As the breeding season approaches on farms it may be a good time to get blood tests done on your cows and determine their mineral status.
Minerals play an important role on farms, with farmers very aware of the importance of feeding minerals pre-calving to reduce issues around calving.
But they are also important for ensuring that cows are in a good position to go in calf in the breeding season.
Having cows in the correct body condition score (BCS) plays a major role in the a cow’s ability to go in calf, but so does her mineral status.
Too little of one mineral or too much of another could result in that cow failing to conceive and possibly increase empty rates within the herd.
Blood test
Blood tests should be completed about three weeks prior to the start of breeding, as this allows for any mineral issues to be dealt with before it all kicks off.
With farmers trying to increase fertility levels in their herds and achieve more compact calving patterns, checking the mineral status of cows will be increasingly more important.
To achieve the best fertility and monitor cow health farmers potentially should be looking at using blood tests more regularly on farms.
To get the most accurate results, cows need to be tested around four times/year for a number of years to determine patterns within the herd.
Breeding
It is also important to monitor the BCS of your cows ahead of the mating season on your farm.
The condition of the cows has a major influence on their ability to go in calf. Cows with a score that is too low or too high will have reduced fertility rates.
If you haven’t already done so, cows should be checked and their BCS determined before breeding gets underway.