InCalf - towards better herd fertility
"The need to improve reproductive performance is a high priority for New Zealand's dairy farmers. An industry target of achieving a 6-week in-calf rate of 78% by 2015 is established in the ‘Strategic Framework for Dairy Farming's Future'.
(Tim Mackle, CEO DairyNZ)
To achieve this, dairy farmers and their advisers need a process with support material that provides:
- Improved fertility performance measures and monitoring
- An agreed knowledge base and approach using improved skills
- Planning for improved fertility
The vision that came from the Australian InCalf project, "To enable dairy farmers to achieve measured improvement in herd reproductive performance" is equally applicable in New Zealand for dairy farmers seeking to improve their reproductive performance towards industry targets.
InCalf has since developed and rolled out an impressive extension programme, which includes The InCalf Book, Fertility Focus report, Herd Assessment Pack, and InCalf training for farmers and advisers. InCalf found that change for the better does not necessarily follow provision of information; there needs to be a process that engages and supports the farmer into taking action.
In both Australia and New Zealand, farmers indicated that they needed a supporting process to bring about real improvement in their herds. Farmers need to be able to:
- Assess the current reproductive performance in their herd
- Assess their scope for improvement and the likely benefits
- Determine their options for change
- Implement their chosen changes
Through a Memorandum of Understanding, DairyNZ and some New Zealand veterinary practices, including Totally Vets, have agreed to collaborate on increasing the awareness, uptake and adoption of InCalf principles by dairy farmers. The expected outcomes are:
- Economic gains through improved production and fewer empty cows
- Streamlined breeding management systems, reducing stress
- Less reliance on hormonal interventions, providing improved animal welfare and assurance of market acceptability for dairy products.
To learn how Totally Vets and InCalf can lift the reproductive performance in your herd, ask your vet or DairyNZ adviser.
