Fertility is a Driver
High fertility starts at dry-off. The dry cow has long been the most neglected animal on the farm, but is now rising to the most important as research traces production/fertility failures to the dry period; or at least some very significant causes are perpetuated through poor dry cow nutrition.
Obviously, energy and protein are key issues for dry cows, but rarely calculated, and can manifest in LDA’s post-calving apart from their impact on fertility and milk production. Getting dry cow and transition nutrition right has whole-of-lactation consequences.
However, the issue I want to focus on here is mineral nutrition. Again, apart from minute intakes from forage, this is another costly neglect in our grazing based system. Supplementary minerals through lactation is well accepted. The opportunity to enrich body reserves, including macro minerals to skelatel replenishment and trace minerals to fat deposits to meet early lactation demand, is no greater than during the dry spell while there is no lactation demand for minerals.
Both trace minerals, and macro minerals, especially calcium, are critical for immune system. There is no other time in the lactation cycle of a cow than calving to challenge immune function. We have one herd that has doubled conception on first insemination (synch) to 65%. As we investigated this dramatic improvement, we were led to dry cow mineral nutrition. That herd has since repeated this outcome at a subsequent joining.
Our Dairytech Loose-Lick (self feed) mineral supplement for both dry cows and growing heifers has been designed to aim at this need without daily feeding. Consumption by free access is around 100 gm/head/day. Dairytech Loose-Lick contains the following essential minerals. Calcium, Magnesium, Phosphorous, Salt, Sulphur, Cobalt, Copper, Iodine, Manganese, Selenium, Zinc and Vits A, D3, & E.
Fertility the driver. Obviously lower semen cost/less culled empty cows. However, the real driver of profit from good fertility is more fresh cows in the herd; and fresh cows convert feed to milk more efficiently than cows past 150 DIM. The ‘carry-over’ cow is a significant drain on farm profit. Her conversion of feed dollars to milk dollars is very poor. USA dairy economists rate fertility as equal to feed intake as a profit driver.
Embryo quality and survival are closely linked to trace mineral nutrition. To establish a sound reserve of trace and macro minerals in body fat and skeletal frame, there is no more effective time than during the dry and transition period when there is no lactation requirement.
