1. Records And Recording Systems The Backbone Of
Good Artificial Insemination By
Dr. A.I. El-Azab
Dept. of Theriogenology, Fac.Vet.Med.
Benha Univretsity

2.  Why keep records?
To keep your cow healthy and calving every year you need to record information to answer the questions of the A.I. technician and veterinarian.

3. Keeping Records Most important for a successful dairy business.
The first step for a profitable
calving interval.
Necessary for each animal in
the herd.
Time and material investment
than any other input,
examination, or treatment
possible.

4. Purpose - Day to day management decisions
- Financial accounting and taxes
- Measure progress
- Troubleshoot problems
- Genetic evaluation
- Enterprise evaluation
- Aid recovery of stolen property
- Planning future actions
- Research

5. Systems
- Card systems.
- Tag.
- Color coding.
- Wheels and computers.

6. Characteristics - Easily updated - Easily understood
- Easily summarized
- Current

7. Temporary Records - Usually in the form of a diary or daybook.
- Events of importance should be recorded immediately.
- A pocket notebook and pen should be carried at all times
by all farm personnel.
- Occurrences which should be noted in a daybook include
heat observation, injuries, disease symptoms, calving,
breeding, treatments and other events

8. Permanent Record - An individual permanent record for each animal.
- The focal point of the herd's reproductive status
- Initiates at birth or when the animal is purchased.
- Maintains even after the animal has been removed from
the herd.
- Provides insight into inherited characteristics of certain
cow families in a dairy operation.
- Provides the dairymen with material such as calving
abnormalities, heat, calving, and breeding dates, etc.
- A reference for your herd during a veterinarian's
examination.

9. Calf Record
- Initiate a permanent calf record the day the calf is born
or purchased.
- Identification is of two types:
-- Permanent identification includes picture, tattoo and
freeze branding.
-- Temporary identification includes neck chains, ear tags
and Ankle straps.

10. Individual Lifetime Record
- Record all reproductive information including fresh
dates, heat dates, breeding dates, examination dates
and findings, treatments and vaccinations.
- Reference at the time of any examination or reproductive
event involving the cow.
- Information from the monthly record is transferred to
the individual's lifetime records.
- Involves a color coded signal tab system that enables the
dairyman to observe the herd as being in groups
with various reproductive status.

11. The black tab = Cows need a postpartum examination and remain on the record until first bred. - The blue tab = Cows at month of the first breeding after calving and remain on this position until being diagnosed pregnant or culled from the herd.

12. The green tab = Cows in pregnancy and place on
the month to be turned dry. When the animal has
been turned dry, remove the green tab and place a
black tab on the month of expected calving. - The red tab = Cows with reproductive disorders and should be examined and selected for re-examination
by a veterinarian.

13. Health Record - This record should contain information about:
-- Any disease or injury the animal is exposed.
-- Any special health test it has been undergone
-- The treatment and the results.
-- Cost of treatment including any lost income,
e.g. milk withheld.
- Health records can be used as a criteria for culling.

14. Estrous Detection Record
- Poor estrous detection = poor breeding efficiency.
- Estrous detection chart improves estrous detection by:
-- Predicting the next estrus.
-- Detecting which cows to watch,
-- Improving chances of spotting cows in estrus.
-- Diagnosing breeding problems. e.g. cystic ovaries.

15. Breeding & Calving Record
- Provides information regarding:
-- When and how to do drying off?
-- When and where to prepare for calving?
-- What to expect in the forthcoming freshening?
-- What are and how to approach calving difficulties?

16. A Reproductive Herd Health worksheet
Be careful that time is not wasted and no cow is
overlooked.
lists each cow to be examined at the time of the
regular veterinary visit.
Lists other examinations or procedures like
foot trimming, vaccination or dehorning.

17. Feeding & Production Record
- How to assess the profitability of a cow?
- How to ascertain nutritional requirements?
- How to evaluate genetic improvement?
- How to record lactation number for animal evaluation?
- How to record weight for ration formulation.

18. On Farm Computers - To speed computation and storage capabilities.
- To store information more efficiently than paper files.
- The computational power allows:
-- One to write reports, make lists and calculate statistics.
-- A useful tool in planning for future changes.
-- Enterprise evaluation since "what if" questions are
easily answered.

19. Reproductive Herd Health Program (RHH)
- It is planed by a dairy producer and veterinarian to:
-- maximize reproductive efficiency and
-- minimize reproductive diseases and problems.
- A RHH program involves:
-- A record- keeping system,
-- A regular-scheduled examinations and
-- A periodic analysis of records and examination findings.
- RHH is an important part of a complete herd health
program which should be established in every herd.

20. - The current breeding herd consists of cows:
-- That have not been bred
-- That have been bred but currently are diagnosed open
-- Whose last breeding date is too recent to be confirmed
or assumed pregnancy

21. - Successful reproduction demands:
-- A lot of expertise by the producer and
-- Attention to those factors affecting pregnancy:
a- Cow's fertility;
b- Bull's (semen) fertility;
c- Heat detection efficiency;
d- Insemination efficiency.

