Author: Laura Styczynski, CentralStar Records Analysis Consultant
Despite the importance of efficient heifer reproduction, many farms still have room to enhance their breeding programs. As a Records Analysis Consultant, I work with a diverse range of dairies, each with its own unique challenges. However, one constant remains: Integrating CowManager® into heifer-reproduction programs consistently leads to significant improvements in performance and efficiency.
Three herds that vary in size (250 – 1,300 cows) and management have all successfully implemented CowManager in their heifers. At Wolf Farms LLC in Bonduel, Wis., heifers are housed “out of sight”, meaning they seldom got the attention they deserve. Since tagging heifers with CowManager 12 months ago, they have eliminated the need to watch for heats or walk and chalk, saving time and labor.
Using 50% sexed-semen on heifers, the dairy has increased conception rate to 61% and has continued to improve heifer non-completion rate (heifers that are born alive but don’t make it to the milking herd), reducing it by 2% in just 12 months. With accurate heat alerts, owner Allan Wolf said, “We are getting the best conception rates ever with next-to-no shots (synchronization). CowManager has changed the way we farm.”
Another recent success story comes from Allen Vande Hei in Seymour, Wis. Heifers are raised off-site for this 1,300-cow dairy. CowManager was installed 12 months ago. Using the CowManager mobile app, CentralStar A.I. Specialist Zach Clayton can identify heats more efficiently, resulting in fewer animals being locked up for breeding and for a shorter period. Being able to view the most up-to-date repro. status, including voluntary-waiting period (VWP), irregular heats, etc., for each animal has contributed to a 10% increase in conception since installation, which has led to an increased pregnancy rate, while reducing non-completion rate.
At Hedrich Rivers Bend Dairy in Hilbert, Wis., all 600+ cows and heifers are tagged with CowManager. With limited labor and a large cropping operation, the decision was made to add CowManager three years ago so they could monitor heat and health of the herd when they weren’t physically present. Once heifers were tagged with CowManager, it eliminated the need for CentralStar A.I. Specialist Garret Carnahan to “walk and chalk” heifers, and significantly reduced the use and costs of synchronization. Currently the heifer herd has a 73% submission rate and 50% conception rate. Implementing CowManager has made their breeding program much more efficient, using less semen to create the proper number of heifer-calves each month.
These examples are consistent with the type of improvements we see across the country in heifer programs when CowManager is installed. CowManager provides a host of benefits including, 24/7 monitoring, reduced labor, reduced costs, and increased reproductive outcomes. To learn more about the return on investment when adding CowManager to your heifer program, talk with your CentralStar team.