equals four fewer days open.
Conversely, each -1 percent equals four more days
open, relative to the herd average.
Q Example: 1HO5045 LYNCH has a +1.9 DPR. If your
herd’s 21-day pregnancy rate is 20 percent, your LYNCH
daughters would be expected to have an average 21-day
pregnancy rate of 21.9 percent. Likewise, if your herd
averages 153 days open, you can expect your LYNCH
daughters to average 145 days open and have a week
shrten calving interval. Also, this trait (whether positive
or negative) is inherited from generation to generation.
Top Five Genex Holstein sires by DPR with LNM$
Sire
DPR Rel.
LNM$
Rel.
1HO6360 WIZARD
2.9
94
$410
96
1HO5491 NATION
2.1
92
$349
94
1HO5627 COMPLETE
2.0
70
$450
85
1HO5518 HERCULES
2.0
85
$427
91
1HO5045 LYNCH
1.9
99
$463
99
| ERCR |
Q Definition: ERCR measures a sire’s ability to
make pregnancies. It is the difference in conception
rate of a sire compared to other A.I. sires used in the
same herd. Each positive ERCR point indicates expected
conception rate for that sire to be one percent higher
compared to “average” service sires used in the same
herd. Conversely, each negative ERCR point indicates
expected conception rate for that sire to be one percent
lower than “average” service sires used in the same herd.
Q Example: 1HO6833 TRES has an ERCR of +3.
Therefore, if the average conception rate of the average
A.I. service sire used in your herd is 20 percent, then
you would expect the average conception rate for TRES
to be 23 percent within your herd.
Top Five Genex Holstein sires by ERCR with LNM$
Sire
ERCR Rel.
LNM$
Rel.
1HO7235 TOYSTORY
+4
91
$436
81
1HO6738 DON
+4
92
$345
82
1HO6783 TRES
+3
95
$514
85
1HO5551 JUST
+3
95
$340
92
1HO5433 COSMO
+3
98
$323
94
Q Strategic Use of DPR: At four percent, DPR has a
relatively low heritability level. However, the importance
of DPR to improve fertility over the long term has been
stressed by an increase in the percent weighting within
the new 2006 Lifetime Net Merit $ (LNM$) index. DPR
now makes up nine percent of the index.
Q Strategic Use of ERCR: The benefit of a positive
ERCR is recognized in the short term. While the use of
positive ERCR sires can improve the probability of a
bull to produce a pregnancy when a cow is bred, it has
basically no genetic component (less than one percent)
to increase fertility in future generations.
It is recommended to incorporate DPR into your sire
selection criteria by selecting sires according to LNM$.
The index formula provides proper balance by recognizing the influence of improved fertility without
overemphasis and sacrificing improvement in other
areas. Through LNM$, you can select for the complete
cow that performs well in all areas.
Primary selection emphasis for A.I. service sires should
focus on bulls with high LNM$ to increase overall profitability. ERCR should be used as a secondary selection
tool when choosing sires to incorporate into a breeding
program. Choosing high LNM$ sires with positive ERCRs
will help increase conception rates while still breeding
for the complete cow that performs well in all areas.
DPR is a science-based evaluation that can provide increased reproductive efficiency in
succeeding generations. ERCR is anecdotally evidenced. It can be used as a management tool
to increase pregnancies, but has only a small bearing on future generation’s fertility.
10
HERD MANAGEMENT
Improving Cow Pregnancy Success During
By Pete Hansen
Professor of Dairy Science,
University of Florida
Heat Stress: Not Just
for Southerners
Look at the lactating dairy cow as a
factory that takes in fuel (feedstuffs)
and burns it to produce milk. Not all
the energy in feed is transformed
into milk — much is converted to
heat. To maintain a normal body
temperature, the cow must lose that
heat to the environment. The more
milk she produces, the more heat
she has to lose. High humidity and
intense solar radiation compound
the heat loss problem. When the
cow can no longer regulate her
body temperature, feed intake
declines, milk yield reduces and
reproduction is compromised.
Due to increased milk yields, heat
stress is no longer a problem only in
the south. With air temperatures as
low as 80 F causing elevated body
temperature in high producing
cows, cows throughout most of the
U.S. and Canada suffer effects of
heat stress sufficient to cause
reduced milk yield and reproduction.
Reduction in Detection
of Estrus, Fertility
Just like humans, a heat-stressed
cow minimizes physical activity.
Thus, symptoms of estrus become
less pronounced. Production of
estrogen, the hormone that
causes estrus behavior, can also
be reduced by heat stress. In a
Florida study, the estimated percent
of estrous periods missed by
herdsmen increased from about 40
percent in cool months to as high as
75-80 percent during hot months.
Even if estrus is detected, it is not
likely a cow with elevated body
temperature due to heat stress will
get pregnant following insemination.
12
The cow undergoes physiological
changes in response to heat stress
leading to damage of the egg and,
following fertilization, the embryo.
The magnitude of reduction in
fertility caused by heat stress can
be severe. In south Florida, summer
conception rates less than 10
percent are common.
Is Heat Stress Affecting
Your Operation?
Analysis of herd records for
seasonal variation in fertility will
indicate whether heat stress is a
problem. Another way to assess the
degree of heat stress is to measure
rectal temperature in selected cows —
the higher the body temperature,
the greater the reduction in fertility
that can be expected. The cow’s
normal body temperature is about
101.3 F. An increase in body
temperature of about 0.9 F has been
estimated to cause a decline in
conception rate of 12.8 percent. One
can consider a cow with a rectal
temperature of 102.2 F or higher in
the afternoon is likely to be heat
stressed (if she does not have
mastitis or is otherwise sick).
An increase in a cow’s body
temperature of about 0.9 F
has been estimated to cause
a decline in conception rate
of 12.8 percent.
Cooling Cows
One way to minimize effects of heat
stress is to provide housing that
alleviates heat stress. This can be
expensive. The degree to which
housing should be modified to
reduce heat stress will depend upon
geographical location and extent of
heat stress. Search the Internet for
details on specific housing systems.
Methods to Relieve Heat
Stress for Florida Dairies
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/AE022
Cooling Ponds for Dairy Cattle
http://edis.ifas.ufl.edu/DS172
Interactive Tunnel Ventilation Program
http://www.prodairyfacilities.
cornell.edu/Intro.htm
The simplest structures for providing
cooling are shade structures. These
can be inexpensive structures based
on use of shade cloth or more
permanent structures. By itself, shade
is not very effective at preventing
elevated body temperature in
lactating cows if heat stress is
moderate or severe. A common and
fairly effective system for cooling
cows is freestall or loose housing
with sprinklers and fans.
In tunnel ventilation barns, air is
pulled through a low-ridged barn
via a bank of exhaust fans at one
end. A tunnel ventilation barn has
a low roof and enclosed sides.
Including foggers or misters can
promote evaporative cooling as air
moves through the barn. The tunnel
barn is an expensive facility, with
little documented evidence of
effectiveness. Available information,
based on producer experience and
some experimental studies, provides
optimism tunnel ventilation can be an
effective method to keep cows cool.
Heat-stressed cows willingly immerse
themselves in water, so cooling
ponds are sometimes used to allow
cows to exhibit this behavior.
Cooling ponds rapidly drop a cow’s
body temperature. These artificiallyconstructed ponds are often built
with constant movement of fresh
water into the pond. There is little
evidence the incidence of mastitis
increases for cows in ponds, but be
aware bacterial counts in the water
can be high and the potential for
problems exists.
