Exploring the Relationship between Changes in Postpartum BCS (Body Condition Score) and Reproductive Performance in Dairy Herds

PDF
Published: Apr 29, 2022
DOI: https://doi.org/10.12681/jhvms.25378
Keywords:
Body condition score (BCS) Reproductive performance Dairy cows Endometritis.
meisam makki
Assistant professor at department of clinical sciences, faculty of veterinary medicine, Shahid Chamran university of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4264-2485
Sojdeh Kamali
Assistant professor at department of nutrition and breeding, faculty of veterinary medicine, Shahid Chamran university of Ahvaz, Ahvaz, Iran
Mohammad Rahim Ahmadi
Department of clinical science, Faculty of veterinary medicine, Shiraz University, Shiraz, Iran
Abstract

The current research aims to explore the effects of Body condition score (BCS) reduction on some reproductive factors such as re-pregnancy rate, number of inseminations per pregnancy, clinical endometritis, and ovarian activity in Holstein cows and also the effects of number of calving and its difficulty, on changes in the BCS. Data analysis with spss 21 software shows that with a further decrease in BCS first month after delivery, the percentage of non-pregnant cases in the herd and the number of cows with inactive ovaries increases significantly. The rate of endometritis significantly increases by increasing negative changes in BCS by 0.5 units or more. The number of inseminations necessary for creating pregnancy in two groups of decrease in BCS was different with a statistically significant difference. The odds ratios of developing clinical endometritis and also inactive ovaries in cows with BCS changes< 0.5 were significantly greater. In addition, odds ratios of pregnancy with finally 3 inseminations in cows with changes in BCS ≤ 0.5 were significantly different from cows with higher BCS changes. BCS changes of cows in second calving were not significantly different from cows in first calving, while the changes in calving 3 and 4 were significantly different. Easy parturition and parturition with some help was not different in BCS changes but dystocia but dystocia has been associated with significant BCs changes (P<0.05). According to these results, it can be concluded that a further reduction in BCS was associated with a reduction in the reproductive performance.

Article Details
  • Section
  • Research Articles
Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License.

Authors who publish with this journal agree to the following terms:

· Authors retain copyright and grant the journal right of first publication with the work simultaneously licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Non-Commercial License that allows others to share the work with an acknowledgement of the work's authorship and initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are able to enter into separate, additional contractual arrangements for the non-exclusive distribution of the journal's published version of the work (e.g. post it to an institutional repository or publish it in a book), with an acknowledgement of its initial publication in this journal.

· Authors are permitted and encouraged to post their work online (preferably in institutional repositories or on their website) prior to and during the submission process, as it can lead to productive exchanges, as well as earlier and greater citation of published work.

