Pregnancy testing is almost done and those two words "in calf" should hopefully be resounding in your ears! Recently we began a series of articles through the newsletter based around the InCalf programme. With most of the pregnancy testing now completed, it is timely to think about why you got the mating results you did.
With DairyNZ's InCalf programme now well underway, the programme aims to start delivering on its vision "to enable dairy farmers to achieve measured improvement in herd reproductive performance".
InCalf offers farmers and their advisors a logical stepwise process along with a set of resources and tools to:
- Assess a herd's current performance - where am I now?
- Identify options for improvement together with potential benefits - what needs to change?
- Develop, prioritize and implement effective action plans to achieve it - what area(s) for improvement should I be focusing on?
- Monitor and review outcomes - what progress have we made?
InCalf users can now look at the pregnancy testing results, and in particular their fertility focus reports (FFRs), to assess how things have gone. It is a good time to do this as things are only going to get busier between now and the calving season. Any changes that should and could be made will need to be thought about and acted on in the short term before it's too late!
Totally Vets views InCalf as a powerful, industry-backed resource in the battle against declining herd fertility. Totally Vets now has six trained InCalf advisors, Craig Tanner, Greg Smith, Hamish Pike, Peter Aitken, Craig Dixon and Lindsay Rowe. If you would like to discuss InCalf more with any of the advisors please don't hesitate to give us a call.
