Effect of calving course on fertility in an Irish dairy and beef farm

Abstract

Reproductive performance in cattle herds is becoming an increasingly important factor. This includes dairy herds, where previously milk yield was a primary factor, but the financial impact of poor reproduction is becoming more evident. Uterine disease in particular has become a focus of study, but other factors such as calf gender, cause for culling, cow parity, dystocia’s, services required, sire breed and perinatal mortality also play a role. These later factors will be the focus of this study, although the need for veterinary assistance in diagnosing uterine diseases is suggested also. This study finds that female calves, higher parity, and Angus sires are associated with a lower calving difficulty score, whilst Simmental sires are associated with a shorter calving interval. Primiparous cows and Angus sires are also found to be associated with increased occurrence of dystocia, while perinatal mortality increases with calving difficulty score. However, the role of uterine disease is not signified to be any lesser in this study but instead perhaps the need for veterinary assistance in diagnosing such disease cases.