Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-fbnjt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-18T07:41:01.373Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Impacts of on farm management factors on herd fertility of commercial beef breeding herds in Northern Ireland

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  17 April 2017

F. M. TITTERINGTON ,
F. O. LIVELY ,
A. ASHFIELD ,
A. W. GORDON ,
D. E. LOWE  and
S. J. MORRISON
F. M. TITTERINGTON*
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland BT26 6DR, UK
F. O. LIVELY
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland BT26 6DR, UK
A. ASHFIELD
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Newforge Lane, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT9 5PX, UK
A. W. GORDON
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Newforge Lane, Belfast, Northern Ireland BT9 5PX, UK
D. E. LOWE
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland BT26 6DR, UK
S. J. MORRISON
Affiliation:
Agri-Food and Biosciences Institute, Hillsborough, County Down, Northern Ireland BT26 6DR, UK
*
*To whom all correspondence should be addressed. Email: Frances.Titterington@afbini.gov.uk
Get access Rights & Permissions [Opens in a new window]

Summary

To assess the impact of farm management on herd fertility, a survey of 105 beef farms in Northern Ireland was conducted to establish the relationship between management variables and fertility. Each herd's average calving interval (CI) and the proportion of cows with a CI > 450 days (extended calving interval, ECI) was calculated to establish herd fertility. The relationship between each response variable (CI and proportion ECI) and each explanatory variable (respondents’ answers to questionnaire) was examined using univariate linear regression analyses. All response variables found to be associated with the explanatory variables were modelled against each group in turn using a fully automated multivariate stepwise regression algorithm employing the method of forward selection with backward elimination. The optimum 365-day CI and a proportion of 0 cows per hundred calved ECI targets were not widely attained in the current study. The distribution of CI and proportion ECI in the current study suggests more realistic targets would be a 379-day CI and 5 cows per hundred calved with ECI in commercial beef breeding herds. Six management factors were found to be associated with herd fertility: herd vaccination, bull selection, fertility management, breeding female management, perception of extension service (rural education provided by the government) and record keeping. It was found that respondents who vaccinated cows had a reduction of 5 cows per hundred calved in the proportion of cows with ECI, and as the number of vaccines administered to a cow increased, the CI decreased. Regular vaccination of breeding bulls was associated with a 9-day reduction in CI. Bull selection strategy had several associations with herd fertility; most notable was that respondents who used visual selection rather than estimated breeding values (EBVs) to select bulls were found to have a 15-day longer CI and 7 cows per hundred calved higher proportion of cows with ECI. For each 0·01 increase in the proportion of cows served by artificial insemination, CI increased by 0·16 days. Respondents who rated their beef breeding herd fertility as ‘very good’ had lower ECI and CI than those who rated beef breeding herd fertility as poor or satisfactory. Condition scoring of cows at weaning lowered ECI by 5 cows per hundred calved. Those who perceived the extension service to be very useful had the lowest CI and lowest ECI. Respondents who did not keep a record of CI to assess herd fertility had an 11-day longer CI and 6 cows per hundred calved higher proportion ECI than those who did not. In conclusion, the survey found a number of important variables linked to improved fertility including selecting sires based on EBVs and using a robust vaccination programme.

Type
Animal Research Papers
Information
The Journal of Agricultural Science , Volume 155 , Issue 6 , August 2017 , pp. 1005 - 1021
Check for updates
Copyright
Copyright © Cambridge University Press 2017 

