JERSEYS = REPRODUCTIVE EFFICIENCY!

Maintaining a high level of reproductive efficiency is essential on any dairy farm, as it minimizes time that cows aren’t in production, and likewise minimizes cost on semen, insemination costs, animal health issues, and labour. In this vein, there are many ways that Jerseys show advantages in reproductive efficiency.

The average age at first service for Canadian Jerseys is 15.5 months, almost an entire month less than the industry average. This amounts to one less month feeding an animal before it enters its productive life. With a 1999 study from Virginia Tech estimating that each month in excess of 24 months at calving having a cost to the producer of $55 per animal, this is significant. For a 60 cow herd calving 30 heifers per year, that equates to savings of $1650 per year for just shaving a month off of average calving age! Also, heifers bred at 14-17 months are at the most fertile months of their lives, and should catch to the first breeding more often than heifers bred a few months later. Therefore, the earlier maturing Jersey heifer should help to get your herd producing earlier and returning profit from investment in their first two years of life!

At an average of 1.8 breedings per cow, the Jersey breed has the lowest value for this trait of the major dairy breeds in Canada. This means fewer days out of production, and less wasted semen and insemination costs. As a result, Jerseys average 8 fewer days open than the industry average. With an estimated cost to the producer of up to $2 per day open past 100 days, this could mean savings in excess of $950 on a herd of 60 cows just by having cows like Jerseys that are bred back more quickly. This value doesn’t even include the savings from reduced semen wastage, labour, and insemination costs. Recent figures from the Canadian Dairy Network note that the 56 day Non-Return Rate for Jersey cows is 68%, 7% higher than industry average, giving credence to the fact that Jersey cows catch to earlier breedings, and require fewer re-breedings.