Abstract #W115
Section: Reproduction (posters)
Session: Reproduction 1
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Wednesday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall A
Session: Reproduction 1
Format: Poster
Day/Time: Wednesday 7:30 AM–9:30 AM
Location: Exhibit Hall A
# W115
The reproductive and economic impact among 6 reproductive programs for lactating dairy cows including a sensitivity analysis of the cost of hormonal treatments.
A. Ricci*1, M. Li2, P. M. Fricke2, V. E. Cabrera2, 1Department of Veterinary Science, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy, 2Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.
Key Words: reproduction, synchronization, economics
The reproductive and economic impact among 6 reproductive programs for lactating dairy cows including a sensitivity analysis of the cost of hormonal treatments.
A. Ricci*1, M. Li2, P. M. Fricke2, V. E. Cabrera2, 1Department of Veterinary Science, University of Torino, Grugliasco, Torino, Italy, 2Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI.
Hormonal synchronization protocols can dramatically increase the reproductive efficiency of high-producing dairy cows, yet some farmers continue to question the economics of these programs based on the cost of hormonal treatments. An economic simulation model considering hormonal treatments and labor was used to compare 6 protocols for timed AI (TAI) in a year-around calving system: PreSynch-OvSynch with estrous detection (ED) before and after first TAI [Conception Rate (CR) 35%; for ED, Service rate (SR) 60% and CR 30%]; Presynch-Ovsynch with different CR (35%, 40%, or 45%); and Double-OvSynch+PGF, (CR = 50%) with the following aims: 1) assess the economic impact of using more intensive synchronization programs and 2) quantify the effect of increasing the cost of GnRH and PGF2α on the profitability of more intensive reproductive programs for high-producing dairy cows housed in confinement systems and managed for year-around calving in the US market ($2.60/GnRH dose and $2.30/ PGF2α dose) and in the EU market ($6.70/GnRH dose and $5.10/ PGF2α). We confirmed that PreSynch-OvSynch protocols require fewer hormonal treatments than the Double-OvSynch+PGF protocol (1.4 to 3.0 per cow per yr); however, the Double-OvSynch+PGF protocol yielded more profit/cow per yr than PreSynch-OvSynch protocols with ED or 100% TAI after Presynch-Ovsynch protocols ($21.2 to $46.2 in the US market and $5.4 to $36.1 in the EU market). Including ED after first TAI was more profitable than including ED before first TAI or not including ED at all. The sensitivity analyses indicated that hormone costs would need to be 5 to 14 times higher in the US market and 2 to 6 times higher in the EU market for the Presynch-Ovsynch protocols to exceed the profitability of a Double-OvSynch+PGF protocol. Switching from Presynch-Ovsynch to Double-OvSynch+PGF requires a similar number of PGF2α treatments but more GnRH treatments. Our economic analysis consistently found that reproductive programs using more hormonal treatments but yielding greater reproductive performance are more profitable for high-producing dairy cows housed in confinement systems and managed for year-around calving
Key Words: reproduction, synchronization, economics
