Characteristics of Successful ProgramsSep 12, 2020 · Vitor Mercadante, Virgina Tech Aug. 20, 2019...

Vitor Mercadante, Virgina Tech Aug. 20, 2019

2019 ARSBC, Knoxville, Tenn. 1

Characteristics of Successful

Reproductive Management

Programs Vitor R. G. Mercadante

Department of Animal and Poultry Sciences

Department of Large AnimalClinical Sciences

Maximize pregnancy rate early in the

breeding season and develop/select

replacement heifers that are highly fertile

at the lowest cost possible

Reproductive Efficiency

Management

Selection pressure

Nutrition

Reproductive technologies

Reproductive Efficiency=+++

65 59 51 60 51 48 57 55

92 89 82 90 9078

91 86

0102030405060708090

100

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Preg

nanc

y ra

te, %

Location

TAIFinal


VDOC Fall 2018 Pregnancy Rates

Number one factor affecting management?

THE MANAGER!

Management

• Needs to care OPEN…



PREGNANT! Number one factor affecting management?

THE MANAGER!

Management

• Needs to care• Details matter

Management

• Postpartum anestrus• Suckling stimulus• Age• Genetics• Nutrition• Body weight

• Body condition score• Reproductive

management• Plane of nutrition• Body composition• Animal handling

• Factors Affecting Fertility in Beef Females

AI Success0.90

0.90

0.90

0.90

=

x

x

x

65%

AI Success0.80

0.80

0.80

0.80

=

x

x

x

41%

• Build partnerships

Management

• Other cattlemen• Extension• Veterinarian




THE MANAGER!

Management

• Needs to care• Details matter • Partnerships• Data driven decisions

Record Keeping• Dam ID – sire information• Date of birth• Birth weight• Weaning weight• BCS at calving and breeding• Health records• Temperament• Breeding

Management

Accurate Records

Management

Management

Selection pressure

Nutrition



Selection Pressure• Must calve by 24 months of age• Cow must have a calf every 365 days• Cow must calve without assistance• Calf must be genetically capable to perform• Cow must provide sufficient resources for the

calf to reach it’s genetic potential• Cows must maintain their body condition

score for management conditions• Must not be crazy!

Management Selection Pressure

26.2

12.7

21.9

16.8

22.422.8

15.5

23.5

18.220.0

0

10

20

30

40

< 64 64 to 84 85 to 105 106 to 149 > 149

%

Length of breeding season, days

Operations Cows

• Breeding Season

(NAHMS, 2008)

61%



Selection Pressure

(Cushman et al., 2012)

• Influence of Calving Period on Weaning Weights

5 calves

(Cushman et al., 2012)

Selection Pressure• Influence of Calving Period on Reproductive Longevity

Pregnancy Diagnosis

Management

Nutrition

Selection pressure


=+++


Culling Open Cows!!

Pregnancy Diagnosis

10.8

25.8

41.2

58.3

18.0

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 to 49 50 to 99 100 to 199 > 200 All Operatio ns

%

Herd Size

(NAHMS, 2008)

Breeding Soundness Exam

10.9

33.2

45.9

56.8

19.5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 to 49 50 to 99 100 to 199 > 200 All Operatio ns

%

Herd Size

(NAHMS, 2008)

Cow and Heifer job description• Must calve by 24 months of age• Cow must have a calf every 365 days• Cow must calve without assistance• Calf must be genetically capable to perform• Cow must provide sufficient resources for the

calf to reach it’s genetic potential• Cows must maintain their body condition

score for management conditions• Must not be crazy!

Selection Pressure



Temperament and Fertility

(Dias et al., 2018)

Bos taurus beef heifers in VA

91

6577 71

935

23 29

0

2040

6080

100

Glade Southampton VT Overall

Heife

rs, %

Location

Temperament by LocationCalm Excitable


(Dias et al., 2018)

Bos taurus beef heifers in VA

5536

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

Calm Excitab le

Preg

nanc

y rat

e, %

Temperament

TAI Pregnancy rate by TemperamentTemperament P = 0.042Location P = 0.235Temp*Loc P = 0.364


(Cooke et al., 2012)

Bos taurus beef cows

Management

Selection pressure

Nutrition



Nutrition, Nutrition, Nutrition!!