Downloads
Download data is not yet available.
References
REFERENCES
Bacha B, Regassa FG (2010) Subclinical endometritis in Zebu x Friesian crossbred dairy cows: its risk factors, association with subclinical mastitis and effect on reproductive performance. Tropical animal health and production 42(3): 397-403.‏ https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-009-9433-5
Berry DP, Lee JM, Macdonald KA, Roche JR (2007) Body condition score and body weight effects on dystocia and stillbirths and consequent effects on postcalving performance. Journal of Dairy Science 90(9): 4201-4211.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2007-0023
Buckley F, O'sullivan K, Mee JF, Evans RD, Dillon P (2003) Relationships among milk yield, body condition, cow weight, and reproduction in spring-calved Holstein-Friesians. Journal of Dairy Science 86(7): 2308-2319.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(03)73823-5
Butler WR (2001) Nutritional effects on resumption of ovarian cyclicity and conception rate in postpartum dairy cows. BSAS Occasional Publication 26(1): 133-146.‏
Butler WR (2003) Energy balance relationships with follicular development, ovulation and fertility in postpartum dairy cows. Livestock Production Science 83(2-3): 211-218.‏
Butler WR, Smith RD (1989) Interrelationships between energy balance and postpartum reproductive function in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 72(3): 767-783.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(89)79169-4
Carneiro LC, Ferreira AF, Padua M, Saut JP, Ferraudo AS, Dos Santos RM (2014) Incidence of subclinical endometritis and its effects on reproductive performance of crossbred dairy cows. Tropical Animal Health and Production 46(8): 1435-1439.‏
Carvalho PD, Souza AH, Amundson MC, Hackbart KS, Fuenzalida MJ, Herlihy MM, Grummer RR (2014) Relationships between fertility and postpartum changes in body condition and body weight in lactating dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 97(6): 3666-3683.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2013-7809
Cavestany D, Viñoles C, Crowe MA, La Manna A, Mendoza A (2009) Effect of prepartum diet on postpartum ovarian activity in Holstein cows in a pasture-based dairy system. Animal Reproduction Science 114(1-3): 1-13.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2008.08.007
Ciccioli NH, Wettemann RP, Spicer LJ, Lents CA, White FJ, Keisler DH (2003) Influence of body condition at calving and postpartum nutrition on endocrine function and reproductive performance of primiparous beef cows. Journal of Animal Science 81(12): 3107-3120.‏
Çolakoğlu HE, Yazlık MO, Pekcan M, Kaya U, Kaçar C, Vural MR, Küplülü Ş (2019) Impact of prepartum body condition score loss on metabolic status during the transition period and subsequent fertility in Brown Swiss dairy cows. Journal of Veterinary Research 63(3): 375-382.‏ https://doi.org/10.2478/jvetres-2019-0039
Delgado R, Magaña JG, Galina C, Segura JC (2004) Effect of body condition at calving and its changes during early lactation on postpartum reproductive performance of Zebu cows in a tropical environment. Journal of Applied Animal Research 26(1): 23-28.‏ https://doi.org/10.1080/09712119.2004.9706499
Drackley JK (1999) Biology of dairy cows during the transition period: The final frontier?. Journal of Dairy Science 82(11): 2259-2273.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(99)75474-3
Drennan MJ, Berry DP (2006) Factors affecting body condition score, live weight and reproductive performance in spring-calving suckler cows. Irish Journal of Agricultural and Food Research 1: 25-38.‏ https://www.jstor.org/stable/25562560
Dubuc J, Duffield TF, Leslie KE, Walton JS, LeBlanc SJ (2010) Risk factors for postpartum uterine diseases in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 93(12): 5764-5771.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2010-3429
Ettema JF, Santos JEP (2004) Impact of age at calving on lactation, reproduction, health, and income in first-parity Holsteins on commercial farms. Journal of Dairy Science 87(8): 2730-2742.‏
Galvão KN, Flaminio MJBF, Brittin SB, Sper R, Fraga M, Caixeta L, Gilbert RO (2010) Association between uterine disease and indicators of neutrophil and systemic energy status in lactating Holstein cows. Journal of Dairy Science 93(7): 2926-2937.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2009-2551
Garnsworthy PC (2006) Body condition score in dairy cows: targets for production and fertility. Recent advances in animal nutrition, Nottingham University Press, Nottingham, UK.‏
Gillund P, Reksen O, Gröhn YT, Karlberg K (2001) Body condition related to ketosis and reproductive performance in Norwegian dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 84(6): 1390-1396.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(01)70170-1
Giuliodori MJ, Magnasco RP, Becu-Villalobos D, Lacau-Mengido IM, Risco CA, De la Sota RL (2013) Clinical endometritis in an Argentinean herd of dairy cows: Risk factors and reproductive efficiency. Journal of Dairy Science 96(1): 210-218.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2012-5682
