Symposium review: Use of multiple biological, management, and performance data for the design of targeted reproductive management strategies for dairy cows

Abstract

As the reproductive efficiency of dairy cattle continues to improve in response to better management and use of technology, novel reproductive management approaches will be required to improve herd performance, profitability, and sustainability. A potential approach currently being explored is targeted reproductive management. This approach consists of identifying cows with different reproductive and performance potential using multiple traditional and novel sources of biological, management, and performance data. Once subgroups of cows that share biological and performance features are identified, reproductive management strategies specifically designed to optimize cow performance, herd profitability, or alternative outcomes of interest are implemented on different subgroups of cows. Tailoring reproductive management to subgroups of cows is expected to generate greater gains in outcomes of interest than if the whole herd is under similar management. Major steps in the development and implementation of targeted reproductive management programs for dairy cattle include identification and validation of robust predictors of reproductive outcomes and cow performance, and the development and on-farm evaluation of reproductive management strategies for optimizing outcomes of interest for subgroups of cows. Predictors of cow performance currently explored for use in targeted management include genomic predictions; behavioral, physiological, and performance parameters monitored by sensor technologies; and individual cow and herd performance records. Once the most valuable predictive sources of variation are identified and their effects quantified, novel analytic methods (e.g., machine learning) for prediction will likely be required. These tools must identify groups of cows for targeted management in real time and with no human input. Despite some encouraging research evidence supporting the development of targeted reproductive management strategies, extensive work is required before widespread implementation by commercial farms.

The evolution of sensor-based technologies in dairy production

“…There is renewed interest in targeted or individualized reproductive management that incorporates health data from the current lactation, streams of data from sensors, and genotype. 24…”

Genomic selection in dairy cattle: impact and contribution to the improvement of bovine fertility

“…At the same time, marked phenotypic improvements in reproductive performance have been achieved through advances in reproductive management practices, specifically hormonal synchronization of estrus and ovulation, followed by timed AI. 5 Many commercial dairy farms today are achieving levels of reproductive success that would have been unimaginable 20 years ago, but these programs bear short-term costs of additional labor and supplies, and they present a long-term risk of consumer backlash.…”

“…Portfolio of tools available for reproductive management of lactating dairy cows have been reviewed 5,9 with specific focus on the use of data from wearable sensors, noting that these systems provide the opportunity to study associations estrus duration, estrus intensity, and pregnancy outcomes. Data from a large commercial farm with an accelerometer system were used 10 to quantify estrus duration, as well as activity strength (intensity of the increase in activity) and rumination strength (intensity of the decrease in rumination) during estrus, with the latter phenotypes measured relative to a cow's baseline activity and rumination levels prior to estrus.…”

Emerging technologies in dairy medicine

“…Targeted reproductive management consists of allocating different breeding strategies based on biological, management and performance information for each individual or groups of cows. 25 In this context, automated estrus detection systems play an important role. Automated estrus detection systems have been traditionally used to determine when cows should be inseminated.…”