Relationship between dairy cows´ physical activity and conception rate

Abstract

The objective of this study was to create a comprehensive compilation of Czech and foreign scientific literature related to the subject of the thesis. Compilation of literature deal with fertility of cattle and factors which affect fertility. Other chapters discuss Czech Pied cattle, reproduction (anatomy and estrus cycle), estrous and relation between physical activity and conception. Farm researches and subsequent evaluations were part of this bachelor thesis. An information about identification number, date of calving, lactation number, date of insemination, insemination number, period of the highest walking activity, conception, milk yield on the first 100 days of lactation were recorded for each insemination event on 2 farms in Plzeň Region from 2nd November 2015 to 27th December 2015. This data were collected from farm records, herd management softwares and milk recordings. Data on physical activity were obtained from farm management softwares AfiFarm and Westfalia. An information about overall performed 134 inseminations events were collected on farms Zemědělské družstvo Dobříč and Příkosická zemědělská a.s. The data were processed in Microsoft Excel. The aim of research was to evaluate relationship between walking activity, time of insemination and conception rate. The investigated sample of cows was divided into 3 groups according to time of highest walking activity in relation to insemination. Cows of group period 1 had their highest walking activity more than 6 hours before an insemination. Animals with highest walking activity during less than 6 hours before or less than 6 hours after an insemination were put into group period 2. Highest walking activity more than 6 hours after an insemination led to integration of cows into group period 3. The best results were correlated with cows in the group period 1. Animals in the group period 2 rank among second best success rate. The lowest results of conception rate are connected to group period 3. Better reproductive results were found on the farm Zemědělské družstvo Dobříč. Despite comparative difference in obtained reproductive results of each farm the overall average results were comparable with figures of population