Unfortunately, every farmer has that one cow who just doesn’t want to get pregnant. Maybe she’s cystic. Maybe she has an underlying health issue that we don’t know about. Maybe she’s just getting old. Whatever her problem may be, she’s a repeat breeder. And if she doesn’t get pregnant soon, her time left to stay in the herd is limited.
According to Alan Ealy, Professor of Animal Sciences at Virginia Tech University, repeat breeders are categorized as heifers or cows that have no clinically detectable reproductive disorders, but fail to become pregnant after three inseminations. These problem animals can also be classified as moochers, as they live off the hard work from other productive cows without giving anything in return.
“The incidence of repeater breeders varies, but based on a recent University of Minnesota study, it is not uncommon for 15 to 25% of the lactating cow herd to be repeat breeders,” Ealy says. “Herds with >25% incidence of repeat breeders have a severe problem that requires immediate action.”
Taylor Leach
February 13, 2023 04:57 PM
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