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On suckler farms with autumn herds that calve from August onwards, breeding is likely to kick off in late October.
When it comes to autumn breeding, cows settled in the shed and eating a consistent diet tend to have higher conception rates.
Keep in mind that cows usually hit peak lactation about eight to 10 weeks post-calving and this often coincides with breeding.
Cows also require energy and protein from the diet to meet their daily maintenance requirement, produce milk to feed calves and resume cycling for breeding.
If cows are not being fed properly, fertility will be the first of these traits to suffer, as animals prioritise milk production and their own maintenance requirements first.
Housing
Therefore, it is good practice to start housing August and September cows over the next week so these animals are settled in the shed and have adjusted to a silage diet.
Housing mid-breeding is far from ideal as the change in environment and diet can delay cows from coming back in heat, as well as causing cows already served to repeat.
Target autumn calving cows the best quality silage on farm, ideally a forage above 70 DMD and supplement with 1kg to 2kg/day of concentrate to increase energy intakes.
Aim to keep diets consistent from housing to around 30 days after cows are served, as any sudden change in feed intakes will impact conception rates.
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