BCS 5

BCS 3

BCS 7

Factors Affecting TAI pregnancy rate

(Stevenson et al., 2015)

Parity Days postpartum Body condition score n Pregnancy rate

Multiparous > 72 > 5 2,154 51.7x

> 72 ≤ 5 2,054 43.8y

≤ 72 > 5 1,056 44.2y

≤ 72 ≤ 5 1,676 41.8y

Primiparous > 72 > 5 496 43.8x

> 72 ≤ 5 623 43.5x

≤ 72 > 5 166 40.7xy

≤ 72 ≤ 5 284 33.3yxy Within parity, means without a common superscript differ (P < 0.05)



Management

Selection pressure

Nutrition



Reproductive Technologies• Breeding season management• Breeding soundness exam• Pregnancy diagnosis• Early weaning• Culling open females• Crossbreeding• Artificial insemination • Estrus synchronization • Fixed-time AI • Embryo transfer • In vitro fertilization – IVF• Somatic cell nuclear cloning• Transgenic technologies

Estrous Synchronization• Pharmacological control of the estrous cycle

• Advantages of Fixed-Timed Artificial Insemination - TAI• Induction of cyclicity• No heat detection• Optimization of labor • Increase proportion of females exposed to AI• More females pregnant to AI in a shorter period

Why folks choose not to TAI?

“PREGNANCY RATES TO TAI ARE TOO LOW…”“Too many hassle factors…”

• 40-60% pregnancy rates to TAI• It is a process that will take time

and commitment!

• 1,700 cows on 8 operations

TAI in South Dakota TAI Pregnancy Rates by Herd

56.962.1

45.2

65.8

44.450.4

45.2 48.5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Preg

nanc

y rat

e, %

Herd

Using TAI for the first time



TAI Pregnancy Rates by Herd

56.962.1

45.2

65.8

44.450.4

45.248.5

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

Preg

nanc

y rat

e, %

Herd

Using TAI for at least 5 years

Distribution of Days Postpartum

0

5

10

15

20

25

34 44 54 64 74 84 94 104 114 124

%

Days postpartum

Standard deviation:Herd 5 – 16.9 days

• HERD 5 – 44.4% PR, TAI FOR THE FIRST TIME

Distribution of Days Postpartum

0

5

10

15

20

25

34 44 54 64 74 84 94 104 114 124

%

Days postpartum

• HERD 4 – 65.8% PR, TAI FOR 7 YEARS

Standard deviation:Herd 4 – 5.6 days


THE MANAGER!

Management

• Needs to care• Details matter • Data driven decisions• Focused on long term benefits

Impact of TAI on Calvingand Weaning

20.923.2

16.417.5

4.63 2.7

1.5

6.7

17.7

28.7

25.2

7.8

1.8 2.8 1.8

0

10

20

30

40

1- 10 11 -2 0 21 -3 0 31 -4 0 41 -5 0 51 -6 0 61 -7 0 >70

% o

f cal

ves b

orn

TAI

Control44.1%

vs.24.7%

(Rodgers et al., 2012)

Impact of TAI on Calvingand Weaning

(Rodgers et al., 2012)

Treatment

Item Control TAI

No. of cows 615 582

Weaning rate, % 78 84

Weaning weight, lb 387 ± 8a 425 ± 8b

ab Means within row differ (P < 0.01) 38 lbs

$69/cow



Managing Reproductive Efficiency

YOU DECIDE WHEN YOUR COWS GET PREGNANT!!

• Maximize cows exposed to AI• Maximize pregnancy rate• More cows pregnant earlier• More calves born earlier• More pounds of calf weaned

Contact Information

Vitor R.G. Mercadante

[email protected]

540-231-9153

@vitormercadante

Characteristics of Successful ProgramsSep 12, 2020 · Vitor Mercadante, Virgina Tech Aug. 20, 2019...

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