Targeted reproductive management for lactating Holstein cows: Economic return

Area of Science:

• Reproductive management in dairy cattle
• Animal breeding and genetics
• Dairy science and technology

Background:

• Traditional ovulation synchronization protocols (OvSP) are widely used for artificial insemination (AI) in postpartum dairy cows.
• Blanket adoption of OvSP may not be the most economically efficient strategy.
• Automated monitoring devices (AMD) offer potential for more precise estrus detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the efficacy of targeted reproductive management (TRM) utilizing AMD for first postpartum AI and re-insemination of nonpregnant cows.
• To compare the reproductive performance and economic return of TRM versus conventional OvSP.
• To test the hypothesis that TRM improves reproductive performance and economic return.

Main Methods:

• TRM involved AI based on AMD-detected estrus, with OvSP as a fallback for cows not detected in intense estrus.
• Control cows received Double-Ovsynch protocol with fixed-time AI (TAI) or visual/patch-aided estrus detection for re-insemination.
• Reproductive performance, milk yield, and gross profit were calculated, with economic analysis using Monte Carlo simulation.

Main Results:

• Cows in the TRM treatment had a greater hazard of pregnancy (adjusted hazard ratio = 1.17).
• TRM resulted in more cows starting a new lactation (82.6% vs. 77.2%) and fewer sold (15.5% vs. 20.8%).
• TRM treatment yielded a $108 greater gross profit per cow compared to the control, driven by improved pregnancy rates and altered culling dynamics.

Conclusions:

• Targeted reproductive management (TRM) employing automated monitoring devices (AMD) significantly improves pregnancy rates and economic returns in Holstein cows.
• TRM optimizes insemination timing, reduces reliance on fixed-time AI protocols, and positively impacts culling dynamics.
• Efficient reproductive management, as demonstrated by TRM, has substantial economic implications for high-producing dairy cows.