Concepts and Considerations for Successful Reproductive Management and Monitoring

Abstract

Dairy owners have traditionally served many different roles on dairies, but with increasing size and complexity of the operations, there is a greater demand placed on their administrative abilities. To be successful, owner managers must take a stronger role as chief executive officer and establish the strategy and vision for an operation, create an appropriate work culture, hire and train workers, and decide how to best secure and allocate capital. Key components of a successful dairy operation are a strong training system so that employees know not only what is expected of them, but how to succeed and a timely monitoring and evaluation system. Timed artificial insemination (TAI) has been one of the most beneficial tools introduced in recent years for improving reproductive performance. There are a variety of TAI options for herds but each is designed to synchronize ovulation sufficiently to allow for acceptable conception risks while improving breeding efficiency. Herds that have experienced success with TAI have been those with excellent management and an eye for detail. Careful selection of the appropriate protocol, followed by consistent implementation and routine monitoring of both the processes and the ultimate outcomes are all key components for success. When performance is not as expected, excellent quality records that are properly evaluated can provide clues as to the potential problem areas. [...]