Pre-mating Check List

 Create a 3-week submission rate target of >90%. Plan forward to actively achieve it. A high six-week in-calf rate with a low empty rate are impossible without it!

 Pre-mate Tail Paint – this should go on 35 days before (~18th September) the planned start of mating or a minimum of 25 days before an intended non-cycler program. Touch this up every five days.

 Monitor pre-mate cycling rates on farms with wearables compare to targets and act if falling behind. Vet Centre bench marking reports will give you an indication of where you sit compared to other local herds this season.

 Consider BSCing your herd ASAP if you have not done it already. This will help with strategic decision making. Good nutritional/energy status in your cows is key. Low second round entry covers may be putting nutritional stress on your cows in early October.

 Run light (and low rumination) cows as a separate herd at least 3-4 weeks before PSM and feed preferentially and/ or OAD milk. Farms with Halter may consider pausing collars of light cows so they can cross the virtual fence.

 Monitor daily BMT protein percentage. This should be steadily increasing from the 15-20th of September. 3.7-3.8% should be the lowest point and aim for 3.9-4.0% by early October, with a steady increase to 4.05-4.1% by start of December. A decrease at any stage in the pre-mate/mating period indicates a drop in herd level energy intakes and will impact both submission and conception rates.

 Maintain calcium supplementation in high production system farms beyond peak lactation (aim for 50g/day down the throat). Also ensure cows have a continuous supply of salt made available.

 Starchy feeds or feed additives such as grains or Rumenox, boost propionate production in the rumen, this indirectly increases blood insulin levels which stimulates earlier resumption of cycling.

 Supplements high in omega 3 fatty acids have been shown to boost pregnancy rates (through better conception and embryo survival). Full Fat Canola Meal (from Pure Oil NZ) at 200g/day achieves this. It can be incorporated into in-shed feed blends. Start 4 weeks premate and continue to 4 weeks plus into mating.

 Metricheck herd in batches. Identify with tail-paint (or Protrack) and check 10-28 days post calving. Cows previously treated should be rechecked 10-20 days later (we expect 85-90% cure rates).

 Ensure adequate trace element status – blood test herd in late September early October. Selenium, Iodine, Copper, Zinc and Vitamin B12 deficiencies can all effect reproductive performance. Soil Iodine, Zinc and Selenium are consistently low is this district. Blood Vitamin B12 levels are generally low in the months from late September to mid-November, in the lush growth period. Strategic use of vitamin B12 in late September / early October and again four weeks later anecdotally increases submission and conception rates (CR).

 Give Multimin Evolution Injection (high in Zn) three to four weeks pre-mate increases 6 WICR by 3 - 4%. (national & local trials). Marksmin is also available (this has less Zinc but has the benefit of containing B12).

 If supplementing Iodine, use 10% Stock Iodine at a rate of 50mls/100 cows/day.

 Drench lighter animals and heifers, this will give a significant reproductive boost. In the Eprinex trial involving the Lincoln Dairy Farm, treated heifers conceived on average 12.9 days earlier than untreated heifers.

 Act immediately when evidence is found of a BVD PI in the herd (through LIC BVD Bulk Milk Tank testing) - talk to your Prime vet.

 Start sourcing bulls now if using them. Ensure they are BVD blood tested BVD free (sight the lab report). Have them vaccinated if BVD exists in your herd.

 Consider Pink Eye vaccination for bulls if this has been a problem in the past. Many bulls contract it from the cows.

 Bull Requirements. A 700-cow herd using AI for 6 weeks will require 8 bulls in the herd at all times, plus 8 extras to rotate on every second day. A 700-cow herd which AI’s for just 4 weeks will require 12 bulls in the herd at all times and 12 extra to rotate.

 Consider sexed semen to speed genetic gain in the top 20-30th percentile of the BW cows in the herd (these should be 5 years old and less, early calving, with multiple pre-mate heats and in good BCS (BCS 4.5 and greater).

 Select a fertile bull team that has a positive Fertility BV of 2% or greater for longer term herd fertility improvement.

 Identify optimal AI timings if using wearable technology (based on heat activity peak) in cows being aligned to expensive semen and/or synchrony.

 Lower quartile BW cows are best allocated to beef straws. Use SGL semen from week 7 in all cows to condense calving pattern.

 Confirm your intended planned start of mating and book in your synchrony programs with Vet and AI tech now to avoid clashes.

 Plan to start mating in maiden heifers 5 – 7 days earlier than the herd. If using synchrony there are plenty of options for doing this. Changes to the heifer CIDR synchrony program last year saw an average conception rate of 67% over 21 farms.

 Submit early calving (August) eligible non-cyclers for treatment 9 to 1 day before PSM. Later calving (September) non-cyclers should be treated by day 10 to 11 into mating.

 Check drafting gates and wearable tech systems are running smoothly well before PSM.

 Book in a Reproductive Consult with your vet to identify and prioritise required improvements based on last season’s performance. We have access to a new custom repro analysis report from LIC. These take 5 days to generate once ordered.