Dairy Cow Repro Synchronization

Question 1

What is the goal of the veterinarian in dairy reproductive health?

Answer 1

To optimize the reproductive program for each individual farm
-to establish a calving interval that optimizes the production potential of the herd

Question 2

What does the calving interval need to be for a grazing dairy?

Answer 2

12 months- so that they can maximize the calving season when grass is the most lush
-calving season should last 70-80 days

Question 3

What factors go into making a good herd health program?

Answer 3

-goals
-past problems
-doable solutions
-monitoring plan

Question 4

What are the functions of using exogenous prostaglandins in dairy herds (aka lutalyse or estrumate)

Answer 4

-used to lyse the CLs to short cycle cows
-used to treat pyometra
-used to abort cows <150 days
-used somewhat as uterine evacuant

Question 5

What are the functions of using exogenous GnRH on dairy farms (Cystorelin, factorel or fertygel)?

Answer 5

-used to treat cystic ovarian disease
-used to synchronize the follicular wave

Question 6

What was the role of the veterinarian historically on dairy farms?

Answer 6

1. Treatment of post partum diseases
2. Palpating cows on dry off
3. Monthly visits to palpate cows
4. Monthly, biweekly or weekly visits to do herd health visits

Question 7

What is the production management medicine that the industry is shifting towards?

Answer 7

Performing traditional palpation but using dairy records to monitor reproductive performance and make changes in management
-some lab tests are better at assessing pregnancy than people are now

Question 8

What groups are the most vital to check during palpations?

Answer 8

No heat cows, pregnancy checks, return to heats, and rechecks
-fresh cows, irregular heat cycles and problem breeders arent checked as routinely anymore

Question 9

What can you assess by palpating fresh cows?

Answer 9

Not much
- in this group what you should be doing is identifying fresh cow diseases (through visualization) and vaccinating them

Question 10

Why are no heat cows not assessed as frequently anymore?

Answer 10

Due to the rising amount of herds using timed AI programs
-heat detection is not as necessary

Question 11

What is the main reason that cows have irregular heat cycles?

Answer 11

Cystic ovarian disease

Question 12

If you are only going to utilize palpation for preg checks, what is the only way you are going to make money in the dairy world?

Answer 12

Being able to confidently and accurately diagnose pregnancy down to 35 days
-today, ultrasound is much more accepted as a method for diagnosing pregnancy and it is much easier

Question 13

If a cow is diagnosed pregnant at less than 40 days, when do they need a recheck?

Answer 13

At 60-100 days
-pregnancy wastage at <40 days varies from 5-15%

Question 14

When does a cow become a problem breeder?

Answer 14

When they have 3 or more services that do not result in pregnancy and are enough days post breeding to confirm a pregnancy diagnosis
-we usually dont find anything wrong with them

Question 15

Which group of cows is the most important to check?

Answer 15

The no heat cows
- all these cows need sperm
-they all need something to happen as soon as possible

Question 16

Which cow is the most important to identify?

Answer 16

The open cow
- this is the one you have to make decisions on

Question 17

What is the role of vets when it comes to SOPs?

Answer 17

They formulate them and check in over time to make sure producers are following them

Question 18

What is the simplest way to understand ovsynch?

Answer 18

1st GnrH is to synchronize the follicular wave

PGF is to synchronize estrus

2nd dose of GnRH is to synchronize ovulation

Question 19

When can the developing follicle actually respond to GnRH?

Answer 19

Between days 5-10 and 15-20
-during other times the receptors arent present
-this is why presynchronization programs are helpful

Question 20

What is the best simple synchronization program for dairy cows today?

Answer 20

OvSynch 56
-GnRH day 1
-PGF day 8
-GnRH 56 hours later
-timed AI 12-16 hrs after that

Question 21

What is the difference between cosynch and ovsynch?

Answer 21

Cosynch- give 2nd GnRH and do timed AI at the same time
- more used in beef to handle them less times

Question 22

What is the best time to start Ovsynch? How can you ensure that all cows will be at day 8 of their cycle in order to start them all on day 8?

Answer 22

Day 8

Presynch ovsynch protocol:
- PG injection (clean up shot), wait 14 days (watch heats and breed), then give another PG injection, wait 12-14 days, then start ovsynch
-assumes all cows are cycling at the start of the protocol

Goal is to get cows pregnant by 100 days in milk

Question 23

What is the best program for getting a cow pregnant on their first service on a dairy farm today?

Answer 23

Double ovsynch
-this is the protocol that consistently results in the highest conception rate
-lots of potential for compliance drift (need very dedicated team)

Question 24

What are the options for resynchronization?

Answer 24

For the cow that is open at preg check:
-can run through regular ovsynch protocol- most common
-can give a shot of GnRH 7 days before preg check (not done much anymore)
-can do GnRH 7 days prior and then if open at preg check start ovsynch (a bit of a presynch protocol)

Question 25

Name the potential benefits of controlled breeding programs

Answer 25

1. Improved efficiency of heat detection
2. Controlled timing of first service postpartum
3. Reduced variation of calving intervals
4. Reduce reproductive culling
5. Concentrate labor needs to certain times
6. Improve reproductive performance

Question 26

If a dairy cow herd fails to achieve the pregnancy they need to create their own replacements, what options do they have?

Answer 26

-buy pregnancies (replacement heifers), which reduces cash flow
-continue to milk open cows that should be culled to try to make up the difference
-cull open cows and reduce herd numbers

Question 27

If a dairy cow herd exceeds the number of pregnancies they need, what options do they have?

Answer 27

-make voluntary culling decisions
-sell heifers (no longer really a plus)
-internal herd growth