Technical and economic effects of an inline progesterone indicator in a dairy herd estimated by stochastic simulation.

For several years progesterone in milk or blood has been recognized as an indicator of different cow states related to reproduction. For this study, an existing simulation model was modified in order to analyze the technical and economic effects of including information on progesterone status in an automatic inline monitoring system. Implementation of an inline progesterone indicator was assumed to directly affect the estrus detection rate, the period until treatment for post-partum anestrus and the number of mistimed AIs. Different implementations of an inline progesterone indicator were simulated in a typical Danish dairy herd with 120 cows and in other herd situations represented by: a herd with poor reproduction efficiency, a herd with a high estrus detection rate and a herd using a 9 week postponed AI period for primiparous cows. It was concluded that implementation of an inline progesterone indicator in a dairy herd previously using visual estrus detection has a break-even price of 3-81 euros per cow-year depending on differences in implementation type and herd reproduction management. The highest break-even price was found using the assumptions that simulated a herd with initially poor reproductive efficiency. With the assumptions that simulated a typical Danish herd the break-even price was 46 euros per cow-year. Attributable effects of using the indicator, including effects of labor time, are discussed.

[1]  A. Kruif,et al.  An Analysis of Ovarian Dysfunction in High Yielding Dairy Cows After Calving Based on Progesterone Profiles , 1998 .

[2]  J. Noordhuizen,et al.  Metabolic changes in early lactation and impaired reproductive performance in dairy cows. , 2003, Veterinary research.

[3]  J. Woolliams,et al.  The genetic relationship between commencement of luteal activity and calving interval, body condition score, production, and linear type traits in Holstein-Friesian dairy cattle. , 2002, Journal of dairy science.

[4]  M. Lucy,et al.  Reproductive loss in high-producing dairy cattle: where will it end? , 2001, Journal of dairy science.

[5]  A. Peters,et al.  Reproduction in Cattle , 1987 .

[6]  R. Weller,et al.  Predicting the time of ovulation in dairy cows using on-farm progesterone kits , 1991 .

[7]  S. McDougall,et al.  Invited review: Treatment of cows with an extended postpartum anestrous interval. , 2003, Journal of dairy science.

[8]  F. Dèletang,et al.  Postpartum subestrus in dairy cows: comparison of treatment with prostaglandin f2α or GNRH + prostaglandin f2α + GNRH , 1999 .

[9]  Nicolas C Friggens,et al.  Prediction of the reproductive status of cattle on the basis of milk progesterone measures: model description. , 2005, Theriogenology.

[10]  R. S. Youngquist,et al.  Clinical response of dairy cows with ovarian cysts to GnRH. , 1975, Journal of animal science.

[11]  R. Pemberton,et al.  An electrochemical immunosensor for milk progesterone using a continuous flow system. , 2001, Biosensors & bioelectronics.

[12]  W. R. Butler,et al.  Effects of energy balance on follicular development and first ovulation in postpartum dairy cows. , 2019, Journal of reproduction and fertility. Supplement.

[13]  D. Hancock,et al.  The frequency of endemic fetal loss in dairy cattle: a review. , 1995, Theriogenology.

[14]  R. Pearson,et al.  Effects of energy balance of hormones, ovarian activity, and recovered oocytes in lactating Holstein cows using transvaginal follicular aspiration. , 1999, Journal of dairy science.

[15]  Aalt A. Dijkhuizen,et al.  A stochastic model for the simulation of management decisions in dairy herds, with special reference to production, reproduction, culling and income , 1986 .

[16]  Michael J. Delwiche,et al.  Estrus detection with a progesterone biosensor , 2001 .

[17]  J. Sørensen,et al.  A stochastic model simulating milk fever in a dairy herd. , 2003, Preventive veterinary medicine.

[18]  W. Heuwieser,et al.  Comparison of timed AI after synchronized ovulation to AI at estrus: reproductive and economic considerations. , 2004, Journal of dairy science.