HERD MANAGEMENT
Summer’s Heat
Management Strategies to
Improve Reproduction
Cooling by itself is not sufficient to
prevent effects of heat stress on
reproduction. Even in well-managed
herds with extensive cooling systems,
reproductive function can suffer in
the summer.
Incorporating estrus detection aids
in an estrus detection program can
improve reproductive performance
driving heat stress. In a Florida
study, the percentage of cows
detected in estrus after estrous
synchronization using prostaglandin
was 26 percent based on visual
detection only versus 43 percent
based on visual detection combined
with tail chalk.
Timed artificial insemination (A.I.)
programs such as Ovsynch® can
completely eliminate effects of heat
stress on estrus detection because
cows are inseminated at a fixed time
regardless of estrus. In a Florida
herd with a voluntary wait period of
70 days, the percentage of cows
pregnant by 90 days postpartum
was 16.6 percent for cows in which
first insemination was via timed A.I.
using Ovsynch versus 9.8 percent
for cows inseminated at visual estrus
detection only. Benefits of timed A.I.
programs during heat stress accrue
because more cows are bred — timed
A.I. does not reverse the effects of
heat stress on conception rate. If
fertility following timed A.I. is very
low because of heat stress, benefits
of timed A.I. might not be realized.
Unfortunately, there are no specific
treatments to improve fertility of
cows bred by A.I. Heat stress results
in the formation of a defective egg
whose damage cannot be reversed.
Even if the egg escapes heat stress
and gets fertilized, the embryo is
susceptible to damage caused by
Figure 1. Housing techniques used to cool cows. Shown clockwise from the upper left are cows under shade cloth,
a barn with tunnel ventilation, cows enjoying a cooling pond, and a free-stall barn equipped with fans and sprinklers.
elevated body temperature until
day 3 to 5 of pregnancy.
With embryo transfer, effects
of heat stress on the egg are
avoided because the embryos
transferred are those derived from
eggs with sufficient quality to give
rise to transferable embryos.
Embryos can also be produced
during cool months of the year,
when the egg is not susceptible to
heat damage, and frozen for transfer
in the summer. Effects of heat stress
on the embryo are avoided because
embryos are transferred at day 7 or
8 of pregnancy. Results from two
experiments demonstrating
improved pregnancy rates in
heat-stressed cows using embryo
transfer are shown in Figure 2.
The main limitation to embryo
transfer is cost. Embryos produced
by superovulation can be expensive.
Those produced by in vitro fertilization are less expensive. One
limitation to in vitro produced embryos
Author Bio: Pete Hansen is a professor of reproductive and environmental physiology in the Department of
Animal Sciences, University of Florida. A graduate of the University of Illinois and the University of Florida, he
has been at Florida since 1984. His research focuses on methods to alleviate heat stress effects on dairy cattle
and enhancement of embryo transfer techniques.
is they do not survive freezing well.
Thus, increases in pregnancy rate
as compared to A.I. require that
embryos be transferred fresh
(compare the last two bars in Figure 2).
Pregnancies by Method
Figure 2. Embryo transfer can improve pregnancy
success during heat stress. Shown are the results of
two studies conducted during the Florida summer.
The orange bars show results from a study comparing
pregnancy rates for cows bred by A.I. versus those
receiving a fresh embryo produced by superovulation
(Putney et al., Theriogenology 1989; 31: 765-778).
The brown bars represent a study in which cows were
subjected to Ovsynch and then either timed
inseminated or received an embryo at a fi xed time
(Al-Katanani et al., Theriogenology 2002; 58: 171182). Embryos were produced by in vitro fertilization.
For information about the Genex
GENESIS MOET (Multiple Ovulation Embryo
Transfer) program and embryos available
from Genex, turn to page 19.
13
by Richard Wallace
Associate Professor
College of Veterinary Medicine
Univ. of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Figure 1. Average days to first service and average days open. Program started September 2002.
Dairy reproductive efficiency is
dependent on cows being presented
for breeding or service. Assuming
all cows are bred A.I. on the first
service, the success of the breeding
program depends on the proportion
of cows presented for service as
soon as possible after the voluntary
waiting period (VWP).
150
14
125
Avg. Days Open
Avg. Days to First A.I.
100
Jun-04
Aug-04
Oct-04
Dec-04
Jun-04
Aug-04
Oct-04
Dec-04
Feb-04
Apr-04
Feb-04
Apr-04
Oct-03
Dec-03
Jun-03
Aug-03
Apr-03
Jan-03
Nov-02
Jul-02
Sep-02
Mar-02
May-02
Jan-02
Nov-01
Sep-01
50
May-01
75
Figure 2. Services per conception for pregnant cows and all cows.
6.0
5.0
4.0
Services/Cow
Services/Pregnancy
Reproductive Improvements
Take Time
Because many reproductive
parameters have statistical
momentum, typically there is a lag
in time before improvements can be
seen once a new management
program has been implemented.
In our case, at the U. of I., the
average days to first service traditionally hovered around 80 days
prior to implementing the program
described previously. Within a few
Oct-03
Dec-03
Jun-03
Aug-03
Apr-03
Jan-03
Sep-02
Nov-02
Jul-02
Mar-02
May-02
Jan-02
Nov-01
2.0
Sep-01
3.0
May-01
In September 2002, the University
of Illinois (U. of I.) dairy
implemented a timed breeding
program. Fresh cows were started
on a Presynch/Co-Synch program
and open cows were started on just
the Co-Synch program. The VWP
was moved from 45 to 60 days, and
the program was designed to have
all fresh cows receive their first
service between 61 and 67 days in
milk. Cows not conceiving to the
first service were re-bred on
observed signs of heat within 18
days after initial A.I. Weekly herd
checks were performed and the first
pregnancy check was done at day
33 post breeding. Cows found open
by rectal palpation were restarted
on the Co-Synch program. The
success of the program can be seen
in Figures 1 and 2.
175
Feb-01
Traditionally, heat detection has
been the means by which cows are
presented for A.I. service. You
would have to follow each cow
around for 24 hours per day for 2124 days to detect each and every
heat. Even then, you could not
expect to achieve 100 percent heat
detection due to variables involved
with expression of estrous. With the
use of reproductive schemes that
not only synchronize heats, but also
synchronize ovulation, we can
achieve nearly 100 percent service
rates within 21 days of the VWP.
200
Feb-01
MAXIMIZING FERTILITY
Strong Repro Results Well Worth the Wait
months a decrease was seen as
more and more fresh cows became
enrolled in the program (Figure 1).
By November 2004, the average days
to first service was 66 days and was
consistent across all lactation groups.
Initially, the average days open
decreased to a historic low of 135
days, but climbed significantly as
many cows late in lactation became
pregnant through the new reproductive program. In the second year of
the program, the average days open
services were by Co-Synch at 61-81
DIM. At that first Co-Synch service,
31 percent became pregnant. Heat
detection was required to present
cows for service at the second cycle
(82-102 DIM). Only 19 percent of
eligible cows are detected in
estrous and only 3 percent of cows
eligible for pregnancy during that
time frame became pregnant.
During the third cycle (103-123
DIM) after the VWP, 77 percent of
cows were presented for service
due to a second Co-Synch program.
Pregnancy rates for this cycle were
30 percent. The following cycle
(124-144 DIM) required heat
detection for cows to be presented
for service. Again, the service rate
was only 33 percent and the subsequent pregnancy rate of eligible
cows was only seven percent.
