Ask the Vet - Seasonal Fertility

by Robert Ankcorn BVSc MRCVS of Intervet

Q1. After reviewing our breeding policy with the vet, we have decided to

investigate a planned breeding programme. What benefits should we see?

It will come as no surprise to anyone that Dutch research shows that the modern dairy

cow generally seems to be less willing to express oestrus than her predecessors. If you

add in the fact that many dairymen have far more cows to look after than they did five

years ago, is it any wonder that cows are not spotted bulling and therefore may not

be served on time?

Planned breeding can remove the need to detect oestrus, particularly if you use a

system such as Intercept. On the start day (day 0), cows in a planned breeding

programme are selected by the farmer and injected with 2.5ml of Receptal, seven days

later these cows are examined at the routine visit by a veterinary surgeon who will

decide if these animals are suitable for a prostaglandin. 56 hours after the

prostaglandin, a further dose of Receptal is required, and at 72 hours cows can be

served without the need for heat detection.

Intercept can deliver 100% submission rates, and is very simple system to use. Studies

have shown shorter calving to first service intervals, improved calving to

conception intervals and fewer barren cows by 150 days.

Q2. Metritis and endometritis have historically been a problem in our herd,

especially for heifers calving to beef animals. What advice would you give?

Dairy heifers calving to a beef bull may well be having calving difficulties. This a

recognised risk factor for endometritis. In the short term, all these heifers should be

submitted at the routine visit for veterinary examination so that any cases of endometritis

can be diagnosed and promptly treated with a uterine antibiotic such as Metricure. It is

preferable to submit these heifers from about 20 - 40 days post-calving. Your veterinary

surgeon may use a vaginascope, ultrasound scanner, Metricheck device or simply a

gloved hand to make this diagnosis. Whichever way, if it is diagnosed early, treatment

appears more likely to be successful than if treatment is delayed.

Longer term advice obviously has to be aimed at selection of a more suitable bull. AI

bulls will have a indication of calving ease and if AI is not an option then looking at the

bull’s sire may be helpful.