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Know How / Dairy / Breeding and fertility

Good breeding and fertility management underpin profitable milk production in the dairy herd. Keep up with the latest information on dairy cow fertility, from genetics and genomics to heat detection, artificial insemination (AI), pregnancy diagnosis and calving intervals.

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BREEDING AND FERTILITY

Benefits of dual-purpose breed in three-way dairy cross

Introducing a dual-purpose breed into a cross-breeding programme on a Welsh dairy farm has added strength and size to its autumn calving herd. The Fleckvieh strikes a balance between a…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

How a three-way cross has improved a dairy’s bottom line

A switch to cross-breeding has improved financial performance and lifestyle on a Shropshire dairy farm. There was no watershed moment, nor a single figure which led the Nixon family to…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

How a dairy farmer has cut his herd replacement rate to 19%

A robust replacement strategy can bring a host of benefits to dairy farmers, including better performance and improved profitability. Moving from all-year-round to autumn block-calving presented fourth-generation farmer David Cotton…

DAIRY

How a dairy farmer improved herd performance through genetics

A Cheshire dairy farmer is using genetics to deliver a cow that is fit for purpose. Changes to the breeding programme at Clayhanger Hall Farm have led to significant improvements…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

How a South West dairy became the UK's best bred herd

Ian and Max Davies say they have never bred a cow for the show ring, yet they have a string of championships to their credit from top UK events. We …

DAIRY

How a spring-calving herd started using genomics

Genomically testing replacements has flagged up a genomic profitable lifetime index (£PLI) gap of up to £286 between heifers at a Pembrokeshire dairy farm. The Hannah family, who farm at…

Practical advice

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LIVESTOCK

4 ways to further improve herd fertility

Many farmers could make big improvements to the fertility of their herds by paying greater attention to dry cow management, stable nutrition and routine vet visits. According to vet Graeme…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

Advice on using progesterone devices in dairy cattle

Ensuring cows get back in-calf promptly post-calving is key to optimising profitability in dairy cow enterprises.  Jim McKinstry, veterinary surgeon and a director of Farmgate Vets in Lancashire, gives advice…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

7 tips on reducing your calving block to six weeks

A tight calving block is often desirable for block-calving dairy farmers due to the production, profitability, and management benefits. However, achieving this can be complex, with a number of different…

DAIRY

4 tips to optimise dairy cow fertility

Poor fertility is a vicious cycle, with fertility problems in one lactation programming further issues in the next. This is according to Professor Jo Leroy of Antwerp University, who says…

CALVING

How to manage and minimise difficult calvings in cows

The two main calving problems associated with cows are lack of uterine contractions and incorrect position of the calf. Through improved management and appropriate intervention, the negative impacts can be…

YOUNGSTOCK MANAGEMENT

Advice for ensuring heifers are the correct weight after calving

Too many heifers are still less than 85% of mature weight after calving because farmers try to "guesstimate" weights, says farm consultant Andy Dodd. Many farmers say they have had…

Insights

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DAIRY

Dairy fertility research reveals potential for further gains

The use of novel traits could be a way to accelerate genetic gain, according to the findings of a research project from New Zealand. In New Zealand, the Breeding Worth…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

How pedigree breeds have changed in each sector

We looked at the latest data and spoke to industry experts to find out more about the changing picture for pedigree animals. We look at the dairy, beef, sheep and…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

April 2021 bull proofs: The latest movers and shakers

Four new bulls, including a UK-bred bull, enter the young genomic sire ranking published today (6 April) by AHDB Dairy. Clinging on to the top spot for a third genetic…

BREEDING AND FERTILITY

How genomic testing of heifers can improve profitability

Genomic testing replacement heifers has a cost benefit of £19.39 a heifer, according to a three-year study involving nine Welsh dairy farms. The project compared the difference between estimated breeding…

LIVESTOCK DISEASES

BVD vaccination can lift milk yields, trial shows

Vaccinating dairy cows against the bovine viral diarrhoea (BVD) virus can lift milk yields by up to 1 litre/day, a recent global study has shown. A total of 1,463 cows…