In 2010, new operational guidelines for routine induction of dairy cattle limited the level of inductions within an individual herd to no more than 15% of the herd's total size. In the few herds serviced by Totally Vets that use induction, this target was achieved with room to spare.
During the 2011 season, the level of induction must not exceed 8% of the herd's total size, and from June 1st 2012, it drops to 4%. After that, management inductions are likely to be banned
At the time of the first induction injection, cows must be no more than 12 weeks and no less than 8 weeks from their expected calving date. In cows that may be candidates for induction, pregnancy testing must be carried out 6 to 12 weeks after mating as the age of a pregnancy can only be accurately determined between 6 and 12 weeks after conception.
There are a number of other criteria that cows must also meet in order to be eligible for induction. These include body condition, age, health and feeding level.
Totally Vets cannot induce cows that do not have a confirmed calving date. If you are planning to induce cows in 2011, arrange the best time to pregnancy-test now.
Early pregnancy-testing has many other advantages including:
- Early culling of empty cows if feed becomes short
- Early drying off of thin, young or early calving cows
- Milking later-calving cows for longer
- Knowing which cows to send away for grazing and for how long
- Allocating cows to the springer mob next season
- Calculation of the key performance indicator - the 6-week in-calf rate
Talk to your vet now to ensure your pregnancy-testing occurs at the right time, in order to make the best management decisions for your farm.