Services per conception for
pregnant cows and all cows can be
seen in Figure 2. In the past,
services per cow was never below
four and often exceeded four
services, while services per
pregnancy hovered around 2.5.
Services per conception peaked at
5.5 for all cows and 3.3 for pregnant
cows one year after the program
was initiated. Concern was voiced
regarding the amount of semen
required to maintain the program.
However, much of the increase in
semen units used was required to
catch cows up in the program. In
year two, as the whole herd entered
the program after calving, services
per conception began to fall. As of
November 2004, services per
cow and services per pregnancy
were at historic lows, 3.4 and
2.3, respectively.
Improve Heat Detection to
Improve Repro Program
Improvements in heat detection,
especially 18-24 days after the
Co-Synch breeding would take this
reproductive program to the next
level. Traditionally, suggestions for
improvements in heat detection
have emphasized more frequent
observations of cows. While this
The nine-month, 21-day pregnancy
rate also improved over the two
years. Table 1 shows the 21-day
pregnancy rate by Days in Milk
(DIM) at service as of November
2004. Almost all (94 percent) of first
Table 1
Nine-month, 21-day
Pregnancy Rate Summary by DIM
practice will, no doubt, increase the
number of cows presented for
service, all efforts at improving heat
detection cannot be placed on more
observations alone. Environment,
nutrition, physiology, as well as the
human labor force all play a role in
enhanced heat detection efficiency.
Environmental factors that can
reduce heat detection efficiency
include slippery surfaces, time spent
on concrete, time in holding pens,
poor freestall design and use,
overcrowding and subsequent
lameness. Nutritional factors include
energy balance, mineral status,
feeding management that may lead
to rumen acidosis and lameness.
Animal factors may include socialization and grouping strategies, body
condition, other diseases and
physiological problems.
Fixing these problems will help the
workforce at the dairy by allowing
cows to naturally express estrous
behavior. Then, enhancements in
heat detection efficiency depends
on the labor force. Providing visible
cow identification, use of heat
detection aids (tail chalk, heat
patches, pedometers, etc.) and
making observations a routine chore
can then be accomplished.
In Conclusion
DIM
61-81
82-102
103-123
124-144
145-165
166-186
187-207
208-228
229-249
250-270
r 271
Total
Heats
Pregnancies
Number Number
Percent Number Number Pregnancy
Eligible Observed Observed Eligible Reported
Rate
185
125
110
75
63
44
37
29
21
14
26
750
173
24
85
25
44
15
22
11
11
7
10
439
94
19
77
33
70
34
59
38
52
50
38
59
137
90
84
55
48
38
27
18
14
9
9
531
43
3
25
4
11
4
6
3
3
0
3
105
31
3
30
7
23
11
22
17
21
0
33
20
Author Bio: Richard Wallace earned his bachelor’s degree, master’s degree and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine
degree from The Ohio State University. He now serves as an Associate Professor within the College of Veterinary
Medicine at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign. His specific areas of interest include: lameness and
laminitis management, nutritional management of metabolic disease, mastitis prevention and quality milk
production, antibiotic residue avoidance, infectious disease control and computerized dairy management systems.
• Consistent and persistent timed
insemination programs can improve
reproductive efficiency.
• Reproductive parameters typically
analyzed through Dairy Herd
Improvement Association records
will not show improvement for at
least one year after implementation.
(Similarly, it takes time for many
changes in herd management
methods to fully reach
their potential.)
• Timed A.I. programs alone
improved reproductive efficiency
at the U. of I. dairy, but increased
emphasis on improving heat
detection is warranted.
15
dropped dramatically to an average
of 120 days for the whole herd.
PROOF HIGHLIGHTS
August Sire Summaries
Genetics Designed for Profit
With the August sire summaries, the
USDA revealed the most profitoriented index ever! The revised
Lifetime Net Merit $ index – LNM$
2006 – reflects progress in identifying and evaluating traits affecting
your farm profits. The four major
changes within the formula include:
1 A lessening of production
emphasis.
2 An increased emphasis and
a change in the calculation for
Productive Life.
3 A slight increase in the Daughter
Pregnancy Rate (DPR) weighting.
4 The inclusion of the new stillbirth
evaluation.
(For more on LNM$ 2006, read pages 6-7)
commitment to “maximizing the
profitability of members and
customers” as 18 profit-packed,
second-crop sires solidified their
place in the active line-up.
Topping the list of second-crop
sires was 1HO5045 LYNCH in the
96th percentile for LNM$. With over
29,000 daughters, LYNCH is a global
favorite. Producers around the
world choose this sire for his high
LNM$ ranking backed by strong
milk components (+0.09% Protein
and +0.19% Fat), 6% SCE, +3.3
Productive Life and +1.9 DPR. On a
side note, also in the 90th percentile
of the breed is 37HO7169 LOTTO,
the only LYNCH son available to date.
Other second-crop sire favorites
include 1HO6158 TRENT *MF,
1HO3906 GRANGER *CV,
1HO5306 BOND and 1HO6149
GARTER. For a complete list of
second-crop sires go to page 11.
New Releases
Nine active line-up Holstein sires
made their debut. Two appeared in
the top 10 percent for LNM$.
Schmitt
#529
Schmitt Acres, Fort Atkinson, Iowa
1HO7235 TOYSTORY took center
stage once again, remaining the
preeminent bull in the Holstein
breed at +$436 LNM$ and sixth
overall for Type Production Index™
(TPI). TOYSTORY combines production with a positive Productive Life
(+1.3), Sire Calving Ease (7%) and
now a +4 Estimated Relative Conception Rate (ERCR). The star also
exhibits attractive numbers for PTA
Type (+2.70) and Udder Composite
(2.89) making him the top choice
for dairymen around the globe.
Second-crop Sires
Meet Genex Mission
The sire summaries illustrated
the cooperative’s long-term
16
Mammoser Farm ZIMMER #5005
Mammoser Farms Inc., East Eden, N.Y.
Emerging in the 97th percentile for
LNM$ was 1HO7386 ZIMMER,
a Dutch Boy son by a Winchester.
ZIMMER offers over +1400 Milk
and improves Productive Life (+4.1).
The Jocko Besne son from
Holland Genetics, 97HO4794
PARAMOUNT, landed in the 95th
percentile for LNM$. He improves
feet and legs (+2.07 Foot & Leg
Composite) and udders (+1.61
Udder Composite, +3.3 udder
height, +3.1 udder width, +2.3
udder cleft).
Additional new releases, in order
by LNM$, include: 1HO7275
CHAN, a PTAT, udder, and foot &
leg improver; components specialist
97HO4813 RAMON; 97HO4803
PASCAL at +1550 Milk and +1.14
PTAT; 1HO7554 STALLION
with over a ton of milk and solid
PTAT, Udder Composite and Foot
& Leg Comp. scores; 1HO7373
DRAKE, an all-round complete sire;
1HO7385 SAUL *CV, an udder
improver with a positive Productive
Life; and 1HO7083 SINGE, a
calving ease bull that sires well
attached, high, wide udders with
strong udder clefts.
Jersey Highlights
Jersey producers across the U.S.
and Canada will see two new sire
numbers/names on semen straws.
Both new release sires, 1JE0558
DEBOER and 1JE0533 FIESTY,
debuted in the top 30 for JPI™.
DEBOER is a Paramount son from
an Excellent Lester dam. He is
positive for both fat and protein
percent on over 1000 lbs of milk
making him a suitable sire for cheese
markets. FIESTY exhibits a wellrounded linear pattern, a desirable
udder attachment, moderate leg set
and moderate dairy form.
