Dairy Event 2010: Research shows high grain, low fibre diet can enhance fertility
Adopting a two-stage feeding strategy post calving could significantly enhance fertility rates, according to new research discussed at the Dairy Event and Livestock Show.
The negative energy balance cows are placed in following calving is the most highly correlated factor with poor fertility, said Biotal international technical support manager Jonny Bax.
Discussing research conducted at Nottingham University, Mr Bax explained how feeding a high grain, low fibre diet also known as a glucogenic or high insulin diet reduced the length of postpartum anoestrus. “Higher insulin produced from feeding glucogenic diets resulted in more cows ovulating at 50-day postpartum,” he said.
However, although a glucogenic diet will get cows cycling, stimulating high insulin levels can have a negative effect on oocyte development. “This is why at about 30 days moving to a diet that stimulates low insulin levels otherwise known as a lipogenic diet, which contains more forage and fat, will help improve oocyte and embryo development.”
And results from Nottingham University found when adopting this two-stage strategy, 69% of cows were in calf at 120 days and 38% got in calf to first insemination. “This is compared to a lipogenic diet fed throughout lactation which resulted in only 9% of cows getting into calf to first insemination and at 120 days 36%.”