Genetic Evaluation for Female Fertility in Switzerland

In Switzerland, infertility is the main reason for involuntary culling of dairy cows. According to several studies, 25 to 35 % of dairy cows are culled because of reproductive problems (Rust, 2001; Aeberhard et al., 1997; Stark et al., 1997). Failure to conceive, absent or unobservable cyclicity and embryonic loss are the most important culling reasons within the “reproductive problems”-complex, more important than problems at calving.