6 tips to turn up the “heats”

“Many influences play a role in a cow’s reproductive cycle,” says Stephanie Aves, business development manager for Nedap North America. “When dairy farmers have strategies in place to allow for cows to express heats, they can breed them at the optimum insemination time and better reach their reproduction goals.”

Stephanie Aves, business development manager for Nedap North America. Photo: Nedap

To make sure you’re not missing a cow in heat evaluate these 6 management areas:

Housing

Too many cows in one place can decrease the amount of activity in a group. Ensure cows have adequate space to allow cow-to-cow interaction by using the following parameters:

• Have at least 1 lying stall for each cow.
• Include at least 2 feet of bunk space per cow.

Floor surface

Any slippery or very coarse surface makes cows nervous. Continuously keep your freestall floors clean. Incorporate these cow-friendly floor characteristics on your dairy:

• A dry walking surface
• Confident and comfortable footing with sufficient floor grip
• Durable floor

Feet and leg problems

Cows with sore feet or legs exhibit less mounting activity. When they’re not in heat and have sore feet or legs, they may stand to be mounted by another cow because they don’t want to move. Ultimately, showing a false heat. Additionally, sub-acute ruminal acidosis (SARA) can cause lameness in cows. To help with mounting activity, consider the following tips:

• Incorporate a hoof trimming routine
• Breed for better feet and legs
• Ensure your nutrition programme is helping your cows prevent the development of SARA

External temperatures above 29 degrees celcius cause less mounting because cows are uncomfortable in this high-temperature weather. Photo: Nedap

Status of herd mates

The number of mounts per cow increases with the number of cows currently in heat. Therefore, the chance of more than one cow being in heat on any day becomes less for smaller herds or with an increase in pregnant cows in a group. Consider dividing your groups so higher producing, early lactation cows are together in a group. Not only does this offer more efficient heat detection and artificial insemination, but it also allows you to productively feed a diet for higher production.

Keep cows cool

External temperatures above 29 degrees celcius cause less mounting because cows are uncomfortable in this high-temperature weather. Integrate proper heat abatement strategies for your farm to keep your cows cool and active during warmer weather. This could include fans, water sprinklers and shade canopies.

Activity monitors

Watching for heats 24/7 is another challenge you face. With an activity monitoring system and having the above tips set in place, you don’t have to worry about missing a single heat. Even when you’re not around to see it.

“Inseminating cows at the right time matters to your dairy’s bottom-line, so it’s important to catch cows in heat when it’s most productive to breed them,” says Aves. “Activity monitors are a tool to track heats 24/7 so you don’t have to spend time watching for heats or worry about missing a heat. However, to catch cows in heat, cows need to physically show their heats. Having appropriate environmental and management protocols in place will help ensure you never miss a single heat.

To learn more about heat detection with activity monitoring systems and how they can help your farm reach its productivity goals, visit nedap.com/dairyfarming.