animals Review Factors That Optimize Reproductive Efficiency in Dairy Herds with an Emphasis on Timed Artificial Insemination Programs Carlos Eduardo Cardoso Consentini 1 , Milo Charles Wiltbank 2 and Roberto Sartori 1,* 1 Department of Animal Sciences, Luiz de Queiroz College of Agriculture of University of São Paulo (ESALQ/USP), Piracicaba, SP 13418-900, Brazil;
[email protected] 2 Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, WI 53706, USA;
[email protected] * Correspondence:
[email protected] Simple Summary: Reproductive efficiency is critical for profitability of dairy operations. The first part of this manuscript discusses the key physiology of dairy cows and how to practically manipulate this reproductive physiology to produce timed artificial insemination (TAI) programs with enhanced fertility. In addition, there are other critical factors that also influence reproductive efficiency of dairy herds such as genetics, management of the transition period, and body condition score changes and improve management and facilities to increase cow comfort and reduce health problems. Using opti- mized TAI protocols combined with enhancing cow/management factors that impact reproductive efficiency generates dairy herd programs with high reproductive efficiency, while improving health and productivity of the herds. Abstract: Reproductive efficiency is closely tied to the profitability of dairy herds, and therefore successful dairy operations seek to achieve high 21-day pregnancy rates in order to reduce the calving interval and days in milk of the herd. There are various factors that impact reproductive performance, including the specific reproductive management program, body condition score loss Citation: Cardoso Consentini, C.E.; and nutritional management, genetics of the cows, and the cow comfort provided by the facilities Wiltbank, M.C.; Sartori, R.