Economics of Rebreeding Nonpregnant Dairy Cows Diagnosed by Transrectal Ultrasonography on Day 25 after Artificial Insemination.

Abstract

Simple SummaryAn early and accurate pregnancy diagnosis can efficiently be used to improve the reproductive performances in dairy cows by using synchronization timed artificial insemination (TAI) programs. This is the key to shortening the calving interval, which improves profitability in dairy farms. Thus, this study presents the feasibility of two TAI programs coupled with early pregnancy diagnosis in dairy cows, 25 days after artificial insemination (AI). Many studies have reported the pregnancy rate when using various reproductive programs, but few have looked at the financial benefits of doing so. By using this strategy, we can generate a profitability of 89.6 USD/cow/year. The contribution to net value presents a breakdown of the income over feed cost, replacement cost, reproductive-program cost, and calf value. The benefit in favor of the TAI programs for the cows failing to conceive in this study is most likely due to the additional cost of the income over feed and given hormones.Pregnancy rates of Holstein cows showed a substantial decline in the past years, which caused intensive TAI programs for nonpregnant cows to shorten the period between unsuccessful insemination and the next attempt on the same cow. Although many studies examined the improvement in pregnancy rates following TAI, only a few examined the economic impact of such programs. In this study, we look at the feasibility of reproductive programs that included early pregnancy diagnosis performed by transrectal ultrasonography 25 days after artificial insemination (AI) and TAI of nonpregnant cows. This resulted in the following two TAI programs: a modified OvSynch program with a second PGF2α treatment at 24 h interval (GPPG, n = 100) and a modified OvSynch program with an intravaginal progesterone-release device inserted between days 0–7 (PRID + GPPG, n = 100). Cows included in the TAI programs recorded an improvement in the cumulative pregnancy rate (67% vs. 53%; 69% vs. 53%) compared to those in which this strategy was not applied (p < 0.05). An economic analysis was performed using a decision-support tool to estimate the net present value (NPV; USD/cow/year). The analysis revealed a difference in NPV of 89.6 USD/cow/year between the programs (rebreeding the nonpregnant cows following the TAI program vs. AI at detected estrus). In summary, rebreeding the nonpregnant cows after early negative pregnancy diagnosis (25 days after AI) using this strategy can improve the cumulative pregnancy rate and profitability of dairy farms.