The high fertility cycle

Abstract

The development of fertility programs and their adoption by the dairy industry over the past decade is a major driving factor underlying the dramatic increase in reproductive performance in lactating dairy cows during the past 20 years. Another major driving factor underlying this increase in reproductive performance is what we describe in this minireview as the “high fertility cycle.” We now know that reproductive performance and the incidence of certain periparturient health events are interrelated. The high fertility cycle describes the relationship between body condition score (BCS) change during the periparturient period and postpartum health events and subsequent reproductive performance in which lactating dairy cows that establish pregnancy by 130 d in milk have shorter calving intervals and thereby gain less BCS during the current lactation and dry off and calve at a lower BCS (2.75 to 3.0) than cows with a longer lactation. After calving, these cows undergo less BCS loss, experience fewer health issues, have greater fertility at first insemination, and have reduced early pregnancy losses after establishment of pregnancy and thereby become pregnant before 130 d in milk. This minireview overviews these relationships and highlights the key concepts underlying the high fertility cycle. Future randomized, controlled experiments are needed to causally link these relationships between BCS change and fertility in lactating dairy cows.