Have we overlooked heifer fertility?
- ZISK
- Sep 26
- 1 min read
Fertility in your herd is vital to productivity. Monitoring factors that influence heifer fertility will aid in a profitable dairy.
The dairy industry has evolved significantly over the past few decades. Major improvements in lactation performance have been achieved through enhanced nutrition, genetic gains and fine-tuned management practices focused on improving cow comfort.
Reproductive performance has also seen steady gains since the early 2000s. Based on data from the mySYNCH database, comprising nearly 350 herds across the U.S., this broad data showed that the average conception rates of first-lactation and second-lactation-plus groups were 30% and 27%, respectively, in 2001. At that time, reproductive success in lactating cows had reached a low point.
Mark Doornink and Douglas Duhatschek
September 15, 2025
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