Fertility targets

[Rossymons]

24/6 - 15/7 over that 3 week period I served 12 cows and got 8 of them pd+. Is that any good?

To calculate preg rate we need to know how many cows we're working with. Is it 40 or 400? There's a big difference.

Just looked at todays pd's, average calving to conception is 54 days.

That's a good result so you're cows are clearly fertile, we just need to be catching them.

The above are only snapshots at that one particular 3 week period. We need to looking at throughout the past 12 months - longer if possible - to gauge what is really happening.

If you milk record that data is all available ready to be looked at.

 

[dinderleat]

Your better to look at a 3 month and 12 month rolling figures instead of a 3 week snap shot.

 

[pappuller]

Your better to look at a 3 month and 12 month rolling figures instead of a 3 week snap shot.

To be fair with a 3 week period you can maybe see and react to anomalies quicker ?

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[pappuller]

24/6 - 15/7 over that 3 week period I served 12 cows and got 8 of them pd+. Is that any good?

If you had 24 cows eligible for service in that period it gives you a preg rate of 33% but remember the 12 mnth rolling figure is the kiddie, 1 swallow doesn't make a summer [emoji23]

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[pappuller]

To be fair with a 3 week period you can maybe see and react to anomalies quicker ?

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But yes a 12mnth rolling is the marker


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[Grassman247]

With fertility supposedly such a key driver in profit im astounded at some of the figures I’m reading on here

 

[dinderleat]

With fertility supposedly such a key driver in profit im astounded at some of the figures I’m reading on here

Go on then what’s your figures

 

[Rossymons]

With fertility supposedly such a key driver in profit im astounded at some of the figures I’m reading on here

Not everyone can - or wants to - block calve.

Calving AYR is a very different beast to block calving and results need to be interpreted as such.

Having a preg rate in the mid 20s might not seem a lot but if you're herd is pushing a 5 figure litres sold per cow per year KPI then having 365 day calving interval probably isn't desirable nor necessary to cover her costs.

You can't compare apples with potatoes

 

[pappuller]

With fertility supposedly such a key driver in profit im astounded at some of the figures I’m reading on here

Why ?

 

[Grassman247]

Why ?

Because if I had a conception rate of 38% I’d no longer be in milk

 

[Grassman247]

Go on then what’s your figures

89% submission rate in the first 3 weeks, 72% conception rate to first service and 12% empty rate after 12 weeks of mating

The empty rate includes 35 cows we selected not to breed from, so they never saw a straw of semen or the bull.

The autumn herd is doing 5% empty after 12 weeks but it’s a much more established unit

 

[dinderleat]

89% submission rate in the first 3 weeks, 72% conception rate to first service and 12% empty rate after 12 weeks of mating

The empty rate includes 35 cows we selected not to breed from, so they never saw a straw of semen or the bull.

The autumn herd is doing 5% empty after 12 weeks but it’s a much more established unit

Snap shot is pointless over the whole 12 week block is what matters

 

[Rossymons]

Because if I had a conception rate of 38% I’d no longer be in milk

But those are the parameters you set for your business. If you didn't achieve your targets for your herd then yes, you would be out of milk production.

But every herd is different.

For you, conception rate 38% means you've got too many cows at the back of your block and you'll never get them to the front again. BIG PROBLEMS!!

For an AYR herd, a conception rate 38% could mean a large chunk of their safely back in-calf at the 100d mark if not before.

 

[pappuller]

Because if I had a conception rate of 38% I’d no longer be in milk

With the greatest of respect a pregnancy rate of 26% would possibly establish as many pregnancies in a 12 mnth period as most block calvers, we run at 24% and in the 12 mnth rolling upto July sold 155 live calves out of a herd of 180 with a cull rate of 18% both voluntary and in voluntary. It's sometimes like comparing eggs and apples. I know you do an excellent job but your system and mine aim for the same end result but we get there via different routes I believe.

 

[Beef farmer]

With the greatest of respect a pregnancy rate of 26% would possibly establish as many pregnancies in a 12 mnth period as most block calvers, we run at 24% and in the 12 mnth rolling upto July sold 155 live calves out of a herd of 180 with a cull rate of 18% both voluntary and in voluntary. It's sometimes like comparing eggs and apples. I know you do an excellent job but your system and mine aim for the same end result but we get there via different routes I believe.

Lot of twins?

 

[Milkcow365]

You need to know how many were eligible, we are ayr we manage 26% preg rate, which is a 67% insemination rate and a 38% conception rate.

Once you get used to preg rate you wont want to use anything else but as said you need software to calculate it.

Uniform agri does it well.

What vwp is that using

 

[som farmer]

the troublesome cows, are the ones you miss/ don't come bulling/ repeat breeders etc. it's what you do with these cows, running a bull will catch some, prids etc will get a few more, and time will see some more get I/c. if its an old or problematic cow the answer is easy, get shot, but younger cows are a different matter, with a replacement costing £1200ish, it is a loss to barren her out, block calvers have a ready market for out of sync cows, but ary do not.
so it's a question of making the figures look good, by barrening these cows, or keeping them and distorting the figures, a lot of us will have milked cows with an extended lactation, those cows have given a lot of milk, perhaps equal to the amount she would have given in a lac + 1/2. I had 1 that milked for close to 3 years, and never dropped below 28 liters, nor ever got I/c, and went as a casualty!
so, you can get hung up on figures, and we work with submission/ preg rate, but you have to keep a weather eye on profit, which is the B all and End all of the job, and replacement cost is a big item, and to cull cows to keep the figures looking 'good', is not necessary profitable.

 

[stablegirl]

26% preg rate gives me a 389 day calving interval, and 10,500 litres sold on 2x milking, we have to use to many injections to get it for my liking.

Block calving its it's a different set of figures, there's more than one way to skin a cat, I currently have over 20% of my herd doing over 50 litres, including 2 cows over 70 litres, funnily enough I doubt that pair will hold first time but they are still profitable cows.

What you're saying about poor conception rates is like me coming on here saying

"I can't believe what im reading! If my cows only did 20 litres I wouldn't be in business anymore. "

 

[buffalo_soldier]

In calf rate is a good tool as it not only tells you where you are but also why you are where you are.

As ever though don't be too focused on a single aspect as that can lead to problems elsewhere.
There are so many variables, playing my preg rate is better than your preg rate is a bit short sighted.

 

[organicguy]

But those are the parameters you set for your business. If you didn't achieve your targets for your herd then yes, you would be out of milk production.

But every herd is different.

For you, conception rate 38% means you've got too many cows at the back of your block and you'll never get them to the front again. BIG PROBLEMS!!

For an AYR herd, a conception rate 38% could mean a large chunk of their safely back in-calf at the 100d mark if not before.

I think that in an ayr herd one of the key parameters which points to profitability is Days in milk, the more profitable herds having a lower average DIM.