Okay, we know this right? Paul Fricke and Milo Wiltbank reemphasized the BCS story at a recent, virtual Four-State Dairy Nutrition and Management Conference. According to the article, success with artificial insemination is so high that when conception rates decline, the tendency is to adjust the AI protocols. The data shows BCS is the first place to look.
We have good protocols now, but the loss of body condition before and after calving is a cow-related factor that explains a lot of the differences in fertility.” – Paul Fricke
Source: Dairy Herd Management, August 3, 2020. Link. Fricke and Wiltbank offer six options for managing health events and dealing with declining conception rates.