Select Sires

Are You Happy With Your Days to First Service?
Transcript of Select Sires' Reproductive Moment Program
on DairyLine Radio Which Aired May 29, 2003
With Mel DeJarnette, reproductive specialist,
Select Sires Inc.

This week’s Reproductive Moment is with Mel DeJarnette, Reproductive Solutions™ specialist at Select Sires.

Mel, today you are talking about synchronization protocols. That is the topic of the week and which system should a herd owner choose.

Well, Bill, these day’s dairy producers have more synchronization protocols available to them than Heinz has baked beans. These protocols lend a lot of flexibility to the reproductive management program, but they do tend to lend a little bit of confusion. I see too many producers getting caught up in the fad of the "synchronization protocol of the month club," as I would call it. Trying to figure out which one works best, they switch from one system to another before they really get a good feeling for which one is working and how the system is performing.

In the big picture, the important question is not which one works best, but rather which system would be the easiest to implement and would be the most likely to demonstrate the greatest return on investment within the constraints of the particular herd management scenario. So, the answer is not the same for every herd. "Do you need synchronization?" is a good question, and there is a quick and easy way to answer that question. That is simply ask yourself "Are you happy with your days to first service?" If you are getting all your cows inseminated by 80 to 90 days in milk, then you probably don’t need synchronization. But, if you have any cows or even a small portion of the herd that are getting out in excess of 100 days in milk without getting at least one insemination, then I do not think there is any question synchronization protocols would be very beneficial.

Perhaps even more important than the initial synchronization is to establish a protocol to ensure that inseminated cows are diagnosed for pregnancy, and identified open cows are identified as soon as possible, and set up for re-breeding with a synchronization protocol. This begins with, and is usually most cost effective with, intent estrus detection for repeats at 18 to 24 days. Regardless of the effectiveness of the synchronization program, catching those cows at the normal 18 to 24 day repeat is always going to be more cost effective.

Cows not detected in estrus in this period can either be presented for ultrasound as early as 25 to 30 days or presented for rectal exam at 30 to 40 days. In either case, the open cows should be re-synchronized and re-bred as soon as possible. Some herds are even strategically scheduling re-synchronizations such that the ovsynch program is initiated seven days prior to the vet check, and then on the day of the vet diagnosis the open cows can receive the prostaglandin and continue on the synchronization program to be billed three days later. Obviously, we discontinue all injections with the pregnant cows. So, for more information on synchronization or re-synchronization programs for your herd, contact your local veterinarian or your local Select Sires Reproductive Solutions specialist. We’ll be glad to help.

Thanks Mel. That’s Mel DeJarnette, Reproductive Solutions specialist with Select Sires.

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