For many autumn-calving herds, breeding starts in late October. How well cows are managed prior to breeding, as well as during and post-breeding, has a big bearing on conception rates. On farms operating autumn-calving herds, thoughts should be turning to breeding preparations and to aid that process; this article outlines five tips to managing cows.
Sudden changes to the cow’s diet and environment put the animal under stress. This has a negative impact on fertility.
Housing mid-breeding can delay cows from coming back into heat and cause cows that have been served to re-absorb embryos.
Therefore, it is good practice to house autumn calving at least two weeks before breeding starts. That gives cows time to adjust to the change in diet and settle in the shed before they are served.
Autumn-calving cows will reach peak lactation around the same time as they come back in heat, which increases the amount of energy required in their diet.
Cows fed a consistent, high-energy diet before and after breeding have higher conception rates.
Target the best silage on-farm to autumn-calving cows until they are settled in-calf.
Supplement with meal to boost energy intake and keep the diet consistent for at least 30 days post-service.
Silage can be low in trace minerals, so there is merit in offering some form of supplementation during breeding.
Once housed, get on top of parasites to have cows primed for breeding. Treat all breeding females for fluke using a product that targets the parasite at the early immature stage.
Mature cows should be immune to worms, but maiden and first-calved heifers will need treatment as they will have built up less resistance.
If you are unsure about dosing, faecal egg counts will give confirmation on whether treatments have been effective. Finally, treat cows for lice.
Limiting the calf to suckling in the morning and evening is a proven technique to bring cows back into heat. Cows also exhibit stronger heats and greater activity.
Calf performance is not impacted by restricting to twice daily suckling. Start off when calves are around four weeks old.
Use creep pens to lock calves off the cow during the day. Give calves access to the cow for one to two hours in the evening.
Lock calves back in creep areas overnight, giving access to cows again in the morning. Once cows are settled in-calf, calves can suck unrestricted.
Early morning and late evening are usually the best times to watch for heats, spending 30 minutes observing cows in each period.
Stock bulls can be infertile, so record all cow services observed on a smartphone.
Set a reminder for 18 to 20 days later to watch these animals for repeat breeding.
Tail paint is a cheap tool to aid heat detection and can be easily applied in the shed. This helps to pick up cows with short heats and showing limited mounting activity.
Outlay of up to €240,000 on taking 100 cattle to finish this winter - Teagasc