Summer's over. Why fertility can take weeks to recover

Summer heat hurts cow fertility, and the effect can last for weeks after the weather cools. The reason: the egg a cow releases today started developing two to three months ago, in the middle of the heat.

What to do now

• Don’t give up after one failed insemination. Fertility improves as the cool season goes on.
• Watch for heats carefully and record every heat and insemination with its date.
• Do pregnancy checks on time with your vet, so you know early who needs to be bred again.
• A cow with no heat seen two months after calving? Ask your vet to examine her.
• Focus on feeding and body condition. Thin cows struggle to get pregnant.

Make breeding season an organised one

Winter is breeding season. With MilkUp the whole herd is in front of you: who has been inseminated, who needs a check, and who has not shown heat yet.

Follow your farm’s protocol and your vet’s advice.