HEIFER FERTILITY, SIRE SELECTION AND HERD SURVIVAL IN AMS.

Automated milking systems (AMS) is a technological leap forward tailored to enhance dairy animal monitoring and management. AMS management software records crucial reproductive dates and events, such as insemination and calving dates, facilitating effective individual and contemporary fertility management strategies. Managers also have the option to record the dam’s herd number and the sire’s registration number on the system for comprehensive pedigree records. Interval traits like Age at First Calving (AFC) and Inter-Calving Period (ICP) serve as primary fertility indicators, which can be analysed at both the herd and individual animal levels from digitalized fertility records. These traits are managed with automated oestrus detection based on activity budget variation, enabling timely insemination by identifying and sorting heifers and cows on heat. The objective of this study was to explore the functionalities of the Afifarm herd management software from Afimilk for extracting historical herd performance data with reference to heifer fertility, lifetime performance, and Artificial Insemination (AI) sire records for a pasture-based and total mixed ration (TMR) dairy herd.

Historical herd performance data were analysed, focusing on heifer fertility, sire rankings, and survivability. Key differences emerged between systems: 36% of heifers calved between 25–26 months in the TMR herd, while 53.5% of pasture-based heifers calved at 22–24 months. Time-trend analysis revealed a declining Age at First Calving (AFC) across both systems, highlighting improvements in heifer rearing and fertility management. Progeny performance analyses strongly correlated sires and offspring survivability (TMR: R² = 0.91, Pasture: R² = 0.97), emphasizing AMS software’s role in sire selection. However, survivability declined with successive lactations, with the highest exits occurring between the heifer phase and third lactation (Pasture: 75%; TMR: 83%).

In conclusion: Data from the Afifarm herd management software in pasture-based and TMR herds offer valuable insights into herd dynamics. This study suggests that historic time-trend herd data analysis can be a tool among farmers, animal scientists, veterinarians, and automated dairy data scientists. Future studies should aim to expand the scope by investigating a broader range of records and including more herds for evaluation. By doing so, one can further validate the effectiveness of automated data in monitoring dairy performance and facilitating research.