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Attride-Stirling, J. (2001). Thematic networks: an analytic tool for qualitative research. Qualitative Research 1, 385–405.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bascom, S. S. & Young, A. J. (1998). A summary of the reasons why farmers cull cows. Journal of Dairy Science 81, 2299–2305.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Bellows, D. S., Ott, S. L. & Bellows, R. A. (2002). Review: cost of reproductive diseases and conditions in cattle. The Professional Animal Scientist 18, 26–32.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Berry, D. P., Wall, E. & Pryce, J. E. (2014). Genetics and genomics of reproductive performance in dairy and beef cattle. Animal 8 (Suppl 1), 105–121.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Blanc, F. & Agabriel, J. (2008). Modelling the reproductive efficiency in a beef cow herd: effect of calving date, bull exposure and body condition at calving on the calving–conception interval and calving distribution. Journal of Agricultural Science (Cambridge) 146, 143–161.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bourdon, R. M. & Brinks, J. S. (1982). Genetic, environmental and phenotypic relationships among gestation length, birth weight, growth traits and age at first calving in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 55, 543–553.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Brown, L. O., Durham, R. M., Cobb, E. & Knox, J. (1954). An analysis of the components of variance in calving intervals in a range herd of beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 13, 511–516.Google Scholar
Burris, M. J. & Blunn, C. T. (1952). Some factors affecting gestation length and birth weight of beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 11, 34–41.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Casas, E., Thallman, R. M. & Cundiff, L. V. (2011). Birth and weaning traits in crossbred cattle from Hereford, Angus, Brahman, Boran, Tuli, and Belgian Blue sires. Journal of Animal Science 89, 979–987.Google Scholar
Casas, E., Thallman, R. M. & Cundiff, L. V. (2012). Birth and weaning traits in crossbred cattle from Hereford, Angus, Norwegian Red, Swedish Red and White, Wagyu, and Friesian sires. Journal of Animal Science 90, 2916–2920.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Costa, R. M., Ponsano, E. H. G., De Souza, V. C. & Malafaia, P. (2016). Reduction of phosphorus concentration in mineral supplement on fertility rate, maternal ability and costs of beef cows reared in pastures of Urochloa decumbens. Tropical Animal Health and Production 48, 417–422.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cresswell, E., Brennan, M. L., Barkema, H. W. & Wapenaar, W. (2014). A questionnaire-based survey on the uptake and use of cattle vaccines in the UK. Veterinary Record Open 1, e000042. doi: 10.1136/vropen-2014–000042 CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Crowe, M. A. (2008). Resumption of ovarian cyclicity in post-partum beef and dairy cows. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 43 (Suppl. 5), 20–28.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
DAERA (2014). Less Favoured Area Compensatory Allowances (LFACA) Scheme 2015: Explanatory Notes. Belfast, UK: DARD. Available from: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dard/lfaca-2015-explanatory-notes.pdf (verified 6 December 2016).Google Scholar
Diskin, M. G. & Kenny, D. A. (2016). Managing the reproductive performance of beef cows. Theriogenology 86, 379–387.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Donoghue, K. A., Rekaya, R., Bertrand, J. K. & Misztal, I. (2004). Threshold-linear analysis of measures of fertility in artificial insemination data and days to calving in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 82, 987–993.Google Scholar
Duponte, M. W. (2007). The Basics of Heat (Estrus) Detection in Cattle. Livestock Management no. 15. Honolulu, HI: University of Hawaii.Google Scholar
Flett, R., Alpass, F., Humphries, S., Massey, C., Morriss, S. & Long, N. (2004). The technology acceptance model and use of technology in New Zealand dairy farming. Agricultural Systems 80, 199–211.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
French, J. M., Moore, G. F., Perry, G. C. & Long, S. E. (1989). Behavioural predictors of oestrus in domestic cattle, Bos taurus . Animal Behaviour 38, 913–919.Google Scholar
Fulton, N. & McCormack, C. (2012). The Agricultural Census in Northern Ireland: Results for June 2012. London, UK: HMSO. Available from: https://www.daera-ni.gov.uk/sites/default/files/publications/dard/census-2012-the-agricultural-census-in-ni-2012-final.pdf (verified 15 September 2016).Google Scholar
Gates, M. C. (2013). Evaluating the reproductive performance of British beef and dairy herds using national cattle movement records. Veterinary Record 173, 499.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Givens, M. D. (2006). A clinical, evidence-based approach to infectious causes of infertility in beef cattle. Theriogenology 66, 648–654.Google Scholar
Givens, M. D. & Marley, M. S. (2008). Pathogens that cause infertility of bulls or transmission via semen. Theriogenology 70, 504–507.Google Scholar
Grimard, B., Freret, S., Chevallier, A., Pinto, A., Ponsart, C. & Humblot, P. (2006). Genetic and environmental factors influencing first service conception rate and late embryonic/foetal mortality in low fertility dairy herds. Animal Reproduction Science 91, 31–44.Google Scholar