Ingvartsen KL, Dewhurst RJ, Friggens NC (2003) On the relationship between lactational performance and health: Is it yield or metabolic imbalance that cause production diseases in dairy cattle? A position paper. Livest Prod Sci 83: 277–308. https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(04)73400-1
Lee JY, Kim IH (2006) Advancing parity is associated with high milk production at the cost of body condition and increased periparturient disorders in dairy herds. Journal of Veterinary Science 7(2): 161-166.‏
López-Gatius F, Yániz J, Madriles-Helm D (2003) Effects of body condition score and score change on the reproductive performance of dairy cows: a meta-analysis. Theriogenology 59(3-4): 801-812.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/S0093-691X(02)01156-1
McArt JA, Nydam DV, Oetzel GR, Overton TR, Ospina, P. A. (2013) Elevated non-esterified fatty acids and β-hydroxybutyrate and their association with transition dairy cow performance. The Veterinary Journal 198(3): 560-570.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tvjl.2013.08.011
Meikle A, Kulcsar M, Chilliard Y, Febel H, Delavaud C, Cavestany D, Chilibroste P (2004) Effects of parity and body condition at parturition on endocrine and reproductive parameters of the cow. Reproduction 127(6): 727-737.‏ https://doi.org/10.1530/rep.1.00080
Mulliniks JT, Cox SH, Kemp ME, Endecott RL, Waterman RC, VanLeeuwen DM, Petersen MK (2012) Relationship between body condition score at calving and reproductive performance in young postpartum cows grazing native range. Journal of Animal Science 90(8): 2811-2817.‏ https://doi.org/10.2527/jas.2011-4189
Piñeyrúa JTM, Fariña SR, Mendoza A (2018) Effects of parity on productive, reproductive, metabolic and hormonal responses of Holstein cows. Animal Reproduction Science 191: 9-21.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2018.01.017
Priest NV, McDougall S, Burke CR, Roche JR, Mitchell M, McLeod KL, Meier S (2013) The responsiveness of subclinical endometritis to a nonsteroidal antiinflammatory drug in pasture-grazed dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 96(7): 4323-4332.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2012-6266
Pryce JE, Coffey MP, Simm G (2001) The relationship between body condition score and reproductive performance. Journal of Dairy Science 84(6): 1508-1515.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(01)70184-1
Radostits OM, Gay CC, Hinchcliff KW, Constable PD (2010) Veterinary Medicine; A text book of the diseases of cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and horses. Saunders, Elsevier, United States of America: pp 1624-1625.
Roche JR, Friggens NC, Kay JK, Fisher MW, Stafford KJ, Berry DP (2009) Invited review: Body condition score and its association with dairy cow productivity, health, and welfare. Journal of Dairy Science 92(12): 5769-5801.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2009-2431
Roche JR, Macdonald KA, Burke CR, Lee JM, Berry DP (2007) Associations among body condition score, body weight, and reproductive performance in seasonal-calving dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 90(1): 376-391.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(07)72639-5
Roche JR, Macdonald KA, Schütz KE, Matthews LR, Verkerk GA, Meier S, Taukiri S (2013) Calving body condition score affects indicators of health in grazing dairy cows. Journal of dairy science 96(9): 5811-5825.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.2013-6600
Sakaguchi M (2009) Differences between body condition scores and body weight changes in postpartum dairy cows in relation to parity and reproductive indices. The Canadian Veterinary Journal 50(6): 649.-653.
Sheldon IM, Lewis GS, LeBlanc S, Gilbert RO (2006) Defining postpartum uterine disease in cattle. Theriogenology 65(8): 1516-1530.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.theriogenology.2005.08.021
Stockdale CR (2001) Body condition at calving and the performance of dairy cows in early lactation under Australian conditions: a review. Australian Journal of Experimental Agriculture 41(6): 823-839. https://doi.org/10.1071/EA01023
Vanholder T, Leroy JL, Van Soom A, Maes D, Coryn M, Fiers T, Opsomer G (2006) Effect of non-esterified fatty acids on bovine theca cell steroidogenesis and proliferation in vitro. Animal Reproduction Science 92(1-2): 51-63.‏ https://doi.org/10.1016/j.anireprosci.2005.05.014
Waltner SS, McNamara JP, Hillers JK (1993) Relationships of body condition score to production variables in high producing Holstein dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 76(11): 3410-3419.‏ https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.S0022-0302(93)77679-1
Wathes DC, Cheng Z, Chowdhury W, Fenwick MA, Fitzpatrick R, Morris DG, Murphy JJ (2009) Negative energy balance alters global gene expression and immune responses in the uterus of postpartum dairy cows. Physiological Genomics 39(1): 1-13.‏ https://doi.org/10.1152/physiolgenomics.00064.2009
Williams EJ, Fischer DP, Pfeiffer DU, England GC, Noakes DE, Dobson H, Sheldon IM (2005) Clinical evaluation of postpartum vaginal mucus reflects uterine bacterial infection and the immune response in cattle. Theriogenology 63(1): 102-117.‏