Cow Fertility

1
Cow Fertility

• How can we affect it?

2
Objectives

• Identify three management areas
• Make a vaccination calendar
• Have a basic understanding of the body condition
  scoring system
• Identify three main times to body condition score
  cows

3
What is fertility?
The capacity to initiate, sustain, and support
reproduction.
4
Three Management Areas

• Herd health
• Age at puberty
• Nutrition

5
Herd Health

• External parasites
• Lice
• Grubs
• Horn flies
• Face flies

6
Vaccination Calendar

• Replacement heifers
• Brucellosis- about 9 mo. Of age
• Leptospirosis
• IBR (Red Nose)-consult veterinarian
• Clostridials-baby calves, booster at weaning
• BVD- consult veterinarian
• Consult with your veterinarian for other
  recommendations

7
Vaccination Calendar-Cont.

• Prebreeding
• Vibriosis
• Annual booster vaccinations- preg check
• Vibriosis
• Trichomaniasis
• Leptospirosis
• Respiratory as recommended

8
Age at Puberty

• Should reach puberty at 11-12 mo. of age
• Need to cycle at least 2 times before breeding
• Should be bred at 15 mo. of age
• Target weight of 65 of mature weight

9
Nutrition

• Reproduction is a luxury event.
• Use body condition score to assess level of
  nutrition
• Three major times to assess BCS
• Weaning
• 1 month post weaning
• 80-100d precalving

10
Nutrition-Cont.

• Cows should be BCS 5 at calving
• Heifers should be BCS 6 at calving
• BCS at calving affects colostrum levels
• BCS at calving affects rebreeding
• Cows must rebreed within 82 days to have a calf
  every year.

11
Factors Affecting Nutrition

• Body condition score
• Age of the animal
• Stage of gestation
• Lactation
• Season

12
Other Factors Affecting Fertility

• Age of cow
• Calving difficulty

13
What Does This Mean To Us?

• Cow fertility can be controlled with simple
  management procedures
• Herd profitability can be increased by better cow
  fertility
• Use veterinarian and extension educator to plan
  your management scheme