[19]  Y T Gröhn,et al.  Epidemiology of reproductive performance in dairy cows. , 2000, Animal reproduction science.

[20]  T. Nakao,et al.  Use of milk progesterone enzyme immunoassay for differential diagnosis of follicular cyst, luteal cyst, and cystic corpus luteum in cows. , 1983, American journal of veterinary research.

[21]  Michael J. Delwiche,et al.  Improved biosensor for measurement of progesterone in bovine milk , 2001 .

[22]  E. Ezra,et al.  The Effect of Extended Calving Intervals in High Lactating Cows on Milk Production and Profitability , 2001 .

[23]  P. L. Senger,et al.  The estrus detection problem: new concepts, technologies, and possibilities. , 1994, Journal of dairy science.

[24]  P. Fricke.  Scanning the future--ultrasonography as a reproductive management tool for dairy cattle. , 2002, Journal of dairy science.

[25]  J. Wood,et al.  Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science , 2003 .

[26]  R. Pearson,et al.  Milk yield, energy balance, hormone, follicular and oocyte measures in early and mid-lactation Holstein cows. , 2002, Theriogenology.

[27]  J. Woolliams,et al.  Genetic and phenotypic relationships among endocrine and traditional fertility traits and production traits in Holstein-Friesian dairy cows. , 2002, Journal of dairy science.

[28]  A. Kruif,et al.  Risk factors for post partum ovarian dysfunction in high producing dairy cows in Belgium: a field study. , 2000, Theriogenology.

[29]  M. Oijen,et al.  Milk production parameters in early lactation: potential risk factors of cystic ovarian disease in Dutch dairy cows , 2003 .

[30]  A. de Kruif,et al.  Post-partum anoestrus in dairy cows: a review. , 1996, The Veterinary quarterly.

[31]  W. R. Butler,et al.  Energy balance relationships with follicular development, ovulation and fertility in postpartum dairy cows☆ , 2003 .

[32]  R. Foote,et al.  Importance of inseminating only cows in estrus. , 2000, Theriogenology.

[33]  P. Dillon,et al.  Effect of genetic merit, milk yield, body condition and lactation number on in vitro oocyte development in dairy cows. , 2000, Theriogenology.

[34]  J. Sreenan,et al.  Development and validation of a biosensor-based immunoassay for progesterone in bovine milk. , 2002, Journal of immunological methods.

[35]  H. Seegers,et al.  Effect of disease on reproduction in the dairy cow: a meta-analysis. , 2000, Theriogenology.

[36]  John Woolliams,et al.  Declining fertility in dairy cattle: changes in traditional and endocrine parameters of fertility. , 2000 .

[37]  Pascal A. Oltenacu,et al.  Evaluation of On-Farm Milk Progesterone Tests to Determine Nonpregnant Cows and to Prevent Insemination Errors , 1989 .

[38]  M. Diskin,et al.  Embryo survival rate in cattle: a major limitation to the achievement of high fertility , 2001 .

[39]  Robert A. Milligan,et al.  MODELLING REPRODUCTION IN A HERD OF DAIRY CATTLE , 1980 .

[40]  D. Kesler,et al.  Ovarian cysts in dairy cattle: a review. , 1982, Journal of animal science.

[41]  R L Nebel,et al.  On-farm milk progesterone tests. , 1988, Journal of dairy science.

[42]  P. Oltenacu,et al.  Cost-benefit evaluation of on-farm milk progesterone testing to monitor return to cyclicity and to classify ovarian cysts. , 1992, Journal of dairy science.

[43]  R. Båge.  Conception rates after AI in Swedish red and white dairy heifers: relationship with progesterone concentrations at AI. , 2003, Reproduction in domestic animals = Zuchthygiene.

[44]  R. Firk,et al.  Automation of oestrus detection in dairy cows: a review , 2002 .