Date of Award:

5-1987

Document Type:

Thesis

Degree Name:

Master of Science (MS)

Department:

Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences

Committee Chair(s)

Clive W. Arave

Committee

Clive W. Arave

Committee

Robert Lamb

Committee

Bruce Godfrey

Abstract

One hundred eighty-seven survey questionnaires asking for reproductive information for 1985 were sent to dairymen in Utah and Southeastern Idaho. Forty- two herds with current DHI information and whose owners or managers completed and returned the questionnaire were used to estimate economic losses due to reproductive problems, especially excessive days open, in Utah and Southeastern Idaho.

Average days open for herds surveyed were 122.4 days with a standard deviation of 22.6 days, and a range of 89 to 177 days. Several factors were significantly correlated with days open including services per conception, previous calving interval, and missed heats. Missed heats accounted for most of the variability in days open with an r2 of .82.

Surveyed dairymen were losing an average $1.22 per cow per day due to excessive days open beyond 90 days. In addition they were losing approximately $22.87 per cow per year due to reproductive levels inferior to the top expected levels and veterinary costs associated with reproductive problems other than excessive days open. Although this is the estimated average loss in Utah and Southeastern Idaho, dairymen should try to determine losses in their own herds due to reproductive problems because of the extreme variability which exists among herds. Utah and Southeastern Idaho dairymen are suffering serious economic losses due to excessive days open and they need to improve their heat detection methods to reduce these losses.

Checksum

68e32550177da9db4275e3a344e1e49d

Download

Included in

Dairy Science Commons

Share

COinS

Copyright for this work is retained by the student. If you have any questions regarding the inclusion of this work in the Digital Commons, please email us at .