What pregnancy rate to expect
It is unrealistic to expect a 100% pregnancy rate from an AI program. A pregnancy rate of 65% to a single insemination whether by natural service or AI is considered good but can be reduced due to a variety of factors.
From a potential 100% pregnancy rate loss occur at several points including:
- a percentage of cows will not respond to the synchronisation protocol and will not come into oestrus, will come into oestrus outside of the set time frame or have an unfertile oestrus.
- when artificially inseminated, although fertilization is often high, not all cows will go on to establish a pregnancy.
- in FTAI programs all cows in the program are inseminated, but in other AI programs where heat detection is required, pregnancy rate can be further reduced if animals in heat are missed, they are identified incorrectly as being in heat, or they are presented at the wrong time for insemination (i.e. too early or too late relative to oestrus)
FTAI programs eliminate the need for heat detection and therefore losses of pregnancy associated with this stage of the program.
Achieving good results in an artificial insemination program depends on a number of factors including:
- cow health and nutrition
- good cow handling techniques to minimise stress
- adequate facilities to ensure the number of cattle can be inseminated within the desired time frame
- correct storage and handling procedures of drugs involved
- accurate implementation of the synchronisation protocol including precise administration of the correct dose of the correct drug in the correct place (i.e. intramuscular injections actually go into the muscle) on the correct day at the correct time
- accurate heat detection (if required for the program)
- correct semen handling, storage, thawing and insemination technique
- avoiding transportation between days 5-42 after AI
Attention to detail in every aspect of an AI program cannot be underestimated if good pregnancy rates are to be achieved.