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Successful Artificial Insemination in Dairy Cows
Agricultural officials administer artificial insemination (A.I) to a dairy cow at a home at Endarasha in Nyeri. Timely A.I is important as delays in serving a dairy cow will reduce chances of conception as the ovum/egg ages or the spermatozoa may die. FILE PHOTO | NMG
What you need to know:
- A herd’s fertility is beneficial to the farmer as it affects the number of calves born, the amount milk produced, veterinary costs and ultimately the amount of money a farmer earns.
- Timely AI is important as delays in serving her will reduce chances of conception as the ovum/egg ages and/or the spermatozoa die.
- After insemination farmers should keep the semen straws for future reference to avoid inbreeding as bull/sire details are inscribed on them.
A dairy farm’s reproductive profitability is affected by accurate detection of heat and timely insemination of the cows.
These are the main factors that affect a dairy farm’s conception rates. A farmer’s ability to detect heat is crucial in the reproductive performance of a dairy farm as early or late insemination may lead to conception failure.
