2.2 Why six week calving rate is important · Introduction • 62 ha farmed • 40 ha milking...
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Why six-week calving rate is important to me? David French Raheenvarren, Newbawn
Transcript of 2.2 Why six week calving rate is important · Introduction • 62 ha farmed • 40 ha milking...
Why six-week calving rate isimportant to me?
David French
Raheenvarren, Newbawn
Introduction
• 62 ha farmed
• 40 ha milking platform
• 110 cows
• 45 0-1y.o. repl.
• 36 1-2 y.o. repl.
• 2.6 LU/ha
• 450 kg MS/cow
• 1,170 kg MS/ha
• 290 days in milk
Why is 6-week calving rate importantto me?
• Get it over and done with
– ‘So I can live again’
• Simplifies calf rearing / breeding etc.
• Allows me a long lactation without milkinglate into December/ early in January
• Gives me a gap between calving and breeding
– ‘Everything becomes easier’
• Advice tells us it’s the way to go
91% 6-week calving rate / 369 daycalving interval
12%
28%
19% 19%
9%
4%5%
3%0% 1%
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
25-Jan 01-Feb 08-Feb 15-Feb 22-Feb 01-Mar 08-Mar 15-Mar 22-Mar 29-Mar
How I achieve a high 6-week calvingrate
• OAD helped –while quotas were in place
• Heifers calved at start – PG d7
• Heat detection aids – tail paint / teaser bulls
• Pre-breeding heat detection
– Scan non-cyclers on d7
• Genetics – Fertility SubIndex €95
• Sell late calvers
Calculating the cost of low 6-weekcalving rate in your example farm
Target 6-week calving rate 90% (A)
Your example farm 6-week calving rate (B)
Difference between the target and your example farm (B-C) (C)
Cost of 1% lower 6-week calving rate €8.22 /cow (D)
Calculate cost per cow for your example farm (C X D) (E)
Number of cows on your example farm (F)
Calculate cost of lower 6-week calving rate for your example farm (E X F)
Calculating the cost of low 6-weekcalving rate in your example farm
Target 6-week calving rate 90% (A)
Your example farm 6-week calving rate 76% (B)
Difference between the target and your example farm (B-C) 14% (C)
Cost of 1% lower 6-week calving rate €8.22 /cow (D)
Calculate cost per cow for your example farm (C X D) €115.08 (E)
Number of cows on your example farm 136 cows (F)
Calculate cost of lower 6-week calving rate for your example farm (E X F) €15,650
Three targets to achieving a90% 6-week calving rate
Your herd Target
21 day submission rate (%)
42 day submission rate (%)
90%
100%
Conception rate to first service (%) 60%
Three targets to achieving a90% 6-week calving rate
Your herd Target
21 day submission rate (%)
42 day submission rate (%)
90%
98%
90%
100%
Conception rate to first service (%) 59% 60%
Achieving a high 6-week calving rate
Stephen ButlerAnimal & Grassland Research and Innovation Centre
Teagasc, Moorepark
Teagasc National Dairy Conference 2015015
Motivation =
100 cow herdIncrease 6-week calving rate from 58% to 90%
Why is 6 week calving rate important?
Shalloo et al. (2014)
+€26,400 per year
€8.22 per cow per 1% ↑ in 6-week calving rate
Costs associated with poor calving pattern
Shalloo et al. (2014)
€1.29
€2.60€4.34
AI/Intervention
Survival
Calving date
€8.22/cow per 1% ↑ in 6-week calving rate
Where does it come from?
Seasonal, pasture-based milk production
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
kg
DM
/H
ap
er
day
Daily pasture growth rate
Daily herd feed requirement
0102030405060708090
100
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
%o
fco
ws
inth
eh
erd CALVE CONCEIVE DRIED-OFF
Average lactation = 285+ days
Seasonal, pasture-based milk production
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
kg
DM
/H
ap
er
day
Daily pasture growth rate
Daily herd feed requirement
0102030405060708090
100
Jan Feb Mar Apr May June July Aug Sept Oct Nov Dec
%o
fco
ws
inth
eh
erd CALVE CONCEIVE DRIED-OFF
Average lactation = 285+ days
Earliest calving cows most fertile
BCS
BCS 3.00 or 3.25
Mean BCS 3.00Mean BCS 2.9
Score 1 Score 2 Score 3
Score 4
Uterine health
Score 1 Score 3 Score 5Score 2
Metricheck device
Data from McDougall et al (2007); Runciman et al. (2009)
Score 1 Score 2 Score 3Uterine health
0
20
40
60
1 2 3 4 5
Co
nc
rate
1(%
)
Score
020406080
100
1 2 3 4 5
%co
ws
Score
20% dirty
020406080
6-wks Final
%co
ws
Incalf rate (cows score ≥2)
Metricure Control
Treat cows calved >14 days with score ≥2with intrauterine antibiotic (Metricure)
Data from McDougall et al (2007); Runciman et al. (2009)
Mar 1st Apr 1st May 1stFeb 1st
Cow Management for compact calving
Main calving period.Focus on BCS, peripartum
problems, general cow health
Pre-breedingheat detection
Apr 1 to 22
PSC MSDApr 25
Synchanoestrus
cows
Vaccinations
Metricheck
MineralStatus
Calculating the cost of low 6-week calving rate in your example farm
Target 6-week calving rate 90% (A)
Your example farm 6-week calving rate (B)
Difference between the target and your example farm (B-C) (C)
Cost of 1% lower 6-week calving rate €8.22 /cow (D)
Calculate cost per cow for your example farm (C X D) (E)
Number of cows on your example farm (F)
Calculate cost of lower 6-week calving rate for your example farm (E X F)
Identify the following three figures for your example herd
– key to achieving 90% 6-week calving rate
Your herd Target
21 day submission rate (%)
42 day submission rate (%)
90%
100%
Conception rate to first service (%) 60%
