scholarly journals Economics of Twin Pregnancies in Dairy Cattle

Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (2) ◽  
pp. 552
Author(s):  
Victor E. Cabrera ◽  
Paul M. Fricke

Twinning in Holstein dairy cows has increased over time concurrent with increased milk production. Twinning in dairy cattle is not desirable due to the negative effects on both cows that calve twins and calves born as twins that result in economic losses to dairy farms. Although a twin pregnancy could bring additional income from extra calves and shorten gestation length, twinning compromises milk production, increases the incidence of dystocia and perinatal mortality, decreases calf birth weight, increases the incidence of metabolic diseases, decreases fertility, increases the incidence of freemartinism, increases overall culling risks, and shortens the productive lifespan of cows. Based on a summary of economic analyses from several studies, the estimated losses due to twinning range between $59 to $161 per twin pregnancy. Most twinning in dairy cows is dizygotic and directly related to the incidence of double ovulations, and economic losses are greater for unilateral than for bilateral twins. Hormonal manipulation before artificial insemination that allows for timed artificial insemination is a primary strategy for decreasing twinning in dairy cows before it occurs by decreasing the incidence of double ovulation thereby decreasing conception of dizygotic twins and the associated negative economic consequences. When twins are diagnosed early during gestation, management options might include doing nothing, terminating the pregnancy, or attempting manual embryo reduction. Based on a recent economic analysis of these options, attempting manual embryo reduction decreased the economic losses of a twin pregnancy by $23 to $45.

2018 ◽  
Vol 46 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Elizabeth Schwegler ◽  
Augusto Schneider ◽  
Ana Rita Tavares Krause ◽  
Paula Montagner ◽  
Eduardo Schmitt ◽  
...  

 Background: Bovine mastitis causes major economic losses for milk producers by reducing the quantity and the quality of the milk or even leading to the complete loss of the mammary gland secretory capacity. During the transition period, dairy cows are susceptible to infectious diseases; therefore, markers that allow early identification of cows in higher risk of developing diseases are especially useful at this time. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate serum markers in the pre and postpartum of multiparous dairy cows with clinical mastitis and with health condition in the postpartum period in a semi-extensive management system.Materials, Methods & Results: Thirty-Six Holstein cows were monitored daily during milking until 59 days postpartum and were categorized according to the pre-milking strip cup test into clinical mastitis (mastitis group (MG)) and absence of symptoms (control group (CG)) that were negative to the test, representing the health cows. All cows were reared as one group and maintained in a semi-extensive pasture-based system. Blood samples were collected weekly after morning milking via venipuncture of the coccinea vein into tubes without anticoagulant and grouped for prepartum (-21 to 0 days from calving), early postpartum (0 to 30 days from calving), and late postpartum (30 to 59 days from calving) periods. Milk production was recorded daily. The serum markers albumin, aspartate aminotransferase (AST), phosphorus, gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA) were measured. Statistical analyses were performed using SAS®. The cases of clinical mastitis occurred on average at 37.2 ± 4.9 days postpartum. Health cows (CG) had higher milk production compared to the mastitis group (MG) only in the late postpartum period (P < 0.05). There was no difference among groups for albumin and NEFA concentrations in all periods evaluated (P > 0.05). In the early postpartum period the AST activity was higher in CG than in MG (P = 0.02). The GGT enzyme tended to be more concentrated in the CG than in the MG during the early (P = 0.06) and late (P = 0.08) postpartum periods. Late postpartum phosphorus concentration was lower for MG than CG (P = 0.04). In the prepartum and early postpartum periods, there was no difference among groups for phosphorus concentration (P > 0.05).Discussion: A decrease in milk production in MG compared to CG observed in late postpartum period was due to the inci­dence of mastitis observed around 37 days postpartum. Cows that presented clinical mastitis in the postpartum period did not differ in the blood concentration of NEFA in the prepartum period. In the late postpartum period higher concentration of phosphorus was observed in the CG than in MG, indicating that animals affected by mastitis may be in the weakest energy status. Regarding liver health, the concentration of AST was higher in the recent postpartum period for CG, in disagree­ment with previous studies that related AST to tissue injury caused by mastitis. The GGT enzyme tended to had higher concentrations in CG than MG during the whole postpartum period and may be related to increased hepatic metabolism due to higher production. There were no changes in albumin levels among healthy and mastitis cows, indicating that this marker can not be used to predict clinical mastitis. There were no metabolic alterations in the prepartum period related to the occurrence of postpartum mastitis in multiparous cows in a semi-extensive management system.Keywords: AST, dairy cows, NEFA.


