E.Aizinbud
The fertility reports of the Dairy Records Processing Centers in some countries, including Israel, contain data about distribution of the length of the cows’ cycles in the herd. The percentage of “double cycles” (36-60 days) indicates above all the efficiency of heat detection.
The lower the percentage of double cycles, the greater the efficiency of heat detection. According to the HACHAKLAIT – the cooperative society for veterinary services – the goal of Israeli dairy cows’ reproductive management is less than 18 percent of double cycles.
The new AfiFarm program includes a “Fertility Report” which enables now the farmer itself at any time, to check, among others, the distribution of the length of the cycles.
Recently I analyzed the double cycles’ percentage in some kibbutz herds equipped with Afimilk pedometers.
The following graph demonstrates a significant decrease of double cycles’ percentage in three dairies after installation of the Afimilk system.
The next graph shows that the efficiency of estrus detection depends on the skill of the farmer in his use of the system. A very experienced manager of the communal Regba farm (Dairy 2) succeeded over years in decreasing the percentage of double cycles to 11-13 percent.
In another farm (Dairy 1) managers changed four times over the years, and the percentage of double cycles varied and was too high.
Thus, the percentage of double cycle represents not only the efficiency of heat detection in the dairy farms but also makes possible to evaluate the skill of the farmer in his use of computerized dairy management systems.
A letter from Eliezer Aizinbud, D.V.M., Ph.D., retired Professor of the A.R.O. the Volcani Center, Beit Dagan, Israel, e-mail: eliezera@netvision.net.il