Guerin, L. J. & Guerin, T. F. (1994). Constraints to the adoption of innovations in agricultural research and environmental management: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 34, 549–571.Google Scholar
Gutierrez, J. P., Alverez, I., Fernandez, I., Royo, L. J., Diez, J. & Goyache, F. (2002). Genetic relationships between calving date, calving interval, age at first calving and type traits in beef cattle. Livestock Production Science 78, 215–222.Google Scholar
Herd, D. B. & Sprott, L. R. (1998). Body Condition, Nutrition and Reproduction of Beef Cows. Texas Agricultural Extension Service B-1526. College Station, TX: The texas A&M University System.Google Scholar
Hickson, R. E., Morris, S. T., Kenyon, P. R. & Lopez-Villalobos, N. (2006). Dystocia in beef heifers: a review of genetic and nutritional influences. New Zealand Veterinary Journal 54, 256–264.Google Scholar
Ingram, J. (2008). Agronomist–farmer knowledge encounters: an analysis of knowledge exchange in the context of best management practices in England. Agriculture and Human Values 25, 405–418.Google Scholar
Irish Cattle Breeding Federation (2015). Beef Calving Statistics 2010–2015. Bandon, Ireland: Irish Cattle Breeding Federation. Available from: http://www.icbf.com/wp/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Beef-Calving-Statistics-2015.pdf (verified 16 September 2016).Google Scholar
Kilpatrick, S. (1996). Change, Training and Farm Profitability: A National Farmers Federation Discussion Paper. National Focus vol. 10. Kingston, Australia: National Farmers Federation.Google Scholar
Kunkle, W. E. & Sand, R. S. (2006). Effect of Body Condition on Rebreeding. Publication no. AS51. Gainesville, FL: University of Florida Extension Service.Google Scholar
Lamb, G. C. (1999). Influence of Nutrition on Reproduction in the Beef Cow Herd. Saint Paul, MN: University of Minnesota.Google Scholar
Laster, D. B., Glimp, H. A., Cundiff, L. V. & Gregory, K. E. (1973). Factors affecting dystocia and the effects of dystocia on subsequent reproduction in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 36, 695–705.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Lewis, T. (1998). Evolution of farm management information systems. Computers and Electronics in Agriculture 19, 233–248.Google Scholar
Losinger, W. C. & Heinrichs, A. J. (1996). Dairy operation management practices and herd milk production. Journal of Dairy Science 79, 506–514.Google Scholar
Loucks, R. R., Oltjen, J. W. & Trapp, J. N. (2012). Cattle Producer's Handbook, 3rd edn. Corvallis, OR: Oregon State University. Available from: http://blogs.oregonstate.edu/beefcattle/cattle-producers-handbook-third-edition-2012/ (verified 16 September 2016).Google Scholar
Lowman, B. (2012). Cost/day of an extended calving interval. SRUC/SAC Consulting Sheep and Beef news July 2012, 22.Google Scholar
Lubout, P. C. & Swanepoel, F. J. C. (1992). Consequences of selection for growth in indigenous beef cattle in a stressful environment. Australian Association of Animal Breeding and Genetics 10, 376–379.Google Scholar
MacGregor, R. G. & Casey, N. H. (2000). The effects of maternal calving date and calving interval on growth performance of beef calves. South African Journal of Animal Science 30, 70–76.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McCann, M. & Colhoun, K. (2007). Briefing Paper: The Red Meat Industry Task Force. Belfast, UK: Northern Ireland Assembly. Available from: http://archive.niassembly.gov.uk/agriculture/2007mandate/research/RedMeatIndustryTaskForce.pdf (verified 16 September 2016).Google Scholar
McCown, R. L. (2002). Changing systems for supporting farmers’ decisions: problems, paradigms, and prospects. Agricultural Systems 74, 179–220.Google Scholar
Mee, J. F. (2008). Prevalence and risk factors for dystocia in dairy cattle: a review. Veterinary Journal 176, 93–101.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Melendez, P., Donovan, G. A., Risco, C. A., Littell, R. & Goff, J. P. (2003). Effect of calcium-energy supplements on calving-related disorders, fertility and milk yield during the transition period in cows fed anionic diets. Theriogenology 60, 843–854.Google Scholar
Meyer, K., Hammond, K., Parnell, P. F., MacKinnon, M. J. & Sivarajasingam, S. (1990). Estimates of heritability and repeatability for reproductive traits in Australian beef cattle. Livestock Production Science 25, 15–30.Google Scholar
Mokhtari, M. S., Shahrbabak, M. M., Javaremi, A. N. & Rosa, G. J. M. (2015). Genetic relationship between heifers and cows fertility and milk yield traits in first-parity Iranian Holstein dairy cows. Livestock Science 182, 76–82.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morrison, D. G., Feazel, J. I., Bagley, C. P. & Blouin, D. C. (1992). Postweaning growth and reproduction of beef heifers exposed to calve at 24 or 30 months of age in spring and fall seasons. Journal of Animal Science 70, 622–630.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Newman, S., Lynch, T. & Plummer, A. A. (2000). Success and failure of decision support systems: learning as we go. Journal of Animal Science 77 (E-Suppl), 1–12.Google Scholar
