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Drawing on data from herds using the Kingshay Dairy Manager service, the Kingshay Dairy Costings report showed 37% of cows leaving the herd in 2024-25 were selected or voluntary culls, while 63% were forced.

Within the forced group, 28% of cows were cited as leaving the herd for fertility reasons, with half of those being cows that simply did not get back in-calf.

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Richard Simpson, development director at Kingshay dairy consultants, says: "For many farms, this equates to a significant 14% of all leavers and represents cows that could have stayed in production with a further focus on fertility management."Ìý

"With cull cows currently generating reasonable prices, there may be a tendency to take a relaxed approach to fertility, but this is a short-term solution. If you reduce the cows culled due to fertility complications, known as forced culls, then you can selectively cull the less productive cows, or cows that may be a higher risk of other issues, or reduce your culling rate.

"Addressing fertility is a critical factor for any dairy farm – and ensuring cows remain in-calf is not only essential for maintaining herd numbers, but also for optimising production and profitability."

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Vet comment: Improving fertility and conception rates

Fertility and conception rates can be improved with a targeted approach, says farm vet Eoghan McAlonan, of FarmVets SouthWest, part of the VetPartners group.

"Improved fertility needs a whole-team approach including the nutritionist, breeding company and AI technicians, as well as the vet team," says Mr McAlonan.

Quarterly review

"As part of this, data metrics on reasons for leaving the herd should be reviewed quarterly. Fertility data allows the team to pinpoint specific areas affecting conception, whether it is heat detection, metabolic disease, or transition health."

On farms with less computerised records, he says cow-side targets can help identify areas to address – such as the number of pregnancies achieved per week, how many PDs were positive, with the aim of achieving a rate of 85%, and how many cystic cows or cows suffering from endometritis were treated.

Ensuring enough cows are being inseminated goes a long way towards improving pregnancy rates, adds Mr McAlonan.

"Focusing on the factors which directly impact whether cows get pregnant and stay in-calf is vital – the success of those inseminations should be based on targets for conception, ideally falling between 50-65%, depending on the farm system and the health of the cows," he says.

"Also remember that healthy cows showing strong signs of oestrus are more likely to conceive, so optimising the environment where cows are housed – such as loafing space – can help them display these signs; I would aim for three square metres per cow in the loafing area with a non-slip surface."

Oestrus signs

An increasing trend witnessed on many farms is cows, especially higher-yielding ones, showing fewer signs of oestrus.

"Automated oestrus detection systems, such as activity monitors, can really help in picking up subtle signs of heat that may be missed," says Mr McAlonan.

"Systems like this, in addition to making sure their environment is optimised to allow natural bulling behaviour, are both straightforward ways to make it easier to identify bulling cows."

Monitoring bull fertility is essential, and Mr McAlonan says farmers should ensure bulls are fertility-tested and those carrying out artificial insemination (AI) are properly trained to do the job.

"For AI, semen quality is key to successful conception, so semen should be analysed to ensure it contains enough viable sperm for a successful conception," he adds.

"New technologies, such as automated semen analysis machines like Minitube, provide repeatable, objective results that ensure only the best quality semen is used."

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Mr McAlonan says a cow's energy status can also influence conception rates.

"Cows that are underfed, overly stressed, or struggling with metabolic diseases like ketosis are less likely to conceive," he explains.

"Working with a nutritionist to ensure proper nutrition is essential for ensuring cows are in prime condition for breeding."

Transition care

Mr McAlonan says farmers can improve fertility factors by focusing on good transition care.

"Poor transition management can lead to health issues such as endometritis, an infection of the uterus that reduces fertility," he adds.

"Ensuring good transition care, with attention to nutrition, hygiene and avoidance of dystocia will reduce the risk of endometritis, as well as improve the chances of a successful conception."

He says: "Improving fertility is not an overnight fix, but with a targeted approach, there is significant action farmers can take to successfully reduce the 14% of cows leaving due to fertility issues."