1.7 Lactations is all the USDA say cows on the average last. On first glance it would seem older cows must have nearly all retired to a shady spot somewhere in Florida. So what is really happening?
With all the emphasis on P.L. (Productive Life) which is a “paper expectation” of how long a cow should be productive in a herd, we are losing cow longevity. That is directly related to lifetime profit per cow. So what is causing cows to leave empty and cut cow lifetime production?
- Failure to breed back (Wow, the cited #1 reason!).
- Mastitis
- SCC consistently too high.
- Udder, feet and leg problems.
- Injuries
- Low milk production (actually one of the least reasons a cow gets culled).
NOW WHAT IS OUR TAKE ON THIS ?
Heathy, productive, easier to breed back, longer lived cows are overwhelmingly important. One thing great cows have in common with each other is a strong immune system and that affects the whole cow.
Just one more lactation could be 25,000 – 50,000 lbs of milk or even more! Plus another calf could bring in even more money. The solution? Call us for lower SCC, and Semen with sires 2.4 -2.8 max. Feed dairy Immu-PRO and get on the Auto-Ship program. You can gain get the milk profits you have been missing.
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