Núñez-Domínguez, R., Cundiff, L. V., Dickerson, G. E., Gregory, K. E. & Koch, R. M. (1991). Lifetime production of beef heifers calving first at two vs three years of age. Journal of Animal Science 69, 3467–3479.Google Scholar
Olori, V. E., Meuwissen, T. H. E. & Veerkamp, R. F. (2002). Calving interval and survival breeding values as measure of cow fertility in a pasture-based production system with seasonal calving. Journal of Dairy Science 85, 689–696.Google Scholar
Palmer, C. W. (2011). Evaluating a bull's ability to breed. Limousin Voice Magazine, Winter 2011, 65–66.Google Scholar
Phocas, F. & Laloë, D. (2003). Evaluation models and genetic parameters for calving difficulty in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 81, 933–938.Google Scholar
Powell, J. (2004). Culling the Beef Cow Herd. University of Arkansas Cooperative Extension Service. Fact Sheet # FSA-3092. Fayetteville, AR: University of Arkansas.Google Scholar
Ramsey, R., Doye, D., Ward, C., McGrann, J. M., Falconer, L. L. & Bevers, S. J. (2005). Factors affecting beef cow-herd costs, production, and profits. Journal of Agricultural and Applied Economics 37, 91–99.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rao, T. K. S., Kumar, N., Kumar, P., Chaurasia, S. & Patel, N. B. (2013). Heat detection techniques in cattle and buffalo. Veterinary World 6, 363–369.Google Scholar
Rhone, J. A., Koonawootrittriron, S. & Elzo, M. A. (2008). Record keeping, genetic selection, educational experience and farm management effects on average milk yield per cow, milk fat percentage, bacterial score and bulk tank somatic cell count of dairy farms in the Central region of Thailand. Tropical Animal Health Production 40, 627–636.Google Scholar
Roche, J. F., Mackey, D. & Diskin, M. D. (2000). Reproductive management of postpartum cows. Animal Reproduction Science 60, 703–712.Google Scholar
Roelofs, J., López-Gatius, F., Hunter, R. H. F., Van Eerdenburg, F. J. C. M. & Hanzen, Ch. (2010). When is a cow in estrus? Clinical and practical aspects. Theriogenology 74, 327–344.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Sasaki, Y., Miyake, T., Gaillard, C., Oguni, T., Matsumoto, M., Ito, M., Kurahara, T., Sasae, Y., Fujinaka, K., Ohtagaki, S. & Dougo, T. (2006). Comparison of genetic gains per year for carcass traits among breeding programs in the Japanese Brown and the Japanese Black cattle. Journal of Animal Science 84, 317–323.Google Scholar
Sayers, R., O'Doherty, E., Bloemhoff, Y. & Byrne, N. (2012). Infectious disease status and links to fertility. Dairy Cow Fertility, Reproductive Performance for Efficient Pasture-Based Systems International Conference (Ed. Dillon, P.), pp. 62–71. Moorepark, Fermoy, Ireland: Teagasc.Google Scholar
Smith, M. F., Pohler, K. G., Perry, G. A. & Patterson, D. (2013). Physiological factors that affect pregnancy rate to artificial insemination in beef cattle. In Proceedings: Applied Reproductive Strategies in Beef Cattle, October 15–16 2013. pp. 33–51. Staunton, VA: Beef Reproduction Task Force. Available from: http://www.appliedreprostrategies.com/01-perma-pages/arsbc2013.html (verified 17 February 2017).Google Scholar
Titterington, F. M., Morrison, S. J., Lively, F. O., Wylie, A. R. G., Gordon, A. W. & Browne, M. R. (2015). An analysis of Northern Ireland farmers’ experiences of using a target-driven beef heifer growth management plan and development of an empirical model leading to the launch of a decision support tool to promote first calving of beef heifers at 24 months. Agricultural Systems 132, 107–120.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Van Eerdenburg, F. J., Loeffler, H. S. & van Vliet, J. H. (1996). Detection of oestrus in dairy cows: a new approach to an old problem. Veterinary Quarterly 18, 52–54.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vickers, M. (2014). Optimising Suckler Herd Fertility for Better Returns. Kenilworth, UK: EBLEX. Available from: http://beefandlamb.ahdb.org.uk/wp/wp-content/uploads/2014/09/BRP-Manual-8-Optimising-suckler-herd-fertility-090914.pdf (verified 16 September 2016).Google Scholar
Willock, J., Deary, I. J., McGregor, M. M., Sutherland, A., Edwards-Jones, G., Morgan, O., Dent, B., Grieve, R., Gibson, G. & Austin, E. (1999). Farmers’ attitudes, objectives, behaviors, and personality traits: the Edinburgh study of decision making on farms. Journal of Vocational Behavior 54, 5–36.Google Scholar
Zaborski, D., Grzesiak, W., Szatkowska, I., Dybus, A., Muszynska, M. & Jedrzejczak, M. (2009). Factors affecting dystocia in cattle. Reproduction in Domestic Animals 44, 540–551.Google Scholar