1970 ◽  
Vol 6 ◽  
pp. 91-96
Author(s):  
M Saiful Islam ◽  
Susanta Kumar Kundu

Impact of genotypes and parity on some vital reproductive and productive attributes in the local (L×L, n = 100) and four crossbred cows (L×F, L×SL, L×JR and L×S; n = 318) raised in randomly selected smallholder dairy farms scattered all over Natore District and adjacent areas have been assessed during a period from September 2007 to June 2010. With regard to reproductive attributes, significant differences existed among the cattle genotypes (P<0.05) except for gestation length (GL) and age at weaning (AW). The lowest age at puberty (AP) was found for L×F (21.42±0.37 months), while the highest for L×L (31.67±0.74 months). In terms of productivity, L×F cows produced the highest daily milk yield (DMY; 6.22±0.13 L), coupled with the highest total lactation yield (TLY; 2163.43±47.77 L), while L×L produced the lowest values (1.49±0.04 L and 416.40±12.3 L, respectively) for the traits. The effect of parity on both reproductive and productive attributes showed that the middle-aged dairy cows of the 3rd and 4th parities performed better than the younger (1st and 2nd parities) or the older (5th and beyond) ones. Considering the overall performance, the L×F cows could be ranked as the best genotype followed by their L×SL, L×JR, L×S and L×L counterparts in the study area. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/jles.v6i0.9727 JLES 2011 6: 91-96


2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 148-148
Author(s):  
A. Heravi Moussavi ◽  
M. Danesh Mesgaran ◽  
T. Vafa

Reproduction and milk production are the principal factors that are influencing dairy farm profitability. The dairy industry in Iran has changed dramatically in the last decade. The shift toward more productive cows and larger herds in Iran is associated with a decrease reproductive efficiency (Heravi Moussavi et al., 2004). Increased knowledge about the principal causes of reduced fertility is essential. The root cause of the declining fertility is probably a combination of a variety of physiological and management factors that have an additive effect on reproductive efficiency. Dairy cattle are inseminated and pregnancy is established while dairy cows are lactating. Based on the analyses of large datasets, there is clearly an antagonistic relationship between milk production and reproduction in dairy cattle (Lucy, 2001). It was shown that the hazard ratio for cumulative first 60-day milk yield and conception in high producer cows was 8 percent less than the others and also high milk yield was a risk factor for several reproductive disorders (Grohn and Rajala-Schultz, 2000). The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of first 60-day cumulative milk yield on days open in Iranian Holstein dairy cows.


2002 ◽  
Vol 2002 ◽  
pp. 154-154
Author(s):  
Teimouri Yansari A. ◽  
R. Valizadeh ◽  
A. Nasserian

Nearly 2.4 million tons of rice is consumed by Iranian(37kg/person/year). Generally, in rice cocking process the grain is boiled and drained and a large volume of rice water is produced. Rice water is content of 5%DM, 0.43% CP, 3.75% NFE and almost 2 Mcal/KgDM gross energy. This liquid as a product of drained processing can be utilized in animal feeding (Valizadeh et al. 2000). Two studies carried out to evaluated the differences levels of rice water and its effects on milk production, rumen and blood metabolites of dairy cows.


2017 ◽  
Vol 4 (2) ◽  
pp. 91-98
Author(s):  
Maksuda Begum ◽  
Jahura Begum ◽  
Md Kamrul Hasan Majumder ◽  
Mohammad Monzurul Hasan ◽  
Md Shamsul Hossain ◽  
...  

Data on body measurements like BL (body length), CG (chest girth), WH (wither height) TM (test day milk production), PM (peak milk production), LP (lactation period), CFDC (cost for concentrate feed before test day milk production per cow), GGU (green grass used before test day milk production per cow) and husbandry practices, were collected from a total of 100 dairy cattle at the villages of Islampur upazila under the district of Jamalpur in Bangladesh from January to February 2017. Collected data were analyzed using SPSS software. The highest BL, CG, WH, CFDC and GGU were 175.71±0.42 cm, 161.74±0.24 cm,123.82±0.11 cm 125.54±0.24 bdt/cow/day and 27.29±0.89 kg/cow/day, respectively. The highest amounts of TM, PM and LP were 9.36±0.60 liter/cow, 13.11±0.54 liter/cow and 247.14±1.47 days/cow, respectively. BL, CG and WH increased with increased of the age of crossbred cattle up to 150 months of old. Similarly, CFDC and GGU increased with the increased of the age of crossbred cattle up to 150 months of old. Farmers in the study area were not interested to keep breeding bulls for breeding purpose but they were using artificial insemination system to inseminate their cows and aware about production performance record of the inseminating bull. Farmers took health services from milk vita and sold milk to the same. They believed that dairy cattle rearing a profitable livelihood. TM, PM and LP increased with the increased of the age of crossbred cattle up to 150 months of old. However, increase of CFDC will increase TM, LP and PM but increase of GGU will increase only LP. On the other hand increase of CG will increase TM and increase of BL will increase LP and PM.Res. Agric., Livest. Fish.4(2): 91-98, August 2017


2001 ◽  
Vol 26 (1) ◽  
pp. 223-236 ◽  
Author(s):  
M. C. Lucy ◽  
B. A. Crooker

