When planning dairy mating, you’ll be wanting to get as many cows and heifers in calf as possible; so when is the best time to start treating your non-cycling cows?
By treating non-cycling cows prior to or at the start of your planned mating period you can have these cows calved earlier. The end result: more calves (and replacements), a more controlled, shorter calving period with more milk going in the vat next season.
Trial work conducted by Scott McDougal in 2007 showed that by treating non-cycling cows early achieved the following:
- Extra days in milk - 16
- Kilos milk solids per day - 1.6
- $/ kilo milk solids - $7.00
- Value of extra milk - $179.20 per cow
- Pregnancy Testing – ultrasound scanning & manual
Talk to your vet about treating non-cyclers early. The potential return from extra milk greatly exceeds the cost of treatment. We encourage you to book early to ensure a time suitable to your planned mating period.
