Metrichecking for early in-calf rates

Imagine if you could improve your six week in-calf rate (ICR) in ‘dirty’ cows by nearly 10% and increase the number of early calvers with just one change.  Well, that’s what happened in a study involving 29 New Zealand herds when they metrichecked and treated endometritis cases early.

Instead of metrichecking cows a month prior to the planned start of mating (PSM), local researchers metrichecked cows in batches starting just two to four weeks after the beginning of calving.  The detection and cure for endometritis was so much better from metrichecking cows earlier, even with the cost of extra treatment included, the return on investment was well over 400% - that’s money in the bank no matter which way you look at it!

Cows treated earlier had an incredible 9.6% improvement in six week ICR and conceived eight days before their herd-mates that were metrichecked and treated later (four weeks prior to PSM).

Here’s how it works... endometritis is a sneaky infection, because ‘dirty’ cows often show no sign of illness.  The longer we wait before using a metrichecker to find pus in the cow, the harder dirty cows are to find.  That’s because the cervix closes up after calving, stopping pus from exiting the uterus.  It’s easy to assume infected cows have cured.  These ‘hidden’ dirty cows only show themselves later as non-cyclers or from disappointing in-calf rates and/or more empties.  

So don’t just imagine higher six week ICRs and more early calvers next year – book in for your metrichecking now, starting three weeks after calving starts and every two to three weeks thereafter, and make it happen!