{"id":6560,"date":"2022-06-01T04:17:07","date_gmt":"2022-06-01T09:17:07","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/store-dev.absglobal.com\/absglobal-uk\/?p=6560"},"modified":"2022-06-01T04:17:34","modified_gmt":"2022-06-01T09:17:34","slug":"how-to-improve-your-calving-interval","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/store-dev.absglobal.com\/absglobal-uk\/how-to-improve-your-calving-interval\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Improve Your Calving Interval"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

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How to improve your calving interval<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Ensuring optimum profitability should be the goal for every farm, and that extends to improving the regular and timely production of calves that will meet market requirements. Improving the calving interval of your dairy herd can ensure milk production can achieve maximise production and attain rewarding seasonality payments. A good aim is for your cows to produce one calf every year which, with proper genetics, a good health system and nutrition protocols, should be manageable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Shortened calving intervals will benefit both the productivity and profitability of the herd and can be beneficial from a labour point of view, with a shorter calving interval meaning less work for the farm. Because an average cow\u2019s gestation length is 283 days, depending on an individual farm’s voluntary waiting period there is a small window when the animal needs to conceive again to maintain a 12-month calving interval. This requires fertility to be paramount to these objects with semen fertility, daughter fertility and gestation length all key to achieving your goals. The same aims are desirable for maiden heifers to ensure animals enter the production herd at the correct time and give the opportunity for a tight block calving pattern if required.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

What is a calving interval?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A calving interval is the amount of time between the birth of one calf and the subsequent birth of the next calf from the same cow. An ideal calving interval for dairy cattle and beef cattle is one year. The 82 days that a cow is not in gestation is a key moment in the calving interval cycle of your herd. Making sure to reduce that time can minimise work for you, increase profitability, and ensure your cattle can each produce one calf a year.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Improving your calving interval<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A calving interval for dairy cows of under 400 days is manageable for all herds. Using an industry-standard of one day open being worth \u00a35 in lost revenue the difference between 365 and 400 days is worth \u00a3175 per cow per year. and if your herd\u2019s calving interval is over 12 months long, you will want to consider improving it to ensure consistency across your herd. It is beneficial to make sure that each of your cows is producing one calf per year, as it is much easier to manage cows on a repeating annual cycle. A shorter calving interval will also ensure dairy cows can spend maximum production time in the milking parlour and less time in the dry pens.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A good nutrition programme<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Your cattle will require the correct nutrients around breeding time as they need to look after their own body whilst producing milk or increasing their live weight. This is why it is extremely important to make sure they are getting the right nutrition in order for them to maintain health, come into heat sooner and show stronger heat. Transition cow management in the first 30 days post-calving has an impact on fertility. Dry cow nutrition also has an influence on fertility as the egg used to create the next pregnancy is developed during the cow’s dry period. Also, Nutrition in this period affects calving ease which subsequently affects fertility.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Environment and Housing.<\/h2>\n\n\n\n