280 Day Lactations

Reference ID:585

Whereas…

Whereas we want to maintain the importance and the credibility of lactations being completed.

Whereas the positive financial impact of shorter calving intervals is a generally acknowledged notion.

Whereas the use of bulls siring high fertility daughters, combined with sustained management methods aimed at reducing calving intervals, allows more and more producers to reach very satisfactory results.

Whereas once those objectives are reached and exceeded, many lactations do not reach the 305 days required, thus penalizing highly fertile and productive cows.

Whereas BCAs are unique indexes in Canada and 305-day lactations are ICAR international standards that cannot be modified.

Whereas it is recognized that practices having a substantial impact on the financial health of dairy farms are a concept consistent with its vision.

Therefore…

Therefore, it is proposed to ask Lactanet to evaluate the possibility and to find potential solutions aimed at recognizing cows having completed 280 days in milk, by using projections or other means, so that fertile and high-producing cows are no longer penalized due to the fact that they are calving again within the time frame desired by producers seeking efficient management.

Reference information provided by Lactanet:

An analysis of the data shows that the percentage of lactations where the cows were dried at less than 305 days in milk (DIM) has increased from 26% in 2014 to 32% in 2020. As well, in 2020 a total of 7.1% of the cows dried off between 280 and 289 DIM versus 5.5% in 2014 and 4.8 % in 2004. This is an issue previously discussed by the Industry Standards Committee without any clear solution.