Postpartum health is associated with detection of estrus by activity monitors and reproductive performance in dairy cows

ABSTRACT: The objective of this prospective observational study was to investigate associations of postpartum health with estrus detection (ED) by activity monitors and pregnancy outcomes in dairy cows. A total of 1,743 Holstein cows from 2 commercial dairy herds in Ontario, Canada were enrolled 3 w...

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Main Authors: T.C. Bruinjé, E.I. Morrison, E.S. Ribeiro, D.L. Renaud, R. Couto Serrenho, S.J. LeBlanc
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Elsevier 2023-12-01
Series:Journal of Dairy Science
Subjects:
Online Access:http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223005878
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author T.C. Bruinjé
E.I. Morrison
E.S. Ribeiro
D.L. Renaud
R. Couto Serrenho
S.J. LeBlanc
author_facet T.C. Bruinjé
E.I. Morrison
E.S. Ribeiro
D.L. Renaud
R. Couto Serrenho
S.J. LeBlanc
author_sort T.C. Bruinjé
collection DOAJ
description ABSTRACT: The objective of this prospective observational study was to investigate associations of postpartum health with estrus detection (ED) by activity monitors and pregnancy outcomes in dairy cows. A total of 1,743 Holstein cows from 2 commercial dairy herds in Ontario, Canada were enrolled 3 wk before expected parturition and examined for health variables until 9 wk postpartum. Body condition score (BCS) and lameness were measured at 3 wk prepartum, and serum concentrations of total Ca, haptoglobin (Hp), and nonesterified fatty acids were measured at 2 and 6 ± 2 d in milk (DIM), and blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and metritis were assessed at 4, 8, 11, and 15 ± 2 DIM. Cows were examined for purulent vaginal discharge (PVD) and endometritis (ENDO) by endometrial cytology at wk 5, for lameness at wk 3 and 7, for BCS at wk 9 postpartum, and for time to onset of cyclicity by biweekly serum progesterone (P4) measurements. Additional disease data were obtained from farm records. Reproductive management for first AI was primarily based on ED by activity monitors until at least 75 DIM, and cows not detected in estrus were synchronized. Data were analyzed in multivariable logistic or Cox proportional hazards regression models including blood markers, health variables, potential covariates, and herd as a random effect. Estrus was detected in 77% of primiparous and 66% of multiparous cows between 50 or 55 DIM and 75 DIM. In 1,246 cows, the model-predicted probability of ED (percentage point difference) was lower in cows that had retained placenta (−14%), ENDO (−7%), PVD (−8%), delayed cyclicity (no P4 > 1 ng/mL by wk 9; −12%), or ≥0.5-point BCS loss (−14%) compared with cows without each of these risk factors, and it was negatively associated with blood BHB at 15 DIM. Considering only variables measured on farm (not requiring laboratory analysis), the probability of ED was lower (56 vs. 81%) in cows with >1 risk factor compared with cows without risk factors. The predicted probability of pregnancy at first artificial insemination (percentage point difference) was lower in cows that had ENDO (−7%) or PVD (−7%), and negatively associated with serum Hp at 6 ± 2 DIM. In cows detected in estrus by 75 DIM (n = 888), risk factors for reduced pregnancy rate by 250 DIM (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR); 95% confidence intervals) included difficult calving (AHR: 0.67; 0.45 to 1.00), metritis (AHR: 0.79; 0.61 to 1.01), PVD (AHR: 0.79; 0.65 to 0.97), or lameness (AHR: 0.79; 0.62 to 1.01), and it was negatively associated with serum Hp at 6 ± 2 DIM. Monitoring postpartum health may be used to identify cows that are more or less likely to be detected in estrus by activity monitors and to become pregnant in a timely manner. This would support a selective reproductive management program with targeted interventions.
