Managing and Monitoring Reprod health in cattle 1 (the individual) Flashcards
Why is fertility important for beef cattle
- Important to keep to a calving interval of 365 days
- 1 calf per cow per year
- Tight calving windows maximise efficiency and minimise disease
Why is fertility important in dairy cattle?
- Typically all year round calvers
- But some seasonal (block) calvers
- Does calving interval still matter?
Why do we do Routien Fertility Visits? (RFV)
» Keep Fertility KPIs in check
* Cows need to adhere to a
thigh schedule to be
productive!
* Not seen in oestrus
* PDs
» Assess and address disease
» Vet engagement to farm
dynamics and issues –
Vet/Farmer relationship
What Approach to RFV?
- Farm reproductive strategy
- Select the right cows
- Reproductive history
- Vaginal examination
- Rectal examination + Ultrasound
- Establish a plan
Refresh the reprod cycle in cows?
What are some Farm Reprod strategy questions we should ask?
- What is the target calving index?
- What pregnancy rate is realistically achievable?
> What is the Voluntary Waiting Period (VWP)? Normally between 42– 50 days
Calving Index (CI) target ~380 days (356 days for Beef and Block)
Pregnancy Rate (PR)-> Submission rate
Which cows to select in RFVs?
- Cows not seen in oestrus before end of VWP – depending on Heat detection
- Cows with irregular oestrus intervals
- Cows which don’t get into calf (‘Repeat Breeders’- serviced multiple times)
- Pregnancy diagnosis ~35 days
- Fresh cows ~21 to 28 days in milk (DIM)
- Sick cows/ Farmer flagged issue
Reproductive history in RFV?
- Age & parity
- Previous breeding problems?
- Details of last calving and any parturient problems
- Oestrus observation, expression, frequency & regularity
- Service history – dates, method, operator, sire / straw
- Production & health records
Why might vaginal exam be controversial?
introduction of pathogens
Approach & asessment of vag exam?
Approach
* Dry wipe with paper towel
* Clean glove lubricant
Assess
* Damage from calving
* Diameter of the cervix
* Discharges
* Presence of RFM
interpretation of vaginal exam?
- Hormonal state
- Uterine inflmmation
What different Discharges might we differentiate?
- Bulling string
- Metoestral bleeding
- Lochia
- Endometritis & pyometra
- Metritis
What to make fo Diameter of cervix?
- Open – Oestrogen
- Closed – Progesterone / Acyclicity
What does normal post-partum discharge look like?
What does metritis look like?
what does endometritis look like?
Describe scoring of endometritis?
Describe use fo rectal exam & Us in your RFV?
> Transrectal ultrasound
* Reproductive tract
* Ovaries
> Establish
* Stage of cycle
* Pathology
How do we make a plan with all this info?
> Farm factors
* Objective & strategy
* Standard operating procedures
> Patient factors
* Presentation & history
* Stage of production (too early?; self-cure)
* Diagnosis & prognosis (unresponsive endometritis, unresponsive cystic
disease)
* Treatment options
What are some common presentations with ferility issues?
» Uterine inflammatory disease &
RFM
» Oestrus not observed
» Negative PDs/ Missed returns
» Stillbirth and abortion
Make a table comparing and contrasting Uterine Inflammatory Disease
Why do we treat endometritis?
EndoM has:
- No detecabe effect on animal welfare
- Ahigh rate of self cure
- A negative effect on preganncy risk
Improvement of pregnancy risk is the ONLY indication for tx
BAse don what factors do we decide tot reat endometritis?
- Is there pus present on vaginal examination?
- When did the cow calve? Chance to self-cure
- What grade is the vaginal discharge?
How to manage Retained fetal membranes?
- DO NOT manually remove
- Systemic therapy indicated any of the following signs are also present
- Metritic uterine discharge
- Pyrexia
- Signs of systemic ill-health
- Oxytocin / Carbetocin provide no therapeutic benefit
