Predictability of Breeding Efficiency in Dairy Cattle from their Previous Conception Rate and from their Heredity

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Abstract
The breeding efficiency of 639 females of four dairy breeds in the Univ. of Nebraska dairy herd, bred by artificial insemination over a 8-yr. period, was analyzed. Late summer months required more services per conception than other months of the year with Aug. high with 2.24 services per conception, which is highly significant. It was impossible to predict the breeding efficiency of [female][female] from the number of services required for conception during previous yrs. The services required for conception in virgin heifers did not indicate the number of services needed at the following conception or ior succeeding conceptions throughout the lifetime of the individual. There was little indication that a cow''s breeding record could be used for predicting the conception rate of her daughter. An analysis of previous breeding history of cows gave no indication of the predictability of sterility. In an analysis of 20 cow families, one was found with very low fertility and 2 with extremely high fertility. The breeding records of the daughters of 19 bulls showed one bull whose daughters showed a significantly larger number of services per conception.

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