Long-term effects of postpartum clinical disease on milk production, reproduction, and culling of dairy cows

Abstract

Two retrospective studies examining data of 7,500 lactating cows from a single herd were performed with the objective of evaluating the long-term effects of clinical disease during the early postpartum period on milk production, reproduction, and culling of dairy cows through 305 days in milk (DIM). In the first study, data regarding health, milk production, reproduction, and culling of 5,085 cows were summarized. Cows were classified according to incidence of clinical problem (metritis, mastitis, lameness, digestive problem, or respiratory problem) during the first 21 DIM (ClinD21). During 305 d of lactation, cows that had ClinD21 produced, on average, 410 kg less milk, 17 kg less fat, and 12 kg less protein compared with cows that did not have ClinD21 (NoClinD21). Although the interval to first breeding was not different between groups of interest, pregnancy rate through 305 DIM was lower in cows that had ClinD21 [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 0.81]. When individual breedings were analyzed, cows that had ClinD21 presented lower rates of pregnancy per breeding for breedings performed before 150 DIM, reduced numbers of calving per breeding for breedings performed before 200 DIM, and greater number of pregnancy losses for all breedings performed through 305 DIM. The rate of culling from calving through 305 DIM was higher in cows that had a single ClinD21 (AHR = 1.79) and in cows that had multiple ClinD21 (AHR = 3.06), which resulted in a greater proportion of cows leaving the herd by 305 DIM (NoClinD21 = 22.6%; single ClinD21 = 35.7%; multiple ClinD21 = 53.8%). In the second study, data regarding postpartum health and 305-d yields of milk, fat, and protein were collected from 2,415 primiparous cows that had genomic testing information. Genomic estimated breeding values (EBV) were used to predict 305-d yields of milk, fat, and protein. Genomic EBV and predicted yields of milk, fat, and protein did not differ between cows that had ClinD21 and those that did not have ClinD21. In contrast, the observed 305-d yields of milk, fat, and protein were reduced by 345, 10, and 10 kg, respectively, in cows that had ClinD21 compared with cows that did not have ClinD21. We conclude that clinical disease diagnosed and treated during the first 21 DIM has long-term effects on lactation performance, reproduction, and culling of dairy cows, which contribute to detrimental consequences of health problems on sustainability of dairy herds. Replication of our studies in multiple herds will be important to confirm our findings in a larger population.

Analysis of puerperal metritis treatment records in a grazing dairy farm in Argentina

“…To our knowledge, this is the first study to assess the efficacy of ATB usage for the treatment of puerperal metritis and its association with reproductive performance using a big database of cow records from a large grazing dairy herd during 7 years (> 2800 cows). While the use of big data for clinical research has become relatively com mon in veterinary applied epidemiology [18][23] [24], applied vet erinary health care [18][23] [24], and animal and dairy science [5] [20], it has not been the case with clinical trials for the treatment of puerperal metritis and clinical endometritis in dairy production medicine. Most of the randomized clinical trials that assessed the efficacy of ATB usage for the treatment of PM reported in the liter ature during the last 2 decades have the advantage of comparing an untreated group or positive control group but have the limita tion of including a limited number of animals [25].…”

Associations between maternal characteristics and health, survival, and performance of dairy heifers from birth through first lactation

“…Inflammatory clinical diseases caused by microbial infection and tissue injury, such as metritis, mastitis, lameness, displaced abomasum, and pneumonia, are prevalent in postpartum dairy cows and have a negative effect on reproductive efficiency of dairy herds (Santos et al, 2010;Ribeiro et al, 2013Ribeiro et al, , 2016. Approximately 50% of dairy cows have at least one clinical disease by 305 DIM, and the odds of pregnancy per breeding and calving per breeding in these cows are reduced substantially because of failures in fertilization and postfertilization survival of the developing pregnancy (Ribeiro et al, 2016;Carvalho et al, 2019). Most cases of clinical diseases occur in the first 3 wk of lactation, thus weeks before the first postpartum breeding.…”

“…Clinical disease of multiparous dams included uterine diseases, mastitis, lameness, and digestive and respiratory problems. problems that occur in the early postpartum period seem to have enduring consequences for ovaries and uterus that ultimately impair conceptus development and survival (Bromfield et al, 2015;Ribeiro et al, 2016;Carvalho et al, 2019).…”

“…Comparisons between heifers and lactating cows or between lactating and nonlactating cows have showed important differences in overall metabolism and in the biology of the ovaries, the uterus, and pregnancy (Sartori et al, 2004;Wiltbank et al, 2006;Cerri et al, 2012;Maillo et al, 2012;Valour et al, 2014). In addition, a large proportion of lactating cows experience postpartum clinical diseases (i.e., metritis, mastitis, lameness, and digestive and respiratory problems), which have longterm consequences on reproduction (Ribeiro and Carvalho, 2017;Carvalho et al, 2019). Similar to lactation, clinical diseases have consequences for the metabolism of the cow and the biology of ovaries, uterus, and pregnancy, increasing the incidence of reproductive failures (Bromfield et al, 2015;Ribeiro et al, 2013Ribeiro et al, , 2016.…”

Transition Period of the Dairy Cow Revisited: I. Homeorhesis and Its Changes by Selection and Management

“…The homeorhetic priority of milk production, impaired adaptation, and metabolic stress promote restrictions of other functions, although the sequence and cause and effect are not always clear. However, the abnormal incidence of metabolic disorders during early lactation (Drackley, 1999;Ingvartsen et al, 2003;Moyes et al, 2013;Carvalho et al, 2019) and the high culling rate and number of dead cows during the first weeks p.p. (Dechow & Goodling, 2008) before or almost parallel to the peak of lactation support the conclusion of a "pathological state": The "down regulation" of the processes "maintaining general health" causes and exacerbates health risks with fatal consequences, as shown by the increasing death rates with increasing MY (Miller et al, 2008).…”