The Jersey “conception advantage”
continues into the next three
months. August ERCR data shows
five Genex Jersey sires rank +2
and above for ERCR. 1JE0370
ROULETTE, 1JE0480 MOR and
1JE0506 LIEUTENANT were noted
at +3 ERCR indicating breedings to
these sires should result in three
percent higher conception rates
than average A.I. service sires used
in the same herd. 163JE0900
MANHATTEN and 236JE0003
IMPULS were cited at +2 ERCR.
HERD MANAGEMENT
Boost Your Repro Program with Increased Compliance
by Roy Wilson
Technology Development Manager
Is compliance the largest
culprit of reproductive
problems on your dairy farm?
Today’s dairy industry professionals
have adopted many new technologies
and techniques, however, no new
advancement except for artificial
insemination (A.I.), may be as widespread and accepted as synchronization. Nevertheless, this “tool” is
only as good as the operator.
Think about Ovsynch®: Science has
proven if a cow receives a GnRH
shot on day one, PGF2 on day seven
and GnRH on day nine the majority
of cows will ovulate. Keep in mind,
science did not prove if a cow
receives a GnRH shot on day one,
PGF2 on day eight and GnRH on
day nine that the cow will ovulate.
Why is Compliance a Must?
Reproduction impacts your bottom
line. Following scientifically-proven
synchronization protocols correctly
is your best bet for positively
impacting your bottom line. Look at
examples one and two, to the right.
These examples demonstrate the
potential devastation incompliance
can have on a reproductive
program. However, knowing your
compliance rate may not be as
simple as seeing all the cows
crossed off the list. It may actually
be one of the most difficult issues
for a farm to address.
Here are some tips to discover
your compliance rate and to
help promote compliance:
1 First and foremost, take time
to educate the employee(s) who
administer the shots and breed the
cows. If he/she understands why
each shot is important and why
18
Example 1: Ovsynch
Farm A demonstrates average protocol compliance giving the correct
cow the correct drug at the correct time with 80 percent accuracy.
At 80 percent accuracy for each of three shots only 51 percent of the
animals enrolled in the program are being synchronized correctly!
Farm B demonstrates good protocol compliance with 95 percent accuracy
per shot. Nevertheless, even at 95 percent accuracy for each of three
shots, at least 14 percent of the cows will have to be re-synchronized.
GnRH PGF2
Farm A 80%
Farm B 95%
80%
95%
GnRH Synchronized
Correctly
80%
= 51%
95%
= 86%
Example 2: Presynch
Farm A: Using a protocol with
more shots, the average
compliance herd (at 80 percent
compliance per shot) only
manages to have about one third
of the cows correctly respond to
the protocol!
Farm B: This farm has very good
compliance and still only manages
to have just over 75 percent of the
cows set up correctly!
Farm A
Farm B
timing is crucial, there will be more
buy-in and the employee will take
ownership in the program.
2 Increase compliance by working
with the individual in charge of
following the protocol. When an
employee comes back with cows
not crossed off, do not reprimand
him/her. Instead, thank him/her for
notifying you and assist in finding
the animals. You may find the cows
were culled and not yet entered in
the computer, or they were possibly
moved to a different pen.
3 If you are uncertain about
compliance, create a phantom cow
on the list. If the list comes back
PGF2
80%
95%
PGF2
80%
95%
GnRH PGF2
GnRH Synchronized
Correctly
80%
95%
80%
95%
80%
95%
= 33%
= 77%
with the cow crossed off, you know
compliance is a problem that may
need to be addressed.
4 Calculate how much GnRH,
CIDRs or PGF2 you should go
through in a month according to
the protocols and recommended
dosage level. Then watch the
inventory for fluctuations.
For tips on how to motivate
employees also read Jim Henion’s
article on pages 26-27. Remember
reproduction management is a
challenge by itself, but incompliance
can destroy your results even before
the protocol has an opportunity to
prove successful.
Including Testimonials from Producers and Genex Representatives
EAZI-BREED™ CIDR®s:
Method of Choice for GENESIS MOET
to 64.4 percent. Our pregnancy
rate, or successful embryo transfer
rate, improved 7.6 percent simply
by implementing CIDR use,”
said Jennifer Patterson, Embryo
Programs Manager.
on detected heat. For heifers,
administer CIDRs on day zero,
inject prostaglandin on day six
and remove the CIDR on day seven.
Then, heat detect on days eight
to 11 and breed on detected heat.
Besides improved pregnancy rates,
inserting CIDRs into heifers at the
GENESIS MOET facility allowed
for group embryo transferring and
calving synchrony making labor
efficiency possible.
Useful Tips and Tricks
How Does It Work?
Incorporating CIDRs into the
reproductive program at the Genex
GENESIS MOET (Multiple Ovulation
Embryo Transfer) facility near
Shawano, Wis., led to significantly
improved reproductive results in 2005.
“In 2004 we used the Co-Synch
protocol to synchronize recipient
heifers so we could implant
embryos. For 2005, I decided to
make a change to the program.
Using CIDRs, we were able to
improve our overall pregnancy rate
CIDRs induce estrus regardless of
the stage of cycle when inserted.
After inserted, they release
progesterone continuously. When
removed, the drop in progesterone
triggers estrus and ovulation.
Pfizer Animal Health recommends
the FAST BACKSM Breeding Program
to resynchronize lactating dairy
cows that were inseminated, but did
not conceive. In this method, the
CIDR is administered 14 days after
the first artificial insemination and
removed seven days later. Cows
should be monitored for heat for
the next four days and bred
• Wear protective gloves when
handling EAZI-BREED CIDRs.
• Make sure the tail of the CIDR
insert is on the underside of the
applicator, curling downward, to
ensure the tail will be hidden from
curious pen mates. You may also
want to clip the tail of the insert
so only 2.5 inches protrude from
the vulva.
• “If you pull the CIDR out on day
seven, you should be okay. If you
pull the CIDR out earlier, the follicle
may be premature. If you pull it
out later, it could be cystic,”
says Jennifer.
Reap Future Returns
in your Herd
Since 1989, the GENESIS MOET program has accelerated genetic
progress. The result: Several GENESIS sires have graduated into
active A.I. service, and hundreds of member/customers advanced
their herds through GENESIS embryos.
You, too, can reap returns in your herd. GENESIS embryos are
from the same bloodlines as A.I. young sires … families proven
to transmit profitable genetics in a modern dairy environment.
We invite you to Invest in the future and add profit-packed
bloodlines, like the one to the right, to your herd.
For information on GENESIS embryos, contact Steve Dewall at 715.526.7594,
Mike Yoder at 716.474.3397, Jake Hushon at 717.968.4227 or your Genex representative.
Juniper Jstr Aaron CRI-ET, VG-87
Jesther X Bendix x Bellwood
3-03 3x 227d 31901M 3.0%F 949 2.7%P 910 (inc.)
Embryos available by 1HO7235 TOYSTORY
19
HERD MANAGEMENT
Including Testimonials from Producers and Genex Representatives
Kamar® Heatmount® Detectors:
An Aid for When You Can’t Be There
Kinder Dairy
+
Richard & Albert Kinder
Royston, Ga.
“Kamar’s make heat detection a lot
easier,” explained David Kinder of
Kinder Dairy in Royston, Ga. “We
just can’t be there observing the
herd all of the time.”
