Managing in the heat
Hot season strategies
Mating management
Increased heat loads during periods of continuously hot, humid weather can be severe on conception rates, ane therefore in-calf rates, particularly in higher-producing cows.
Having carefully decided whether or not to withhold insemination during hot weather as one of your cool season preparation tasks, you now need to stick to the plan.
If you have decided to continue mating during the hot season, make every effort to develop a list of specific steps you can take to combat heat stress on your farm. Use the Actions Generator tool. You can also access it via the Dairy Australia website.
Make every effort to keep heat loads low by providing shade, as this is the best way to minimise the impact of heat on your cows’ fertility. Changes you could make to your mating program include the following:
- Withold insemination
- Use cheaper semen
- Increase heat detection efforts and accept lower conception rates
- Ensure AI practices are up to scratch
- Run a bull with the herd to help submissions (provide shade for bulls - they feel the heat too).
- Implant winter collected embryos
- Mate more heifers (they are not as vulnerable to heat stress as older cows)
When deciding whether to withhold insemination, consider not just heat load on the day of insemination but, more importantly, heat load for the past five weeks and expected heat load for the next week. Deferring insemination until the cool of the following morning will have only minor benefits when compared with infrastructure strategies such as providing shade during the entire hot season.
Review current practices: What could you change?
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Low Risk
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Moderate Risk
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High Risk
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We check for heat in the paddock and elsewhere, and use heat detection aids effectively to maximise the number of cows detected on heat.
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Yes
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Could be better
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No
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AI practices (semen storage and handling, insemination technique and timing) are best practice and maximise the herd’s conception rates.
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Yes
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Could be better
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No
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We run adequate numbers of healthy, fertile, wellgrown bulls with the herd and provide them with shade too.
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Yes
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Could be better
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No
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We mate more heifers to help compensate for the lower in-calf rates expected in the milker herd.
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Yes
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Could be better
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No
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See further information for more details about changes you can make to your mating management.
