Veterinary dairy herd fertility service provision in seasonal and non-seasonal dairy industries - a comparison

Abstract

The decline in dairy herd fertility internationally has highlighted the limited impact of traditional veterinary approaches to bovine fertility management. Three questionnaire surveys were conducted at buiatrics conferences attended by veterinary practitioners on veterinary dairy herd fertility services (HFS) in countries with a seasonal (Ireland, 47 respondents) and non-seasonal breeding model (The Netherlands, 44 respondents and Portugal, 31 respondents). Of the 122 respondents, 73 (60%) provided a HFS and 49 (40%) did not. The majority (76%) of all practitioners who responded stated that bovine fertility had declined in their practice clients' herds with inadequate cow management, inadequate nutrition and increased milk yield as the most important putative causes. The type of clients who adopted a herd fertility service were deemed more educated than average (70% of respondents), and/or had fertility problems (58%) and/or large herds (53%). The main components of this service were routine postpartum examinations (95% of respondents), fertility records analysis (75%) and ultrasound pregnancy examinations (69%). The number of planned visits per annum varied between an average of four in Ireland, where breeding is seasonal, and 23 in Portugal, where breeding is year-round. The benefits to both the practitioner and their clients from running a HFS were cited as better fertility, financial rewards and job satisfaction. For practitioners who did not run a HFS the main reasons given were no client demand (55%) and lack of fertility records (33%). Better economic evidence to convince clients of the cost-benefit of such a service was seen as a major constraint to adoption of this service by 67% of practitioners.

Reproductive Issues Arising from Different Management Systems in the Dairy Industry

“…2010) and in the UK where the quality of stockpersonship (positive interactions shown by stockpersons toward cows corroborated by the inquisitive nature of the cows’ interaction with an unfamiliar human) was above average on ZG farms (DEFRA, 2003). In addition, veterinary dairy herd fertility service provision differs markedly between seasonal and non‐seasonal management systems (Mee 2010).…”

Polish Journal of Veterinary Sciences

“…The implementation of a herd health program helps to improve reproductive outcomes (de Kruif and Opsomer 2004, Mee 2010.…”

“…The first-service conception rate has declined over the last 30 years from 60-70% to 30-40% concurrent with the rapid increase in yields (Royal et al 2000, Butler 2003, Dobson et al 2008, Norman et al 2009. The classical role of the veterinarian, which consists of intervening at the owner's request to treat individual cows with health problems, is becoming insufficient in modern high-yielding dairy herds (Mee 2010). One of the methods of improving the profitability of dairy cattle breeding is the implementation of herd management programs, enabling the checking of the cows' health and their productivity (Noordhuizen and Wentink 2001, de Kruif and Opsomer 2004, Derks et al 2013).…”

The Effect of Abnormal Reproductive Tract Discharge on the Calving to Conception Interval of Dairy Cows

“…Early detection and resolution of post-calving problems, such as ARTD, is part of this examination. Perceived benefits include improved herd level fertility and consequentially, increased financial gain (59).…”