Earlier and more compact calving needed
The median calving date is Mar 10, while the optimum target for most farmers is Feb 20.
The average six-week calving rate is 52%, while the ideal target is 70%.
Pregnancy rates to first service are 52%, while the target is 68%.
Submission rate is only 60%, and the ideal target is 90%, but, of course, this is impossible for most herds with a scattered calving pattern.
Calves per cow, per year, are 0.85, while the target is 0.95. These figures show there is room for improvement.
These improvements are more important now, because an early compact-calving pattern will be required to obtain the best price for milk in future.
It is not easy to achieve the above targets.
However, we know that our best farmers are getting closer to the targets, but it is difficult where existing calving patterns are very scattered.
It can only be achieved by batch-calving heifers at the start of the calving season and adhering to best rearing, breeding and disease-control practices.
Despite the averages being off-target, the breeding performance of the best farmers in Ireland is as good, if not better, than those in New Zealand and Australia.
Some of the New Zealand breeding achievements are influenced by unethical practices, which I understand are now being reduced.
Over half of New Zealander and Australian cows have a strong Jersey and cross-bred influence, and the Jersey genes are increasing every year.
Yet, according to Australian fertility expert, Jock McMacmillan, speaking at last year’s fertility conference in Ireland, fertility is declining in these countries.
From 1997 to 2009, all the important fertility parameters have deteriorated very significantly, by about 1% per year. For example, conception rates to first-service have declined from 49%, in 1997, to 38%, in 2010/2011.
The general consensus in these countries is that high genetics for fertility are more important than any particular breeds.
They also find that higher milk yields per cow do not adversely affect fertility. In the Irish situation, the ICBF has found a very close relationship between herd-fertility index and herd-fertility performance.
It is not possible to have a good reproductive performance without good heat detection, and good heat detection is not possible without aids.
The most common and effective aid is tail painting. Stick-on devices are also effective, but, like tail paint, must be properly applied throughout the AI season.
Farmers managing larger herds usually prefer to use vasectomised bulls with chin balls, and these are very effective.
Make sure these bulls are free of transmittable diseases.
Heat-detection aids, which show great promise for the future, are being researched.
Whatever system or combination of systems is used, close observation is always necessary.
Remember that each heat missed during the breeding season could cost over €200.
Almost half of farmers use no aids to heat detection, making it almost impossible to pick up all heats.
Tail paint is often not used properly.
The following instructions should be followed.
* Use a thick strip of ordinary emulsion paint, two to three inches wide and eight to nine inches long. Special paint products are also available for tail painting.
* Paint from the tail-head forward.
* Apply the paint every week to a clipped, brushed tail-head in dry weather. Touch up tail paint more frequently in wet weather.
* Combined with early morning, midday and late-evening heat detection, checks for paint loss at milking time should result in very good heat-detection rate.
