A Survey Study on Management Practices Associated With Voluntary Waiting Period and Its Effects on Reproductive Performance of dairy cows in Iranian Dairy Farms
ABSTRACT Background Voluntary waiting period (VWP), housing systems and the presence of a veterinarian are effective factors on reproductive performance of a dairy farm. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the management practices associated with VWP and its effects on reproductive performanc...
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Wiley
2024-11-01
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| Series: | Veterinary Medicine and Science |
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| Online Access: | https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70107 |
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| author | Behnaz Mirzaie Ali Sadeghi‐Sefidmazgi Mahdi Zhandi |
| author_facet | Behnaz Mirzaie Ali Sadeghi‐Sefidmazgi Mahdi Zhandi |
| author_sort | Behnaz Mirzaie |
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| description | ABSTRACT Background Voluntary waiting period (VWP), housing systems and the presence of a veterinarian are effective factors on reproductive performance of a dairy farm. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the management practices associated with VWP and its effects on reproductive performance. Methods A total of 136,943 records of 21,756 cows that calved between 1990 and 2013 were used. A questionnaire was also conducted with the farms involved to determine if they adjust the timing of insemination based on the body condition score (BCS) of the cows, postpartum health situation (PPHS) or environmental factors such as heat stress and season. The impact of changing the VWP selectively, the presence of a veterinarian and the type of barn on reproductive outcomes like days open (DO), number of services per conception (NSPC) and days to first service (DFS) was examined using a linear mixed model. This model considered animals and herds as random factors and management practices as fixed factors in the analysis. Results Among herds that reported altering the VWP based on heat stress, DFS significantly increased (61.68 ± 0.68 vs. 58.4 ± 0.83) while DO (119.70 ± 1.86 vs. 126.9 ± 2.29) and NSPC (1.98 ± 0.04 vs. 2.48 ± 0.05) reduced compared to herds that did not alter the VWP. Our results showed that farms with a full‐time veterinarian had a better reproductive performance than those with part‐time care (p < 0.05). Housing system was significantly associated with fertility traits, so that cows in free‐stall barns were more fertile than those kept in open‐shed barns. Conclusions The obtained results from this study indicated that management decisions to selectively altering the VWP led to difference in DFS and improved reproductive performance. |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj-art-b2ba0495fce4460880880c500eae8826 |
| institution | Kabale University |
| issn | 2053-1095 |
| language | English |
| publishDate | 2024-11-01 |
| publisher | Wiley |
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| series | Veterinary Medicine and Science |
| spelling | doaj-art-b2ba0495fce4460880880c500eae88262025-01-20T17:16:45ZengWileyVeterinary Medicine and Science2053-10952024-11-01106n/an/a10.1002/vms3.70107A Survey Study on Management Practices Associated With Voluntary Waiting Period and Its Effects on Reproductive Performance of dairy cows in Iranian Dairy FarmsBehnaz Mirzaie0Ali Sadeghi‐Sefidmazgi1Mahdi Zhandi2Department of Animal Science College of Agriculture Isfahan University of Technology Isfahan IranDepartment of Animal Science Faculty of Agriculture, University College of Agriculture & Natural Resources University of Tehran Karaj IranDepartment of Animal Science Faculty of Agriculture, University College of Agriculture & Natural Resources University of Tehran Karaj IranABSTRACT Background Voluntary waiting period (VWP), housing systems and the presence of a veterinarian are effective factors on reproductive performance of a dairy farm. Objectives This study aimed to investigate the management practices associated with VWP and its effects on reproductive performance. Methods A total of 136,943 records of 21,756 cows that calved between 1990 and 2013 were used. A questionnaire was also conducted with the farms involved to determine if they adjust the timing of insemination based on the body condition score (BCS) of the cows, postpartum health situation (PPHS) or environmental factors such as heat stress and season. The impact of changing the VWP selectively, the presence of a veterinarian and the type of barn on reproductive outcomes like days open (DO), number of services per conception (NSPC) and days to first service (DFS) was examined using a linear mixed model. This model considered animals and herds as random factors and management practices as fixed factors in the analysis. Results Among herds that reported altering the VWP based on heat stress, DFS significantly increased (61.68 ± 0.68 vs. 58.4 ± 0.83) while DO (119.70 ± 1.86 vs. 126.9 ± 2.29) and NSPC (1.98 ± 0.04 vs. 2.48 ± 0.05) reduced compared to herds that did not alter the VWP. Our results showed that farms with a full‐time veterinarian had a better reproductive performance than those with part‐time care (p < 0.05). Housing system was significantly associated with fertility traits, so that cows in free‐stall barns were more fertile than those kept in open‐shed barns. Conclusions The obtained results from this study indicated that management decisions to selectively altering the VWP led to difference in DFS and improved reproductive performance.https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70107dairy cowsfarmingreproduction |
| spellingShingle | Behnaz Mirzaie Ali Sadeghi‐Sefidmazgi Mahdi Zhandi A Survey Study on Management Practices Associated With Voluntary Waiting Period and Its Effects on Reproductive Performance of dairy cows in Iranian Dairy Farms Veterinary Medicine and Science dairy cows farming reproduction |
| title | A Survey Study on Management Practices Associated With Voluntary Waiting Period and Its Effects on Reproductive Performance of dairy cows in Iranian Dairy Farms |
| title_full | A Survey Study on Management Practices Associated With Voluntary Waiting Period and Its Effects on Reproductive Performance of dairy cows in Iranian Dairy Farms |
| title_fullStr | A Survey Study on Management Practices Associated With Voluntary Waiting Period and Its Effects on Reproductive Performance of dairy cows in Iranian Dairy Farms |
| title_full_unstemmed | A Survey Study on Management Practices Associated With Voluntary Waiting Period and Its Effects on Reproductive Performance of dairy cows in Iranian Dairy Farms |
| title_short | A Survey Study on Management Practices Associated With Voluntary Waiting Period and Its Effects on Reproductive Performance of dairy cows in Iranian Dairy Farms |
| title_sort | survey study on management practices associated with voluntary waiting period and its effects on reproductive performance of dairy cows in iranian dairy farms |
| topic | dairy cows farming reproduction |
| url | https://doi.org/10.1002/vms3.70107 |
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