As the breeding season comes to a close for spring-calving herds across the country, now is the ideal time to review how your herd performed. The ICBF End of Season Fertility Report provides a complete overview of breeding performance, helping farmers assess key fertility metrics such as submission rates, conception rates and pregnancy rates.
By identifying what worked well and highlighting areas for improvement, the report can help you make more informed breeding and management decisions ahead of next season.
Assess Your Herd’s Fertility Performance
The End of Season Fertility Report tracks your herd’s performance from calving right through to the end of the breeding season. By entering your calving start date and mating start date, the report generates a clear picture of breeding performance at each stage of the season.
This allows you to evaluate:
- How quickly cows and heifers were submitted for breeding
- How successful first and subsequent serves were
- How many animals became pregnant throughout the season
- Where fertility performance may have fallen below target
For dairy farmers aiming to maintain a compact calving pattern and maximise reproductive efficiency, reviewing this information is an important part of end-of-season herd management.
What Does the End of Season Fertility Report Show?
The report is divided into several key sections, each providing a different insight into herd fertility and breeding performance.
1. Calving & Fertility Data
This section outlines your herd’s calving pattern and provides an overview of when cows calved and how this influenced the start of the breeding season.
2. Submission Profile
The Submission Profile tracks weekly submission rates, showing how quickly cows and heifers were served from the mating start date and how breeding activity progressed throughout the season.
3. Key Performance Indicators (KPIs)
This section contains the main fertility measures used to assess herd performance, including:
- 21-day submission rate
- 42-day submission rate
- 1st service conception rate
- 6-week pregnancy rate
- Overall pregnancy rate
Your results are benchmarked against national averages as well as the top 5% and bottom 5% of herds, making it easy to see how your herd compares and where improvements can be made.
4. Repeat Intervals
The Repeat Intervals section categorises returns into short, normal and prolonged intervals. This can help identify potential fertility issues, missed heats or animals that may require further investigation.
5. Herd Fertility Performance by Lactation Number
Performance is broken down by lactation number, allowing you to assess how different age groups are performing. This can help identify whether specific groups, such as first-calvers or older cows, require additional management attention.
6. Dairy Bull Usage
This section summarises the dairy bulls used during the breeding season, including their Economic Breeding Index (EBI) and in-calf performance, helping farmers evaluate the effectiveness of their breeding decisions.
7. Beef Bull Usage
The Beef Bull Usage section provides similar information for beef sires used within the herd, including their Dairy Beef Index (DBI) and associated fertility performance.
8. Action List
The Action List highlights cows that have not yet been served or confirmed in-calf, making it easier to identify problem animals and take action before the breeding season concludes.
Why Run an End of Season Fertility Report?
The End of Season Fertility Report brings together all your calving, breeding and pregnancy information in one place, making it easier to review herd performance and identify opportunities for improvement.
By analysing submission rates, conception rates, pregnancy performance and repeat intervals, farmers can quickly pinpoint issues that may be affecting fertility and make informed management decisions for the coming year.
Regularly reviewing herd fertility performance can help improve reproductive efficiency, maintain a tight calving pattern and support better overall herd profitability.
Take Action Before Next Season
Running your ICBF End of Season Fertility Report is a simple but effective way to evaluate breeding performance and identify areas for improvement before the next breeding season begins.
Log in to HerdPlus today to generate your report and gain valuable insights into your herd’s fertility performance, breeding decisions and future opportunities for improvement.
The 6-week pregnancy rate has also seen a reduction of 2% for cows and 1% for heifers sitting at 69% and 88% respectively. The overall pregnancy rate remains unchanged at 91% for cows and 97% for heifers.
How to Access Your End of Season Fertility Report?
You can access the End of Season Fertility Report through either the HerdPlus App or your HerdPlus account online.
Using the HerdPlus App
- Log in to the HerdPlus App.
- Select Reports.
- Choose Fertility.
- Select End of Season Fertility Report.
Using HerdPlus Online
- Log in to your HerdPlus account.
- Navigate to Reports and select All Reports.
- Select Fertility.
- Click End of Season Fertility Report.
- Your most recent report will appear in the report list.
If you have any queries about your End of Season Fertility report, please contact the HerdPlus office on 023-8820452 or email [email protected]