AbstractSelection of dairy cattle for increased milk production has decreased some indices of reproductive efficiency. For example, days open are increased by one day for every 100 kg of increased milk yield per lactation. Some of the change in days open can be explained by delayed onset of oestrous cyclicity and lower conception rate to artificial insemination in cows with greater milk production. Despite these negative associations between milk production and reproduction, reproduction in herds of high producing dairy cattle is not necessarily compromised relative to reproduction in herds of low producing dairy cattle. This is because there is a large environmental effect on dairy reproduction. High producing herds generally have better management and better oestrous detection. Therefore, high producing dairy herds may partially overcome the antagonistic relationship between milk production and reproduction. Physiological mechanisms that lead to poorer reproduction in high producing cows are partially defined. Negative energy balance that occurs in high producing dairy cows can be associated with a delay in the initiation of ovarian cycles and the interval to first breeding. Many of the effects of negative energy balance on postpartum reproduction can be explained by decreased serum luteinizing hormone (LH) that is associated with negative energy balance. Serum LH increases as cows move toward positive energy balance and greater LH stimulates growth and ovulation of ovarian follicles. We have initiated studies to address physiological differences in high and low index dairy cows. The reproductive endocrinology of cows from a control line (5,900 kg milk/lactation) and a select line (10,900 kg milk/lactation) of dairy cows at the University of Minnesota was studied over a two-year period. Cows in Year 1 were similar for serum concentrations of LH, follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), and oestradiol (preovulatory period). In both years, serum concentrations of progesterone during luteal phases, however, were decreased in select cows. The Year 2 cows also had a delay in the return to oestrous cyclicity that was associated with reduced LH. The possibility that decreased progesterone causes infertility in dairy cows will require further study. Collectively, these data suggest that changes in blood progesterone concentrations may explain, partially, lower fertility in high index dairy cows.


2014 ◽  
Vol 12 (4) ◽  
pp. 236
Author(s):  
José Carlos dos Santos Breda ◽  
Luiz Ernandes Kozicki ◽  
Márcio Saporski Segui ◽  
Alceu Miguel Grebogi ◽  
Romildo Romualdo Weiss ◽  
...  

The study aimed (1) to verify if artificial insemination (AI), performed in the morning, evening or nighttimehas influence on the pregnancy rate on high production dairy cows, and (2) to determine the repeat breedingrate after the AI at intervals of 01-21, 22-43 and 44-65 days. We analyzed 1980 AI data from HolsteinFriesian cows from years 2004 to 2008. The average milk production on this period was 39 kg/milk/day/cow (305 days of lactation). The AI was performed 12 hours after the first detection of estrus. For the dataanalysis one AI was computed. The AI was done based on conventional method. The incidence of the AI in themorning, evening and night was 29.8; 50.4 and 19.8% respectively; and the pregnancy rate 45.7; 44.9 and48.4%. The frequency of the repeat breeding rate at the interval of 1-21 days on morning, evening and nightafter failed AI was 28.0; 22.3 and 19.8% respectively; at the interval of 22-43 days was 52.0; 52.2 and 55.2%,respectively and at interval of 44-65 days was respectively 20.0; 25.5 and 25.0%. Comparing the three timesof the day each other, the cows showed greater repeat breeding on 22-43 days (P<0.05) after the AI. It wasconcluded that times of the day has no influence on the on pregnancy rate; the highest repeat breeding ratetook place between 22 and 43 days after AI, resulting significant delaying of the open period.


Author(s):  
S. Panda ◽  
N. Panda ◽  
K. K. Panigrahy ◽  
S. K. Gupta ◽  
S. P. Mishra ◽  
...  

Niacin (Vitamin B3) is significantly important for the metabolism of animals and human beings due to its incorporation into the coenzymes NAD and NADP. For dairy cows, the microbial synthesis of niacin in the rumen is an important source besides its availability from feed and endogenous formation. This vitamin is involved in various energy-yielding pathways and for synthesis of amino acid and fatty acid; for which it is important for milk production. Supplementation of niacin has beneficial effects on growth of cattle. The production performance of dairy cows fed with niacin at 6g/day may not be satisfactory, but supplementation of 12g of niacin per head per day can increase milk production by about 1lb. An optimistic return on asset is possible if the supplementation is limited to high producing early lactation cows. Supplementing the dairy animals with a dose of 6-12g of niacin will not only protect them from various metabolic diseases but will also help them defend from severe heat stress; ultimately leading to augmentation of their health, production potential and economy.


2009 ◽  
Vol 52 (spe) ◽  
pp. 249-258 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paula Adriana Grande ◽  
Geraldo Tadeu dos Santos ◽  
Hilton Ribeiro ◽  
Júlio César Damasceno ◽  
Claudete Regina Alcalde ◽  
...  

The effects of farm, parity (PO) and month of parturition on milk production, percentage of fat and protein, somatic cell count (SCC), and milk urea nitrogen (MUN) concentration were assessed on four specialized dairy farms using 120 cows. Also, the effects of MUN on gestation rate (GR) and artificial insemination rate (AIR) in early lactation were studied. The parameters of production and milk quality were similar among farms and were not influenced by the month of parturition. Farm D presented the highest MUN concentration. Concentration of MUN, percentages of fat and protein and SCC were not influenced by PO. Cows with a value of MUN between 10.1 and 13.0 mg/dL had the highest AIR and GR between days 55 and 70 postpartum and after 70 days in milk. These data suggested that MUN concentration was a useful parameter to predict the nutritional and reproductive stages of dairy cows.


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