The relationship between breeding index and conception rate and the
cost of delayed conception
M.C. Wheadon
Consulting Officer Service, Livestock Improvement Corporation, 103
Tihi Road, Rotorua, New Zealand
Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production. 1993,
53: 41-42
Herd owners comment that they are having increasing difficulty getting
their higher producing, higher Breeding Index (BI) cows to conceive. The
reports published on local and overseas data are inconclusive and do not
substantiate their concern. A solution to this dilemma would be analyses of
contemporary groups within herds with production records stored in the
national data base. This would allow for the effects of different feeding
practices. Any factor which increased the likelihood of a cow failing to
conceive to a first insemination will reduce income by $110/return. If the
delay in conception must be rectified by induction, the cost of $320 and
increased to $700 if the cow fails to conceive. These changes in income
mean that if a herd of 170 cows has its pregnancy rate per breeding reduced
from 60% to 59%, the estimated loss would total $955. This emphasises the
cost of delays in conception date.
Keywords: NZSAPAB;
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Last Updated 25-01-1997
