Farm viability hinges on the ability to produce milksolids at the lowest cost of production. Besides the cost of feed, other substantial costs impacting the bottom line include the number of empty cows, late calving cows, non-cycling cows, and the lack of AB calves born. Economic benefits More days in-milk - cows in-calf within the first round of insemination will significantly impact next season’s days in milk. More AB calves – having a higher percentage 6 week in-calf rate provides more animals to select your replacement heifers from. This provides an opportunity to sell excess AB heifers which may present another income stream. Less empty cows – there is no money in empty cows, and the New Zealand average empty rate has stagnated around 16 -17%. Young stock empty rates are also higher than they should be, so focusing on reducing empty rates is a priority. More time between calving & mating – eliminating late-calving cows and aiming for a tighter calving pattern can help achieve a 7-10 day break between the end of calving to the start of mating. Voluntary culling – less empty cows and more AB heifers allow culling based on poor performance and ill-health. Voluntary culling positions you to improve your overall herd worth. Accumulative benefits – achieving earlier calving allows more time for recovery and preparation for mating. More time means more cycles and more cycles generally mean more success.
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