Effect of Lameness on Ovarian Activity in Postpartum Holstein Cows
Open Access
- 1 December 2004
- journal article
- Published by American Dairy Science Association in Journal of Dairy Science
- Vol. 87 (12), 4123-4131
- https://doi.org/10.3168/jds.s0022-0302(04)73555-9
Abstract
A longitudinal study was conducted to examine the relationship between lameness and delayed ovarian cyclicity during the first 60 d postpartum and days to first luteal activity during the first 300 d postpartum in Holstein cows. Two hundred thirty-eight cows from a 600-cow dairy that calved during a 12-mo period were used. Cows were classified into 1 of 6 categories of lameness during the first 35 d postpartum using a locomotion scoring system. Cows were blood-sampled weekly for detection of plasma progesterone concentrations during the first 300 d postpartum. Cows with delayed resumption of ovarian cyclicity were defined as those with progesterone concentrations consistently <1 ng/mL during the first 60 d postpartum. The null hypothesis that risk of delayed cyclicity is the same in cows classified as nonlame, moderately lame, or lame (after adjusting for potential modifying or confounding effects of loss of body condition and other variables related with delayed cyclicity) was tested using logistic regression. Analysis of results of the study reported here support the hypothesis that lameness is associated with delayed ovarian activity in Holstein cows during the early postpartum period. Cows classified as lame had 3.5 times greater odds of delayed cyclicity, compared with cows classified as nonlame. Attributable proportion analysis indicated that delayed ovarian cyclicity in lame cows would be reduced by 71%, if lameness had been prevented.Keywords
This publication has 36 references indexed in Scilit:
- The Effects of Lameness on Social and Individual Behavior of Dairy CowsJournal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 2002
- Risk factors for post partum ovarian dysfunction in high producing dairy cows in Belgium: A field studyTheriogenology, 2000
- Measurement of Ovarian Cyclicity in the Post Partum Dairy Cow by Progesterone AnalysisReproduction in Domestic Animals, 1999
- An Analysis of Ovarian Dysfunction in High Yielding Dairy Cows After Calving Based on Progesterone ProfilesReproduction in Domestic Animals, 1998
- Effects of lameness on the behaviour of cows during the summerVeterinary Record, 1993
- Influence of diet composition, dry-matter intake, milk production and energy balance on time of post-partum ovulation and fertility in dairy cowsAnimal Science, 1992
- Associations between types of lameness and fertilityVeterinary Record, 1989
- Descriptive epidemiology of anestrus in Michigan Holstein-Friesian cattleTheriogenology, 1987
- The association between lameness and fertility in dairy cowsPublished by Wiley ,1986
- Influence of early estrus, ovulation, and insemination on fertility in postpartum Holstein cowsTheriogenology, 1983