22. Cow Fertility - Fertility is strongly influenced by the age.
- Fertility is higher when cows are:
-- In the second lactation
-- In the coolest months of the year,
-- Free of reproductive diseases;
-- Free of problems at calving;
-- Free from nutritional imbalance-especially,
-- Not too thin or too fat at the time of calving.
-- Stop losing weight and begin to replenish body
stores a few months after calving.

23. Bull Fertility Testicular circumference is related to the fertility
of mature bulls.
- Daily ejaculation of a sound bull varies with:
-- Age and sexual maturity;
-- Proper nutrition;
-- Sexually transmitted diseases;
-- Libido (sexual drive).

24. Heat Detection Efficiency
- It is made up of two components:
-- The level of detection and
-- The accuracy of detection.
- Heat detection accuracy may be low:
-- If the herdsman is not familiar with the signs of heat
and fails to correctly identify the cow's) in heat;
-- If the heat is correctly detected, but an error occurs
in determining the cow's identification or in
recording the event (e.g., incorrect date).

25. - If you have a heat detection problem, several specific
management items are being checked:
-- Do the cows have sound, healthy reproductive tracts?
-- Are they free from infections?
-- Is there a problem in the herd with cystic ovaries?
-- Are the cows on an adequate plane of nutrition?
-- Are you spending adequate time on heat detection?
-- Are you watching for heats at the most likely time
of day to observe them?

26. -- Do you use heat detection aids
-- Do you use heat detection aids? -- Are you using heat detection aids and methods properly? -- Are the cows in an environment that will allow them to engage in estrus behavior? -- Are you recording all heat dates and breeding dates for all cows and breeding age heifers?

27. Influence of Observation Frequency on
Heat Detection Rate
observation frequency % detected
Dawn, Noon, Evening
Dawn, Evening
Dawn
Evening
Noon

28. Heat Detection Rate Using Various Methods
Method % detected
Watched 24 hours/day
Kumar heat detector
Continuous video tape
Chalked tail heads
Two trained dairymen (at milking)
Herdsman (at milking)
Casual observation

29. Insemination efficiency
- In general, insemination efficiency is close to 100%
when a sound bull is used for natural service.
- In case of artificial insemination, it is measured
primarily by the competence of the herdsman and
inseminator to:
-- Determine the correct timing of insemination;
-- Handle the frozen semen correctly;
-- Deposit the thawed semen accurately at the entrance
of the uterus.

30. Reproductive Examination
Each dairy producer should establish a schedule with
the veterinarian for regular RHH examinations.
In many small-to-medium size herds this is done
once a month.
In larger herds, examinations may be every two weeks
or weekly.
All records should be available and up-to-date at the
time of the examination.

31. - A worksheet listing all cows to be examined will facilitate the visit. - All cows fresh 15 to 45 days should be examined regardless of whether they have had any problems at calving : To detect infections or abnormalities at an early stage To determine onset and stage of estrous cycle at this time. - Cows bred 40 days or more that have not returned to estrus should be checked for pregnancy.

32. All cows that had an abortion, retained placenta,
infection, abnormal discharge or abnormal length of
estrous cycle should be examined.
Any cow fresh more than 50 days that has not been
observed in estrus should be examined even if she
received a postpartum examination at an earlier date.

33. - Any cow that has been serviced three or more times and not confirmed pregnant (Repeat breeders ) should be examined. - At the time of the veterinarian's regular herd health visit, all exam findings, treatments and instructions should be recorded on: The individual herd health cards or The worksheet for later transfer to the cards.

34. Reproductive Goals Each dairy producer establishes reproductive goals
for the herd.
- These goals are not the same for every herd.
Herd reproductive parameters are determined at the
start of a RHH program and re-evaluated at least
twice a year.
- Goals need to be updated as the herd situation changes.

35. Days to 1st observed heat < 90% > 90%
Serious
problem
Optimal
values
Reproductive
goals
> 14 math
math
Calving interval
> 60 ads
< 40 ads
Days to 1st observed heat
< 90%
> 90%
Cows observed in heat within 60 days after calving
ads
Average days open to first breeding
> 2.5
< 1.7
Service /conception
< 60% %
1st service conception rate of heifers
< 40% %
1st service conception rate of lactating cows

36. Cows that conceived with less than 3 services < 85% > 85%
< 90%
> 90%
Cows that conceived with less than 3 services
< 85%
> 85%
Cows with a breeding interval between
ads
> 140 ads
ads
Average days open
> 15%
< 10%
Cows open > 120 ads
< 45 or
> 70 ads
ads
Dry period length
< 24 or > 30 moths
24 MHz
Average age at first calving
> 10%
< 5%
Abortion rate
Culling rate for reproductive problems

37. COW CARD:  BREEDING AND CALVING  ANIMAL:      Ear tag no: Breed: Birth date: OWNER:     Farm no: Name: Address:
INSEMINATIONS (A.I.) / NATURAL BREEDING
Year:  1st  Insemination (A.I.) Heat  A.I.    No Bull  Date Date
Year: nd Insemination (A.I) Heat   A.I.     No Bull Date Date
Year: rd Insemination (A.I) Heat    A.I.       No Bull
Date   Date
Pregnancy Diagnosis Date
Remarks

40. Thank You