Strategies to alleviate reproductive wastage in dairy cows

Abstract

grass-based systems of production. A series of studies were carried out to (i) improve our understanding of the physiological basis of poor reproductive performance; (ii) examine management and nutritional strategies to improve fertility; and (iii) examine the potential role of extended lactation to mitigate the effects of poor reproductive performance. A comprehensive characterization of the North American and New Zealand strains of Holstein-Friesian cow was carried out. North American cows produce a greater volume of milk, but yield a similar amount of fat and protein on a grass-based diet. Dry matter intake was greater for the larger NA strain, but energy balance did not differ during the first 20 weeks of lactation. Circulating concentrations of metabolic hormones and metabolites during the early lactation period were indicative of lesser bioenergetic status in the NZ strain compared to the NA strain. During established lactation, circulating concentrations of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) were greater in the NZ strain. Liver biopsies collected at day 35 and day 150 postpartum indicated that the greater circulating concentration of IGF-I was due to greater hepatic mRNA abundance of IGF-I and acid labile subunit (ALS). Embryos were collected from both strains after superovulation. A greater proportion of the embryos recovered were transferable in the NZ strain compared with the NA strain, indicating that the previously reported differences in reproductive performance were manifest as early as 7 days post-insemination. Collectively, the results of the study indicate that the NZ strain are genetically better equipped to survive on a pasture-based seasonal calving system. A study was carried out to examine the effect of dry period duration and dietary energy density on milk production, bioenergetic status and postpartum ovarian function. Omitting the dry period and increasing dietary energy density both resulted in improved energy balance and metabolic status, but omitting the dry period reduced the postpartum interval to resumption of cyclicity whereas increasing dietary energy density had no effect. Omitting the dry period reduced the inherent drive to produce milk, and allowed the cow to fully meet nutritional requirements from voluntary dry matter intake. Increased dietary energy density also allowed the cow to more closely meet nutritional requirements from a higher energy density diet, albeit at a greater milk yield. The results suggest that the mechanism by which a cow arrives at a particular energy balance status may be as important as energy balance per se. One of the main energy costs associated with lactation is milk fat. Trans 10, cis 12 conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) is a geometric and positional isomer of linoleic acid that reduces milk fat synthesis in a dose dependent manner. Supplementing cows with CLA resulted in improved energy balance status during the transition period and reduced postpartum body condition score loss. Some indices of reproductive performance were also improved. In seasonal systems, cows that fail to become pregnant by the end of the breeding season are typically culled and replaced. When reproductive performance is poor, this represents a major cost on dairy farms. A study was carried out to examine the feasibility of extending the lactation to 22 months, resulting in a calving interval of 24 months instead of 12 months. High yielding cows produced the equivalent of 2 normal lactations in an extended lactation system. An economic analysis indicated that an efficient spring calving system with a compact calving pattern and a 12 month calving interval is still the most profitable, but with high yielding cows extending the lactation of non-pregnant cows is more profitable than culling and replacing.