Table 1 Dairy herd fertility problems encountered by veterinary practitioners in Ireland, The Netherlands and Portugal (responses in %*).
| Â | All veterinary respondents (n = 122) | Veterinary practitioners in Ireland (n = 47) | Veterinary practitioners in the Netherlands (n = 44) | Veterinary practitioners in Portugal (n = 31) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Has dairy herd fertility declined in your practice? | ||||
Yes | 76.2 | 80.9 | 88.6 | 51.6 |
No | 13.1 | 0 | 2.3 | 48.4 |
Don't know | 10.7 | 19.1 | 9.1 | 0 |
Why do you think this is? | ||||
Inadequate dairy cow management | 20.5 | 19.1 | 25 | 16.1 |
Increased milk yield | 18.9 | 23.4 | 15.9 | 16.1 |
Inadequate dairy cow nutrition | 18.9 | 21.2 | 9.1 | 29.0 |
Increased genetics for milk yield | 15.6 | 21.2 | 9.1 | 16.1 |
Increased dairy herd size | 9 | 6.4 | 18.2 | 0 |
Increased disease in dairy herds | 4.9 | 6.4 | 4.5 | 3.2 |
Don't know | 17.2 | 14.9 | 31.8 | 0 |
What are the main fertility problems you encounter in dairy herds? | ||||
Poor oestrus detection | 73.8 | 55.3 | 90.9 | 77.4 |
Puerperal problems | 64.8 | 80.9 | 59.1 | 48.4 |
Repeat breeders | 64.8 | 59.6 | 54.5 | 87.1 |
Poor conception rates | 56.5 | 66.0 | 38.6 | 67.7 |