David’s father Richard and uncle
Albert, owners of the dairy, have
utilized Kamar Heatmount Detectors
in their herd’s reproductive program
for a number of years. At any one
time, they have between 100 and
150 Kamar detectors on cows and
heifers in freestalls with open lots.
identification, in the case that it
would fall off.
Q Wear milking gloves when
applying the patch to keep glue
off of your hands. If you do get glue
on your hands, WD-40 works well to
remove it.
Applying the Product
1) Apply glue to tailhead.
How Does It Work?
Kamar Heatmount Detectors are
a pressure-sensitive device with a
built-in timing mechanism designed
to be activated by standing heat
activity. The detector is glued to
the tailhead (glue is provided)
and pressure from the brisket
of a mounting animal requires
approximately three seconds to turn
the detector from white to red. The
timing mechanism helps assure
activation from true standing heat,
rather than false mounting activity.
A fully triggered Kamar along with
the associated physical signs of a
red, puffy vulva and clear mucous
discharge is an excellent indication
a cow is in heat.
2) Apply glue to back of Kamar.
3) Press Kamar firmly to tailhead.
Q “During the spring and fall when
the animals are shedding hair, we
brush the lose hair off the tailheads
before we put the Kamars on. Then
they stick to the animals really well.”
—David
20
No Need for Glue
George Dairy Cattle
Eugene George
Baldwin, Kan.
+
“When I breed my
cattle, I use Estrus
Alerts,” says Scott Mesik, a Genex
Area Sales Representative in
Kansas. “I’ve been using them
since the product was released and
I’ve recommended them to Genex
member/customers in the area.”
Eugene George, a dairyman in
Baldwin, Kan., took Scott’s advice
and began using Estrus Alerts on
his dairy over a year and a half ago.
“The main reason I use Estrus Alerts
is because you don’t need glue.
They stick very well. If the animals
are shedding in the early spring a
couple patches might fall off, but
during the summer and fall months I
don’t have any problems at all.”
Since Eugene’s 140 milking cows are
on pasture most of the day, he lets
Estrus Alerts do the heat detecting.
Each morning and night, he quickly
and easily checks the Estrus Alerts
and breeds the cows accordingly.
How Does It Work?
Q Write the animal identification
and date on the Kamar for easy
Estrus Alerts®:
Apply patch before standing heat
or at the start of a synchronization
protocol. As cows are mounted,
the silver surface rubs off to reveal
a bright signal layer. True standing
heat is detected after several
mounts when most of the bright
signal layer – fluorescent orange,
green, pink or yellow – is displayed.
Q Do not shave the animal’s
tailhead before applying the patch.
4) With pressure from mounting the
Kamar will turn from white to red.
Q Try to remove dirt and loose hair
from the tailhead before application.
Q “For me, they often stay on better
when applied across the hips.”
—Scott
Q “One local producer uses
different color patches for different
breedings. A week after a cow is
bred, he puts on an Estrus Alert
patch. For first breedings he uses
either orange or pink patches, and
for subsequent breedings uses
green or red.” –Scott
1) Warm patches in your pocket.
2) Remove backing and press
firmly to tailhead.
DETAIL™ Tail Paint:
A More Durable Product
Genex Representatives
Wisconsin
Vermont
+
+
Bryan Chicoine, a Genex Breeding
Program Specialist (BPS) within
the “Cowpokes” breeding team in
western Vermont, describes cows
marked with DETAIL Tail Paint as
his walking chalkboards.
Bryan recommends DETAIL paint
because it “is highly visible and
has great staying power. It stays on
cows longer than other materials,
like chalk, so less maintenance is
needed.” Daily, the Cowpokes team
applies DETAIL paint, or walks
pens to detect heats for cows with
DETAIL, on eight dairies totaling
roughly 1,700 animals.
DETAIL is also a choice heat
detection aid in northeast
Wisconsin. “I use quite a bit of
DETAIL paint, mainly for heat
detection purposes,” explained
Dave Hennes, a BPS in northeast
Wisconsin. “I choose to use it
largely because cows will not lick
DETAIL like they will chalk. It also
stays on longer and is more durable.”
“Members and customers in my
area also use DETAIL for marking
fresh cows or cows for pregnancy
checks. Some mark cows for herd
checks the day before to save time,”
he added.
Q “We use one color per pen to help
keep cow groups from getting mixed.
It helps the employees keep the
cows in the correct group.” —Dave
Q “I always use DETAIL to put the
breeding date on the cow. That
way, when I go back the next day
and see she was ridden again, I
automatically know to use the same
bull to breed her.” -Dave
Q “The main trick is to work it into
the hair. I always try to make the
hairs stick up - liked a spiked hair
cut would look.” –Dave
Q “When breeding cows or using
heat detection aids, cows need to
be manageable. Having restraints,
like headlocks or a palpation rail,
allows us to to work with the cows
to get them bred.” —Bryan
1) Shake the bottle.
2) Apply strip to tailhead.
How Does It Work?
3) Mounting action removes silver
cover layer revealing bright base.
DETAIL Tail Paint is applied in a 2 x
6-inch strip along a cow’s tailhead.
The water-based, non-toxic paint
rubs off by mounting action.
Q Rinse the brush applicator out
between uses for better paint flow.
3) Or, mark cows.
21
HERD MANAGEMENT
Q “If for some reason you have
trouble getting the patches to stick,
put a thin line of glue on the back
middle before applying it.” —Scott.
Do You Have Picture Perfect Technique?
Store Liquid Nitrogen (LN2) tank
in dry, dust-free location that allows
you to see clearly into the neck tube.
Measure LN2 weekly; level should
not drop below three inches.
1
a
2
Maintain an accurate semen
inventory to lessen the risk of
semen exposure.
Raise canister just high enough to
grasp the top of the cane with a
tweezers – about five inches from
top. Do NOT allow canister or cane
to remain in tank neck for more than
10 seconds.
5 Dry straw and check for proper
sire identification before loading gun.
6 Remove sheath through a
small hole at the corner of the
sheath package.
b
4 Semen thawing: a Pocket Thaw™:
Place straw in paper towel in shirt
pocket for 3-5 minutes. b Warm
Water Thaw: Place straw immediately
in warm water bath at 90-95 F
for at least 40 seconds.
a
7 Warm the gun prior to placing the
semen straw inside.
b
8 After the semen straw is loaded
into the insemination gun, make a
clean, straight cut at a right angle to
– and just below – the crimp.
b
22
3
a
b
9 Place the sheath over the insemination gun, seat the straw in the
sheath tip and secure it into place.
Depending on gun type, straw may be cut before loading gun.
10
Prime insemination gun by
pushing the plunger until semen is
moved to the end of the sheath.
11
Place loaded insemination gun in
a clean plastic glove and then inside
your clothing to transport to cow.
Use a new glove for every
insemination. Lubricate the glove
with clean, non-toxic lubricant. Also,
lubricate the anus with gloved hand.
13
Enter the rectum by forming a
cone with your fingers. Thoroughly
clean the rectum of manure and
check the reproductive tract for
abnormal conditions.
14
Clean manure from vulva and the
underside of arm with a paper towel.
Place a clean v-spreader in the
vulva.
16
Gently, smoothly pass the gun
through the vagina to the opening of
the cervical canal – the cervical os.
Funnel gun tip into cervical os.
17
Hold cervix ahead of gun tip.
Manipulate cervical folds to allow
gun to pass. Place index finger at
uterine end of cervix. Move gun tip
forward to index finger.
