'Look Closely At Heat Detection' On Fertility
UK - Fertility is the number one reason for dairy cow culls in the North-East of England, and Joanne Speed, Milk Development Council (MDC) extension officer in the area, is urging producers to look closely at their heat detection skills.However, she warned that one of the problems is that many of the cows presented to vets on farm as oestrus not observed, are in fact cycling normally. She said the farmers were simply not observing the signs of heat.
The typical duration of a cow's period of oestrus, when cows are fertile, is between eight and 12 hours, so it is crucial that producers know what signs to look for and the best time to spot them. There are quite a few signs of oestrus in cattle and the MDC DVD Managing Heat Detection demonstrates, in order of importance, the key signs to be aware of. Mrs Speed said: "The MDC Managing Heat Detection DVD can be used as a straightforward training aid for anyone who might have the chance of observing the cows at any time.
"The tractor driver, the student, the herdsman or herd manager will all find the information in the DVD useful and every informed pair of eyes is a bonus when it comes to heat detection. The MDC has added subtitles in English, Polish, Bulgarian, Latvian, Lithuanian, Hungarian, Russian and Ukrainian so that foreign farm workers can benefit from the training."
Source: ic Teesside.co.uk