The 2021 breeding season is approaching its conclusion on spring-calving Irish dairy farms, as we approach the end of July.
The breeding season is one of the most stressful times of the year on farms, with its success determining the prosperity of the following calving season.
Most compact spring-calving herds will have a target of 90% calved in the first six-weeks of the 2022 calving season. To achieve this figure, your breading season has to be successful.
Breeding season
Reports from farmers suggest that for the most part, the breeding season has gone quite well.
Many farmers had concerns surrounding embryo loss, after grass growth slowed to a crawl mid-way through the breeding season.
It appears not to have been the case from farms that have already carried out some scanning.
Luckily, the majority of farms had a large supply of leftover bales from 2020, which were used to supplement cows.
There will usually always be a number of embryo losses due to several factors, but once the number is not excessive, your breeding season can be considered successful.
‘Pull the bull’
To confine your breeding season to April 2022, you need to ‘pull the bull’ or stop serving cows to artificial insemination (AI).
Continuing to serve cows after July 24, will only lead to reduced yields and an increased workload.
Currently, more than one third of spring-calving cows calf in April or later; these cows have a reduced profitability compared to February and March-calved cows.
If you have a large portion of cows calving later than April, you could consider increasing the number of heifers introduced to the herd.
This will help reduce the calving spread and avoid an crossover of calving and breeding.
Breeding starting date Finish of 10 weeks Finish of 12 weeks April 20 June 29 July 13 April 27 July 6 July 20 May 1 July 10 July 24 May 7 July 16 July 30