Concentrate on accurate semen
placement. Be certain the gun tip
is not caught in a thin area
between cervical rings or is too
deep into uterus.
19 Firmly hold cervix. Hold shoulder
of gun between ring and middle
fingers. Place right fingers against
left arm to ensure gun is not
pulled back into cervix during
semen deposit.
20 Deposit semen into the uterine
body by slowly pushing the plunger
into the straw gun.
21 Gently remove gun and v-spreader.
Check for abnormal discharge and a
complete semen deposit. Record
when and to what sire, the animal
was bred.
12
15
18
23
It has long been accepted that
pregnancy status should be
determined in dairy cattle as soon
as possible after insemination, but
without having the diagnosis
confounded by later embryonic
mortality. New research on the
implementation of early pregnancy
diagnosis using transrectal ultrasound in a synchronization and
resynchronization system confirms
this notion. Our research, below,
illustrates on-farm considerations
for early nonpregnancy diagnosis.
Presynch
GROUP A
New reproductive management
technologies hold the key to
maximizing reproductive efficiency
on dairy farms. However, reproductive protocols that allow for
synchronization of estrus, and
identification and resynchronization
of nonpregnant cows must be
practical to implement within the
day-to-day operation of a dairy.
Otherwise, the protocol will fail due
to lack of compliance. This is
especially true for larger farms that
must schedule and administer artificial inseminations, hormone
injections and pregnancy tests for
a large number of animals on a daily
or weekly basis.
Figure 1
GROUP B
by Paul M. Fricke and Ryan Sterry
Department of Dairy Science
University of Wisconsin – Madison
GROUP C
HERD MANAGEMENT
On-Farm Considerations for Early
GnRH + TAI
Day 0
Ovsynch
GnRH to
all cows
19
GnRH + TAI
26
The study objective was to compare
conception rates from the first
timed artificial insemination (TAI)
service (Presynch) to conception
rates following resynchronization
with Ovsynch at three different
24
28
Ultrasound,
GnRH to
open cows
Day 0
GnRH + TAI
Day 0
intervals following Presynch TAI.
For the three groups, the first
assessment of pregnancy status
after Presynch and the initiation
of resynchronization were not
conducted at the same interval
(see Figure 1). The Ovsynch
resynchronization protocol for
Group A was started 19 days after
the initial Presynch TAI and before
the cows were ultrasounded for
pregnancy diagnosis at day 26. For
group B, pregnancy diagnosis via
ultrasound and the first GnRH shot
of the resynchronization protocol
were both conducted on day 26. In
group C, pregnancy diagnosis and
resynchronization were conducted
on day 33 following first TAI.
Method of Discovery
Research included the use of two
technologies for reproductive
management – synchronization
protocols (Ovsynch® and Presynch),
and transrectal ultrasound for early
identification of nonpregnant cows.
Ultrasound, PGF2 to open cows
GnRH + TAI
Examining the Results
At the first pregnancy exam, the
overall pregnancy rate for Presynch
TAI was 40 percent (Table 1). The
pregnancy rate was greater in
groups A and B since pregnancy
status was determined at 26 days
after insemination. Group C, ultrasounded 33 days after insemination,
had a significantly lower pregnancy
rate. The lower pregnancy rate for
group C is likely due to the longer
time period in which embryonic
26
PGF2
GnRH + TAI
33 35
Ultrasound,
GnRH to
PGF2
open cows
33
GnRH
+ TAI
40 42
mortality could occur (33 days from
TAI to pregnancy exam, instead of
26 days).
Pregnancy status was reassessed
for all groups at 68 days after
Presynch TAI. This time, the overall
pregnancy rate was 31 percent and
did not significantly differ among
groups (Table 1). This shows the
differences in pregnancy rates
between the first and second
pregnancy exams were due to
embryonic loss over time rather
than to treatment differences
(ultrasounding at 26 days versus 33
days had no effect on pregnancy).
Overall pregnancy rate for
resynchronization (Ovsynch TAI)
was 32 percent, and was greater
for cows in groups B and C than for
group A (bottom row of Table 1).
The data suggests waiting to
diagnose pregnancies and to begin
resynchronization until day 33
will result in significantly higher
pregnancy rates when rebreeding
nonpregnant cows because of
the high rate of embryonic death
occurring in cows diagnosed
pregnant at 26 versus 33 days
post TAI.
HERD MANAGEMENT
Nonpregnancy Diagnosis
Table 1. Pregnancy rate per artificial insemination (PR/AI) and pregnancy loss after
timed artificial insemination (TAI) to Ovsynch (Adapted from Fricke et al., 2003).
Treatment group
Table 1
Item
A
Interval from Presynch TAI to 1st pregnancy exam
Pregnancy Rate (PR) at 1st pregnancy exam
B
26 Days
46
a
C
26 Days
42
Overall
33 Days
a
33
b
40
Interval from Presynch TAI to 2nd pregnancy exam
68 Days
68 Days
68 Days
-
PR at 2nd pregnancy exam
Interval between pregnancy exams
Pregnancy loss (%)
Mean interval (±Standard Error of Means) from
Ovsynch TAI to pregnancy exam
PR for resynchronization with Ovsynch
33
42 Days
28a
30
42 Days
28a
29
35 Days
12b
31
23
27.1±0.4
26.6±0.2
33.7±0.4
-
23a
34b
38b
32
a,b
Within a row, percentages with different superscripts differ (P < 0.01) among treatment groups.
Challenges for Early
Pregnancy Diagnosis
Table 1 illustrates the limitations
of incorporating early pregnancy
diagnosis into a reproductive
management program. First, the
system with the most aggressive
early nonpregnancy diagnosis and
resynchronization schedule (group
A) was not a viable management
strategy based on poor fertility after
resynchronization (23 percent pregnancy rate). This was probably due
to follicular and luteal stages at the
time the post-breeding resynchronization protocol was initiated.
Author Bios: Dr. Paul Fricke
is an Associate Professor and
Extension Specialist in Dairy
Reproduction. His goal is to develop
practical on-farm programs, based on
scientific research, to improve reproductive
efficiency. He conducts research on ovarian
physiology and hormonal protocols in dairy cattle.
Dr. Fricke’s research has been published in numerous
publications, and he has spoken for dairy audiences
in several U.S. states and on five continents.
Ryan Sterry is a graduate of the University of WisconsinRiver Falls with a bachelor’s degree in dairy science. He is
attending the University of Wisconsin-Madison to earn his
master’s degree, and is serving as a Research Assistant within
the Dairy Science Department.
Oord Dairy
Sunnyside, Wash.
As stated previously, the data
indicates diagnosing pregnancies
and beginning resynchronization
later will:
a) not affect pregnancy rates
from the initial TAI
b) result in increased pregnancy
rates during resynchronization.
EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT
Motivation — What is it? Where does it come from?
by Jim Henion
Director of Consulting Services
Cooperative Resources International
Dr. Edward Deci, Department of
Clinical and Social Sciences at the
University of Rochester, tells us,
“Motivation means you have energy
to behave in a certain way and that
you have a sense of direction for
that behavior.”
One of the common questions
expressed by farm managers is this:
“How can I motivate the people who
work for me to follow our protocols,
to work as a team, to come to work
on time, etc.?
Dr. Deci answers this way: “The
question ‘How can I motivate
another person,’ assumes an
individual’s motivation comes from
outside of them and is determined
by someone else. Motivation,
however, does not come from
another person.”
Employee
Development Series
The
This article is part of a series geared
to provide helpful hints for owners
and managers working with others
on the dairy.
