Survey of Management Practices on Reproductive Performance of Dairy Cattle on Large US Commercial Farms

Abstract A survey regarding general management, sire selection, reproductive management, inseminator training and technique, heat abatement, body condition scoring, facility design and grouping, nutrition, employee training and management, and animal health and bio-security was carried out from March to September of 2004 in 153 herds in the Alta Genetics (Watertown, WI) Advantage Progeny Testing Program. A total of 103 herds (67.3%) completed the survey. Herd size was 613±46 cows, with herds located in Wisconsin (26), California (12), New York (11), Minnesota (10), Michigan (7), Washington (6), Pennsylvania (6), Iowa (5), Idaho (5), Texas (4), Ohio (4), and other states (7). These farms sold 34.5±0.3kg of milk/d per cow, with an annual culling rate of 34±1% and a calving interval of 13.8±0.1 mo. Cows were observed for estrus 2.8±0.3 times/d, for a duration of 27±4min, but 78% of the respondents admitted that detection of estrus was not the employee's sole responsibility at that time. Managers tried to achieve pregnancy until 8.8±0.9 failed inseminations, 300±26 d postpartum, or milk yield