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spelling doaj.art-5bf947009e314d22b4a9c6198aa4ece42023-12-15T07:22:07ZengElsevierJournal of Dairy Science0022-03022023-12-011061294519473Postpartum health is associated with detection of estrus by activity monitors and reproductive performance in dairy cowsT.C. Bruinjé0E.I. Morrison1E.S. Ribeiro2D.L. Renaud3R. Couto Serrenho4S.J. LeBlanc5Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1; Corresponding authorDepartment of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON, Canada N1G 2W1ABSTRACT: The objective of this prospective observational study was to investigate associations of postpartum health with estrus detection (ED) by activity monitors and pregnancy outcomes in dairy cows. A total of 1,743 Holstein cows from 2 commercial dairy herds in Ontario, Canada were enrolled 3 wk before expected parturition and examined for health variables until 9 wk postpartum. Body condition score (BCS) and lameness were measured at 3 wk prepartum, and serum concentrations of total Ca, haptoglobin (Hp), and nonesterified fatty acids were measured at 2 and 6 ± 2 d in milk (DIM), and blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and metritis were assessed at 4, 8, 11, and 15 ± 2 DIM. Cows were examined for purulent vaginal discharge (PVD) and endometritis (ENDO) by endometrial cytology at wk 5, for lameness at wk 3 and 7, for BCS at wk 9 postpartum, and for time to onset of cyclicity by biweekly serum progesterone (P4) measurements. Additional disease data were obtained from farm records. Reproductive management for first AI was primarily based on ED by activity monitors until at least 75 DIM, and cows not detected in estrus were synchronized. Data were analyzed in multivariable logistic or Cox proportional hazards regression models including blood markers, health variables, potential covariates, and herd as a random effect. Estrus was detected in 77% of primiparous and 66% of multiparous cows between 50 or 55 DIM and 75 DIM. In 1,246 cows, the model-predicted probability of ED (percentage point difference) was lower in cows that had retained placenta (−14%), ENDO (−7%), PVD (−8%), delayed cyclicity (no P4 > 1 ng/mL by wk 9; −12%), or ≥0.5-point BCS loss (−14%) compared with cows without each of these risk factors, and it was negatively associated with blood BHB at 15 DIM. Considering only variables measured on farm (not requiring laboratory analysis), the probability of ED was lower (56 vs. 81%) in cows with >1 risk factor compared with cows without risk factors. The predicted probability of pregnancy at first artificial insemination (percentage point difference) was lower in cows that had ENDO (−7%) or PVD (−7%), and negatively associated with serum Hp at 6 ± 2 DIM. In cows detected in estrus by 75 DIM (n = 888), risk factors for reduced pregnancy rate by 250 DIM (adjusted hazard ratio (AHR); 95% confidence intervals) included difficult calving (AHR: 0.67; 0.45 to 1.00), metritis (AHR: 0.79; 0.61 to 1.01), PVD (AHR: 0.79; 0.65 to 0.97), or lameness (AHR: 0.79; 0.62 to 1.01), and it was negatively associated with serum Hp at 6 ± 2 DIM. Monitoring postpartum health may be used to identify cows that are more or less likely to be detected in estrus by activity monitors and to become pregnant in a timely manner. This would support a selective reproductive management program with targeted interventions.http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223005878activity monitoringestrous expressionfertilityreproductiontransition period
spellingShingle T.C. Bruinjé
E.I. Morrison
E.S. Ribeiro
D.L. Renaud
R. Couto Serrenho
S.J. LeBlanc
Postpartum health is associated with detection of estrus by activity monitors and reproductive performance in dairy cows
Journal of Dairy Science
activity monitoring
estrous expression
fertility
reproduction
transition period
title Postpartum health is associated with detection of estrus by activity monitors and reproductive performance in dairy cows
title_full Postpartum health is associated with detection of estrus by activity monitors and reproductive performance in dairy cows
title_fullStr Postpartum health is associated with detection of estrus by activity monitors and reproductive performance in dairy cows
title_full_unstemmed Postpartum health is associated with detection of estrus by activity monitors and reproductive performance in dairy cows
title_short Postpartum health is associated with detection of estrus by activity monitors and reproductive performance in dairy cows
title_sort postpartum health is associated with detection of estrus by activity monitors and reproductive performance in dairy cows
topic activity monitoring
estrous expression
fertility
reproduction
transition period
url http://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0022030223005878
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AT dlrenaud postpartumhealthisassociatedwithdetectionofestrusbyactivitymonitorsandreproductiveperformanceindairycows
AT rcoutoserrenho postpartumhealthisassociatedwithdetectionofestrusbyactivitymonitorsandreproductiveperformanceindairycows
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