1 Changing Roles and
Responsibilities of Farm Managers
(May 2005 Horizons)
2 Leading and Influencing Others
(Aug. 2005 Horizons)
3 Improving Teamwork and
Cooperation (Nov. 2005 Horizons)
4 Locating and Hiring Farm Employees
(Feb. 2006 Horizons)
5 Orientation and Training
of Employees (May 2006 Horizons)
#
6
Motivation —
What is it?
Where does it comes form?
In future HORIZONS:
7 Improving Employee Performance
8 Understanding Cultural Differences
26
He continues, “Intrinsic, or selfmotivation is all about doing
something because it’s really
interesting and compelling to you.
You take action because you feel
a sense of satisfaction as you
engage in the activity.
“We think the environment an
employee is working in is very
important not because it
motivates him or her, but because
it creates the conditions that allow
them to motivate themselves.”
Dr. Bernie Erven, Ohio State
professor emeritus and human
resource specialist provides further
insight. He tells us, “Motivation
is about needs. If you can just
figure out what each employee
needs, satisfy those needs through
their jobs and then reward them,
employees will be self-motivated. It
is an individual’s needs that drive
their motivation.”
What do employees want from
their work? To get a handle on
these ideas about creating an
environment where employees
will be self-motivated, let’s take
a look at what employees want
or expect when they accept a job
to work on your farm.
In his book, “First Things First,”
author Steven R. Covey offers a
plan for a rewarding life (and job).
He suggests every person has a
basic desire ‘to live, to love, to learn
and to leave a legacy.’
Tom Thompson, Stotz Diary,
Buckeye, Ariz., calls these ‘the four
L’s.’ He says, “By ‘LIVING,’ we want
our employees to have a safe work
environment. We want them to
come to work, do their jobs and
feel safe.
“In the context of ‘LOVE,’ we want
our employees to feel wanted and
part of a winning team they can
be proud of. “We provide many
educational opportunities which
fulfill employees’ need to ‘LEARN.’
Whether it’s helping our Hispanic
employees to learn English on a
weekly basis or having someone
come out and teach them how to
do their jobs better, we believe in
constant education.
“And finally, for the ‘LEGACY’ part,
I think all of us would like to go
through life feeling we are making
an impact. When we achieve our
goals, our employees can feel a part
of the success.”
Creating a Motivating
Work Environment
Bernie Erven told us, “An individual’s
‘needs’ are what drives their
motivation.” Edward Deci added,
“The environment an employee
is working in creates the
conditions that allow him or her
to be intrinsically motivated.”
With this in mind, what are
some actions a farm manager
can take to create an environment where employees will be
self-motivated?
EMPLOYEE DEVELOPMENT
if you’re dealing with people, you’ve
got to communicate.”
Build relationships through
communication. Relationships
occur between two people when
they engage in conversations. Over
time, each person learns about the
other and begins to know what is
important to them as individuals.
John Noble of the Linwood
Management Group, LLC, Linwood,
N.Y., tells us, “When I meet
employees in the course of the
day, I speak to them. It doesn’t
sound like much, but it really
makes an impression on people
when their supervisor or coworker
acknowledges their presence.
“I have heard of situations where
the manager or the boss will just
‘grunt’ when he walks by. That
sets the tone for that employee for
the whole day.” Art Marquez, of
Marquez Dairy LLC, Chino, Calif.,
comments, “Even if you are more
of an ‘introverted’ person, you need
to learn to talk with employees and
build relationships that come from
conversations. You don’t have to be
‘buddy-buddy’ with everyone. But,
Provide opportunity for feedback
and input. In addition to ordinary
communications, employees also
need to know how they are doing.
They need to be given opportunity
to offer suggestions and input.
Sean Jones, of Jones Family Farm,
Massey, Md., comments, “You need
to be able to listen to employees’
ideas and give them the respect
they deserve. If you shoot them
down every time they offer an idea,
the next time they are going to be
hesitant to speak up.”
Provide workable and safe
equipment. Jesse Koopman, of
WestPoint Farms, Wendell, Idaho,
adds, “As owners, we like things
organized. We like the facility to be
neat. We want our equipment to be
running properly. And, we want our
farm environment to be safe.
“When something is broken, we fix
it. If a piece of equipment is missing
a guard, we replace it. If there is
trash on the ground, we pick it up.”
Offer compliments and provide
recognition. Dairy Producer
Hugh Weathers, of Bowman, S.C.,
observes, “Everyone wants to do a
good job. As a result, I believe they
are more motivated when they feel
like I notice the good things they
are doing, and tell them so.”
Don’t be a ‘grumpy’ boss. Joe
Statz, Statz Bros. Inc., Sun Prairie,
Wis., says, “If an employee comes
up to you and can tell in your voice
you are already mad about
something, they will not be
comfortable talking to you. However,
if they come up to you and sense
you are in a good mood, the conversation will go better even though
you might say the same things.”
The Carrot and Stick
Motivational Method
There has been a great deal written
about the ‘carrot’ (hope of gain),
and ‘stick’ (fear of loss) methods of
motivating people. We asked farm
managers which they believe to be
more effective.
Hank Wagner, Wagner’s Farm,
Oconto Falls, Wis., responds,
“I don’t think fear is the right button
to push to motivate people. I think
leaders ‘pull’ their people instead
of ‘pushing’ them.”
Lamar Anthony, Anthony’s Dairy,
Americus, Ga., comments, “I’ve
been on some farms where they
assume if an employee doesn’t
work out, they will just go out and
hire another one. As a result, they
drive their people with negative
comments assuming ‘either he’s
going to do a better job, or I’m
going to send him down the road.’
“I feel if the person has some
potential, I would rather work with
him and uncover his motivation to
do a better job. I just think positive
motivation works better than
negative motivation.”
Hank Wagner concludes, “As
supervisors, we need to find out
what’s really important to an
individual employee. We need
to learn about their goals and
find out what they really want to
accomplish. Then, provide a working
environment where they can achieve
their goals by working on your farm.
That’s how employees become
self-motivated to do a great job.”
27
by Amy te Plate-Church
Market Development Manager
One year later, the PR had risen three to four percent.
“When we started breeding with Genex, our goal was 35
percent Conception Rate. Now we are well above that
goal,” Darin states.
Ninety pounds milk per cow per day and a Pregnancy
Rate (PR) pushing 20 percent are lofty goals. One dairy
achieving these benchmarks is the 3,500-cow Dykstra
Dairy at Maurice, Iowa.
The key, explains owner Darin Dykstra, is to “do things
consistently well, day-in and day-out.”
This consistency starts by drawing up specific protocols
for areas like reproduction, milking and fresh cow care.
“I like working with the Genex team because they are
conscientious about sticking to the protocols we have
laid out,” continued Darin. “They definitely want to see
us succeed, want to help us be profitable. We work
together as a team toward the same goal – to have the
best repro program we can.”
The game plan expanded in early 2006, starting
management team meetings with analysis through
Genex RPM™, or Reproduction for Profit Manager.
The quarterly meetings include Darin Dykstra,
dairy employees, herd vets and reps from Monsanto
and Genex.
Darin describes the sessions as the time to analyze herd
performance, discuss what is happening, consider
improvements and decide on changes or new protocols.
Continued on page 31
Working Together Works
The kick-off was May 2005, when Genex began a
complete reproductive service at Dykstra – detecting
heats, inseminating and managing timed artificial
insemination (A.I.).
