Parameter | Goal |
---|---|
Adult Cow Disease | |
Average percent of herd lame | < 25% |
Metritis/endometritis incidence | < 5%–25% |
Subclinical ketosis (>1.2 mmol/L) | < 10% |
Clinical ketosis | < 2% |
Left displaced abomasum | < 3%–5% of cows calving that month |
Milk fever | < 3% of adult cows calving per month |
Retained fetal membranes | < 3% of cows calving per month |
Cut point for ruminal acidosis | pH < 5.5 |
Clinical mastitis monthly incidence | < 3% of lactating herd |
Culling and Death Loss | |
Annual average overall cull rate | 35% |
Annual average selective cull rate | >15% |
Annual death loss | < 10% |
Annual disease and injury culling | < 5% |
Annual reproductive cull rate | 5%–10% |
% Removed < 60 days in milk (lactation = 1) | < 4% |
% Removed < 60 days in milk (lactation >1) | < 6% |
Udder Health and Milk Quality | |
SCC legal limit (USA) | 750,000 cells/mL |
SCC farm goal | < 150,000 cells/mL (or adjust for a dairy) |
Standard plate count legal limit (USA) | 100,000 CFU/mL |
Standard plate count farm goal | 2,000–4,000 CFU/mL |
Preliminary incubation count | 2,000–6,000 CFU/mL |
Bulk Tank Cultures - Bacterium | |
Streptococcus agalactiae | 0 CFU/mL |
Staphylococcus aureus | < 50 CFU/mL |
Staphylococcus spp | < 1,000 CFU/mL |
Mycoplasma spp | 0 CFU/mL |
Environmental streptococci | < 1,000 CFU/mL |
Coliforms | < 500 CFU/mL |
General Reproductive | Standard |
Average days open | 100–110 (ideally lower end of range to achieve 12-month calving) |
Average gestation | 283 days |
Calving interval | 13.5 months |
Average days in milk | 200 |
Percentage of cows < 90 days in milk | 25% |
Percentage of cows 90–180 days in milk | 25% |
Voluntary waiting period (VWP) | 50–60 days for cows; 80–90 days for heifers |
Days in milk at first breeding | Goal: VWP + 11 days |
First service conception rate | 40% |
Estrus detection | Goal overall >50% (national average < 40%) |
Intervals between breedings | 18–24 days for 65% of cows |
Length of estrous cycle | 18–24 days |
Overall conception rate | >35% |
Services per conception | 2 |
Definition of pregnancy rate | Heat detection rate × conception rate (21-day interval) |
First cycle pregnancy rate | >30% |
Percent pregnant by three cycles | >50% |
Overall pregnancy rate | >20% |
Percent of herd pregnant | 50% |
Pregnancy Diagnosis | |
When to do pregnancy checks | >30 days after being bred |
Ability to locate amnion | 35–65 days |
“Membrane slip” | Day 30 to term |
Ability to locate fetus | 65–95 days |
Placentomes present | After 3 months of gestation |
Ability to sex fetus | After 60–70 days of gestation |
Pregnancy stage estimation by amnion size (days) | |
35 | 7 mm (½ finger) |
42 | 15 mm (1 finger) |
48 | 35 mm (2 fingers) |
53 | 55 mm (3 fingers) |
58 | 75 mm (4 fingers) |
62 | 90 mm (palm) |
65 | 105 mm (hand) |
By fetal crown-nose length (days) | |
70 | 1.5 cm (1 finger) |
80 | 3.5 cm (2 fingers) |
90 | 5.5 cm (3 fingers) |
100 | 7.5 cm (4 fingers) |
110 | 9 cm (palm) |
120 | 10.5 cm (hand) |
Postpartum Involution | |
Lochia (normal) | |
Day 1–2 | Bright red blood, thick mucus, little smell |
Day 3–7 | Dark red, thin, odor not foul but objectionable |
Day 7–14 | Progressively less red to white to translucent, thicker, smell improves |
Entire uterus palpable | 2 weeks |
Full reduction in size | 40–45 days |
Epithelialization complete | 40–45 days |
Occurrence of endometritis | >26 days after calving |
Full uterine involution | 40–45 days postpartum |
Abortion | |
Normal embryonic loss (< 50 days) | < 10% |
Average rate of early embryonic loss | 15% |
Normal rate of abortion | 3% |
Major infectious abortion agents | Bovine viral diarrhea, mycotic, leptospirosis, Neospora |
Noninfectious Causes of Abortion | |
Heat stress | >90°C, 80% relative humidity |
Toxins | Nitrates: methemoglobinemia |
Plants | Locoweed, snakeweed, pine needles, lupine |
Urea | Excess rumen degradable protein or nonprotein nitrogen; milk urea nitrogen 10–14 mg/dL |