Modernizing Your Dairy Reproduction Program

Published on Tue, 08/19/2014 - 12:59pm

The dairy farm has come a long way from the days of milking a cow while sitting on a stool. It wasn’t that long ago the practice of hand milking was still being used. There may be a few out there that can tell many stories of the “old days” and how progress has changed the dairy farming industry. Although time has changed the way we produce dairy products, the industry has remained fairly constant in its ownership and operation. There are dairy farms in all 50 states, 98 percent of which are family owned. Constant evaluation of the industry has brought about progressive thinking on how to produce more milk, increase profitability, and modernize the way the dairy operation works. Many changes are evident on the production side with regard to increasing the amount of milk produced; increased milk production can be traced back to the development of substances like Bovine Somatotropin (BST). Several changes in the way we feed, care for and house our animals are key contributors to the modernization of today’s dairy production.
One area in the industry that has trailed the evolution of production techniques in its progressiveness is reproduction. Today, we are seeing the development of strategies and techniques involving genetics, heat detection and artificial insemination to maximize reproduction benefits in cows. We have complete reproduction management programs, involving timed breeding programs, genomic selection and sophisticated record keeping systems in order to achieve these goals. Countless developments are underway today to make dairy production more efficient, easier, and more profitable.
However, there are still some in the dairy industry using outdated technology and protocols that are falling behind the curve in modernizing their dairies — ultimately having an impact on their ability to achieve their goals of efficiency, increased production and more importantly, profitability. Ultrasound is one such technology being used in dairy operations to further the modernization of their reproduction programs. Many in the industry have continued to use the method of palpation for pregnancy diagnosis. This method does not take advantage of ultrasound technology currently available, impacting a dairy’s ability to achieve the goals above. Ultrasound offers advantages that palpation does not, including: increased accuracy of early pregnancy diagnosis, improved conception rates, detection of twins, fetal gender determination, fetal viability and reproductive abnormalities. We will briefly introduce a couple of these benefits for modernizing your reproduction with the introduction of ultrasound.
Fetal Viability
One of the greatest benefits of introducing ultrasound to a breeding program is its ability to aid in the determination of fetal viability. While manual palpation will identify a pregnant uterus, it fails to tell us that the fetus is developing normally. Recognizing at-risk pregnancies as early as possible allows for early intervention and treatment when warranted, and enables monitoring and timely rebreeding of animals that experience pregnancy loss. This can translate to less open days in a dairy cow, saving the dairy producer as much as $3 to $5 per day open. It should be noted that without ultrasound, dead fetuses can go unidentified and may be retained for varying lengths of time — even months as a mummified fetus. Ultrasound allows us to recognize dead or dying pregnancies as early as possible. We can look for several signs of a healthy pregnancy and normal progression to aid in determining that a fetus is viable.
1.) Heartbeat
A strong, visible heartbeat is one of the earliest and most reliable indicators that a pregnancy is alive and well. In bovine species the heartbeat begins at about 21 days, and is reliably seen at 28 days of gestation. Data is available on fetal heart rates as well; for example, an early fetus (in the 30-40 day range) will have a relatively high heart rate (120-130 beats per minute). If the heart rate of a fetus appears sluggish, it may be an indication that the pregnancy is struggling. Some ultrasound machines feature B+M mode, which can aid in the measurement of fetal heart rates.
2.) Size
Pregnancies progress at a relatively reliable rate, especially in large animal species. Taking measurements of the fetus or amnion and comparing them to published data for that species can help determine that the fetus is of the correct size for its gestational age, and therefore progressing at a normal rate. Some ultrasound machines feature gestation tables that are pre-loaded into your system and can be used to determine the gestational age of an undocumented pregnancy, or to identify whether a pregnancy of known age is developing normally.
3.) Fluid
Amniotic fluid around the embryo or early fetus should be relatively clear of cellular debris and other flocculent material (in other words, it should appear very black on ultrasound, as sound waves of ultrasound are not reflected back = non-echogenic). If a pregnancy earlier than approximately 50 days shows an excess of hyperechoic (white) particles floating around near the fetus that may be an indication that the pregnancy is beginning to deteriorate. A pregnancy such as this should be monitored closely so that it may be terminated and expelled if it proves to be non-viable. This will allow for quicker re-breeding and greater efficiency.
4.) Placenta and fetal membranes
Separation of the placenta can indicate infection, inflammation, or insufficiency of the uterus and can place a developing fetus at risk. Fetal membranes other than the amnion in earlier stages of pregnancy (again, prior to about 50 days) should not be detached and floating around the fetus. Animals with thickened or separated placental membranes may require supportive treatment for placentitis and will require ongoing monitoring to assess the health and viability of the fetus.
5.) Fetal anomalies
Schistosomus reflexus and other developmental deformities can be identified with a high-resolution ultrasound as early as the 50-60 day gestational range. At this stage fetuses have a very recognizable skeletal structure such as Arthrogryposis and gross abnormalities are often easily seen. These may not necessarily be non-viable pregnancies, but ultrasound examination affords us the opportunity to identify and eliminate these fetuses rather than allow them to be carried to term, thereby ending gestation with a major dystocia.
6.) Twins
Ultrasound gives us unmatched advantage in the diagnosis of twins. Identifying twins as early as possible is of great value in many species. In the bovine patient, twins bring a host of considerations to the table. While cows are successful at carrying healthy twins to term it is beneficial to be prepared for them. Will there be a freemartin involved (is there a twin of each gender)? Is the farm prepared for an early calving and the increased possibility of dystocia? Cows giving birth to twins take longer to re-breed, but they also have been shown to produce larger quantities of milk. Identifying and preparing for twins helps the dairy producer practice the best management strategies possible.

Fetal Gender Determination
Cattle operations and Veterinarians today are developing strategies to use their ultrasound for fetal sexing as either a marketing, culling or purchasing tool. At approximately 55 days of gestation, male and female fetuses can be determined by the location of the genital tubercle. The procedure is reliable and accuracy has ranged from 92 to 100%. For optimal results the transducer should be manipulated to show a frontal, cross-sectional, or sagittal image of the fetus. The ideal time for fetal sexing in most species is between 55 and 90 days of gestation.
In cattle operations fetal sexing has been used in conjunction with embryo transfer programs. Determining the sex after the successful transfer of embryos allows marketing of male and female embryos before the full term of pregnancy. This strategy is also used in many dairy operations to attempt to produce bull calves of a particular bull. In the commercial dairy operation fetal sexing is being used as a herd management tool in a variety of ways. From controlling herd size and marketing the extra pregnant cattle to culling decision, fetal sexing is important tool for the modern dairy. As more dairy operations become proficient at fetal sexing, commercial operations will utilize this technology to enhance the marketability and efficiency of their cattle operations more and more.
These two examples of the use of ultrasound to modernize your dairy are methods that dairy operations are implementing to get a leg up on their competition. Incorporating ultrasound into a bovine breeding program also helps them to achieve the goals discussed previously-increased efficiency, productivity and of course, increased profitability. This may be the time to evaluate your operation’s use of technology in your dairy’s reproductive program to bring your dairy up to par with the industry by stepping into the world of technology and progress.