+
Darin and Linda
Dykstra and family
“I like RPM because we see how we are doing,
compare ourselves to other dairies and consider
improvements.”
walkways when the dairy was built in 2002. Genex
Farm Systems recently added the rubber flooring in
the double-44 parallel parlor.
As a result, the management team improved the
synchronization schedule and set a more aggressive
protocol with “problem breeders,” those open at 150
Days in Milk (DIM).
Over 700 fans and sprinklers cool cows through
humid Iowa summers. Each pen has two rows of
fans, with a fan every 24 feet. Sprinklers automatically mist cows when the inside barn
temperature hits 70 F, and cows are misted more
often as days get hotter.
The End Result
Simply said, the number of pregnancies at Dykstra
is at an all-time high. To maintain current size (3,100
milking cows), Dykstra needs 50 pregnancies
confirmed in cows per week. Presently, 56
pregnancies are created per week, which may
provide extra replacements and more management
options.
Fine-tuned management and cow comfort are key
reasons for Dykstra’s top results, says Chris
Janssen, Genex Area Sales Representative. In the 12
freestall pens – each housing 260 cows – comfort is
maximized with rubber belting, comfortable stalls
and sand bedding. Rubber was installed over pen
Having achieved their initial lofty goals, the DykstraGenex team will aim to raise the bar as they
continually monitor herd performance, fine-tune
protocols and consistently carry them out.
REPRODUCTIVE PROTOCOLS
in Dykstra’s Milking Herd
Night herdsman watches for standing heats and
secondary signs, utilizing a printed list of cows 18 to
25 Days Since Last Heat (DSLH). The next day,
Genex breeds those found in heat.
29
HERD STORY
Consistency and Cooperation Breed Success
HERD STORY
Team “Clicks” at Allenwaite Farm
“The whole system
is just clicking,”
explained Aaron Allen back in
October 2005, Aaron is the
seventh generation of the Allen
family to manage Allenwaite
Farm, Inc., a 1,000-cow dairy in
Schaghticoke, New York.
+
Aaron is referring to the breeding
program at Allenwaite dairy which,
since April 2004, has included
a team of Genex reproductive
specialists. Together, Aaron and
the Genex Riverrunners team, with
Mike Schreiner as the primary
Breeding Program Specialist (BPS)—
increased the dairy’s pregnancy
rate from 14 percent during an
expansion phase to 23 percent.
Services per conception have
dropped from 4.7 to 2.6.
“The response we saw with Genex
was almost immediate,” said Aaron.
“And we’ve been getting a pregnancy
rate over 20 percent for almost
every single 21-day period since.”
There are many factors that
make the reproductive program
“just click.” The Riverrunners –
consisting of Mike, Jesse Lamb
and Bob Bain – and Aaron
figured out what worked for the
dairy and what didn’t. They then
operated by what Aaron calls
“a model of consistency.”
The Repro Program
Heat detection is a very important
part of the reproductive program.
30
Use of the Ovsynch® protocol
accounts for approximately 25
percent of breedings. The remaining
75 percent is from visual observations
and the use of pedometers.
“Having Mike here has really freed
up our people for heat detection.
Our heat detection rate is currently
between 64 and 68 percent. Visual
heat observations are usually
conducted by the cow movers.
Each one carries a card to record
standing mounts,” said Aaron.
Additionally, each cow wears
a computerized DeLaval neck
transponder, which includes a
pedometer. An increase in activity
can be an indication a cow is in
heat or that she should be watched
closely for further signs of heat.
The neck transponders also allow
for easy sorting of cattle. By simply
entering a cow’s number into the
system via the main computer or
keypads on each stall in the rotary
parlor, a three-way sort gate at
the parlor exit can send cows
back to their original pen, to the
management rail and flush area,
or to a separate smaller pen.
The Allens have chosen to use
young sire genetics within their
herd. In recent months, they have
joined the Genex QUEST program.
Participating in the sire sampling
program gives them access
to young sires of the highest
genetic level, while earning
incentive credits for QUEST
heifer calves and QUEST
milking daughters.
Growth over Time
Since the first generation in the
Allen family began dairy farming,
farming the dairy has changed
many times. The dairy was first
started just up the hill from the
current operation. In 1974, the first
freestall barns and parlor were
added. Since that time, the dairy
has grown from about 450 cows
to the current 1,000 cows.
In 2003, the Allen’s incorporated
a rotary parlor into their dairy.
According to Aaron, the parlor
can milk approximately 200 to
225 cows per hour, and the parlor
efficiency would be maximized
with 1,500 cows being milked three
times a day. Therefore, with the
reproductive program on track
the goal for growth, this time
internally, was set once again.
Since Aaron made the statement
about the whole system “clicking”
in October, the dairy has continued
to successfully grow reaching
cow numbers much above 1,000.
“Now, things are going so well at
Allenwaite they need additional land
and feed. In a matter of two years,
we’ve taken them from not having
enough cows to having so many
cows they can’t feed them and can’t
really expand. They are a herd that’s
never been in this position before,”
explained Mike.
HERD STORY
Consistency …
Continued from page 29
“I like RPM because we see how
we are doing, compare ourselves to
other dairies and consider
improvements.”
As a result, the management team
improved the synchronization
schedule and set a more aggressive
protocol with “problem breeders,”
those open at 150 Days in Milk (DIM).
Teamwork in Progress
In the past month, the Riverrunners
team has taken on a new challenge
as they have become the “Tri County
Settlers”. The team has grown from
the original three to a six-man team
with the addition of BPSs Ray Steidle,
Dean Griswold and Kevin Ward.
Genex teams, such as the Tri County
Settlers, are often organized with a
Aaron Allen
team leader, one who organizes each
day’s service calls and divides them
between team members. Team members work together to
make sure they meet the needs of all their member/customers
in a timely, efficient manner.
“Working in a team allows us to better serve members and
customers,” said Mike, team leader. “Teams give us flexibility, allow
us to use each individual’s abilities to the fullest, and best match
each BPS to meet the needs and wants of a particular dairy.
“There’s no question about it - in the long term, it’s going to work
really well. Of course, to start with we’ll have our bumps in the road,
but it’s a work in progress.”
The Tri County Settlers now cover an area that extends about 70
miles north to south and 50 miles east to west in eastern New York
and southwest Vermont. The team of six covers a vast area helping
dairy producers make their reproductive programs “click.”
The End Result
Simply said, the number of
pregnancies at Dykstra is at an alltime high. To maintain current size
(3,100 milking cows), Dykstra needs
50 pregnancies confirmed in cows
per week. Presently, 56 pregnancies
are created per week, which may
provide extra replacements and
more management options.
Fine-tuned management and cow
comfort are key reasons for
Dykstra’s top results, says Chris
Janssen, Genex Area Sales
Representative. In the 12 freestall
pens – each housing 260 cows –
comfort is maximized with rubber
belting, comfortable stalls and sand
bedding. Rubber was installed over
pen walkways when the dairy was
built in 2002. Genex Farm Systems
recently added the rubber flooring
in the double-44 parallel parlor.
Over 700 fans and sprinklers cool
cows through humid Iowa summers.
Each pen has two rows of fans, with
a fan every 24 feet. Sprinklers automatically mist cows when the inside
barn temperature hits 70 F, and
cows are misted more often as days
get hotter.
Having achieved their initial lofty
goals, the Dykstra-Genex team will
aim to raise the bar as they
continually monitor herd
performance, fine-tune protocols
and consistently carry them out.
31

Horizons

Transcription

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