Last season we saw better pregnancy rates than normal. If you are keen to keep the momentum up on farm, it is worth being proactive when it comes to mating. Things you might want to consider include the Why Wait program, trace element testing, heifer synchrony, treating your non cycling cows, Multimin injections, Eprinex, and/or Rumenox. If you haven’t already, please give us a call to book in your complimentary Plan to Mate consult, where we can discuss what is best for your farm this season.
If you don’t know already, Metrichecking is an important tool to identify and treat your dirty cows before they have the chance to affect your in-calf rate. Checking your herd will significantly reduce the risk of these cows negatively affecting your in-calf rate this season. Likewise, monitoring, identifying and correcting Trace Element Deficiencies in your herd minimises the chance of a poor pregnancy rate. We offer trace element testing and can provide you with advice around supplementation in the lead up to mating. A great time to test is during a metricheck visit, so give us a call if you would like to add it on.
Treating your Non-Cyclers is an option if you would like to maintain the progress and success from mating last season. It has been shown that the most economic benefit is derived from treating non cyclers prior to the start of mating, with the value of doing so steadily declining as the mating period draws on. If a program is something you would be interested in, it is best to implement it in the weeks leading up to mating. The Why Wait injection is a great way to further capitalize on the gains made last year. With the benefit of only requiring a single injection, Why Wait acts to tighten up the calving spread by making animals cycle a week earlier than they otherwise would. This means more cows will be mated earlier and can result in about ten days in milk extra; not to mention the added benefit of cows having more time between calving and mating to recover and resume cycling in the following season. It can also mean that they will have more opportunities to cycle during the AI period of mating.
If you are looking for something easy, cost effective and proven, consider a treatment like Multimin, Rumenox or Eprinex. Multimin has been proven time and again through a variety of studies to be an effective supplement choice. Only about $5 per cow, one injection of Multimin 3-4 weeks pre-mating reduces empty rate by 3.3%, halves pregnancy losses, and moves the average conception rate forward by 3.4 days. Rumenox, on the other hand, targets rumen function and acts to decrease the incidence of ketosis, which is a major contributing factor to endometritis, a well-documented cause of low in calf rates. Requiring just one gram per cow per day, Rumenox may be a great choice for you to utilise prior to and during the mating period. Rounding out our treatment trifecta, we have Eprinex. As you probably already know, Eprinex is a pour on drench that is accompanied with the bonus of increasing both milk production and pregnancy rate, making the return on investment around $50 worth of MS per cow. This is an easy one to put into action and is worth doing for the value it provides.
Synchronizing your heifers has the dual benefit of a tight heifer calving spread, giving them more time to get in calf the next year, and allows them to be mated to AI in one visit, increasing the rate of genetic gain on your farm.
If you would like to discuss any one of these options with us, please arrange a complimentary Plan to Mate consult or talk to one of our vets.
Comments