Thursday, February 1, 2024 -- 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM

Factors Affecting Reproductive Efficiency

Sponsored By Zoetis

The profitability of the cow-calf operation is directly related to herd reproductive efficiency. The efficient cow is the one that every year calves a calf. To calve every 12 months, a cow must be bred and become pregnant by 85 days post-calving. However, after calving, the cow typically takes about 30 to 45 days to do uterine involution and post-partum recovery. This means that if everything is good with the cow (no diseases or calving problems), she only has 55 days to get pregnant to achieve a production rate of one calf per cow per year. This is not exactly an easy task. Every cow-calf operation is different, and many reproductive programs are available: natural breeding, timed natural breeding, artificial insemination, embryo transfer, etcetera. However, regardless of what is the reproductive program that you use, you should always evaluate reproductive efficiency. Cows that become pregnant in the first month of the breeding season are more productive because they have additional post-partum recovery time before the next breeding season, thereby improving the probability of re-establishing pregnancy. This session will give clear data and practical examples to show why it is essential to evaluate reproductive efficiency in the herd.

This session will feature Angela Gonella, PhD, University of Florida.