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Bovine reproduction: problems during pregnancy

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DONAL OTOOLE DEPT VET SCI DISEASES OF FOOD ANIMALS AND HORSES

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Putting it in perspective
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Value of selected US commodities (2007)

11.4% swine 27% poultry 30.5% cattle 30.2% milk Cattle Milk Poultry Swine Sheep Catfish Others

Note: sheep less valuable than catfish (as a commodity companionship issues are separate)

Source: USDA NAHMS 2007-08 survey

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Typical production cycle

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Breed late spring - early summer

Cow rebred 45-90 days after calving Natural service Bulls turned out for 3 months to ensure cows are bred L Less labor l b Own or lease bulls

Pregnancy check Vaccinate cows 1. when open; 2. at preg. check; 3. in

late gestation

Vaccinate calves: branding; pre-weaning/weaning

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USDA NAHMS May 2009 4

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Goals
National average Pregnancy rate Abortion rate Calf losses Net calf crop 87% 3% 7% 77% Your target 94 96% <2% <5% 87 89%

Of breeding age females exposed to bulls/AI, national average producing calf (alive or dead): 91.5% (2007-08 numbers)
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Illness and death in calf crop (beef)

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Calf mortality:
50 70

60% within one day of birth 80% in first 3 weeks of post-natal life S Scours > pneumonia > other problems i h bl
Management:
Pre-calving Calving Post-partum
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Record keeping in cow-calf operations

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1992- 1993

2007 - 2008

67%

83%

USDA NAHMS May 2009

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Getting there
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Proper nutrition of brood cows/replacement heifer Minimize calf death loss Use healthy, fertile bulls healthy Cull non-breeding cows and heifers Breed heifers >21 days earlier than cow cohort Disease prevention in cows and heifers: ID cattle and keep records of health status
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USDA NAHMS May 2009

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Disease in periparturient period

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1. 2. 3. 3 4.

Dystocia Failure to ingest colostrum Hypoglycemia/hypothermia Environmental contamination, esp. damp crowding

Infectious disease influenced by these four factors

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Replacement heifers
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Smaller mean pelvic size dystocia

Differences in measurement Importance of calf birth weight Feed to allow modest weight gain (0.5kg/day) Restricting feed does not reduce dystocia rates Third trimester weight loss = dystocia Ensure well vaccinated sentinel group Conception rates: ~60% first 21 day cycle ~80% first 3 cycles Heifers bred at ~15 months 60-65% mature body weight Calve at 24 months Use bulls with low birth weight/moderate weaning or yearling rate EPDs
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Target weight for puberty in heifers (2/3 mature weight)

Breed Angus Hereford Charolais
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Weight 650 lb 700 lb 750 lb

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Effect of condition on estrus

Cycling 80 days post-partum
Body condition score 4 5 6 Percent cycling 62% 88% 98%

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Dystocia in heifers vs. cows

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Heifers

Cows

11%

5% 0 4% 0.4%

0.9% 1.8% 0.1%

Easy pull Hard pull C-section Normal

Easy pull Hard pull C-section Normal

USDA NAHMS May 2009

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Bulls
Sire selection

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Calving ease EPD (expected progeny differences)

>15-18 months old Breeding soundness examination:

Distinguishes satisfactory from unsatisfactory bulls Observation for physical problems Ob i f h i l bl Palpation of testis, and reproductive glands per rectum Observation of penis/prepuce; feet and leg conformation; eyes and periocular pigment Classification of semen: Sperm motility MOST important property - >30% motile
Sperm morphology - >70% normal Scrotal circumference
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USDA NAHMS May 2009

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Scrotal Circumference
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All testicles produce same number of sperm/gm

Bigger testicles = more spermatozoa

SC predicts earlier puberty in daughters 15 18 month old bulls: >31 cm

Adjust for age, breed, age of dam, breed, diet

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Diseases detected by BSE

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Small, asymmetrical, inflamed or degenerate testes Absent or defective epididymis Persistent frenulum ( tied penis ) >12 months (tied penis Short, deviated or corkscrew penis Penile hematoma ruptured penis Seminal vesiculitis common In WY and other range states: trichomoniasis
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Poor penile conformation

Persistent frenulum

Preputial abscess Penile hematoma

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Seminal vesiculitis
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Noah F20301

Esp. common in young bulls Ascending infection Various bacteria P i or asymmetry Pain Recovery unpredictable Control:

energy diet Antibiotics for 2 weeks

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Bull soundness BSE libido and mating ability

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Feet and legs check while walking Body condition too fat or too thin Ocular its how he finds the ladies Libido, Libido mating ability, social dominance ability If he cant find cows in heat and will not mate, or is dominated by other bulls, good BSE is immaterial Bull: cow ratio
Allow for terrain Young bulls: 1:15 20; older bulls: 1:20 - 30
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Artificial insemination
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More labor intensive Better disease control:

Trichomoniasis Campylobacteriosis (vibrio) py ( ) Poor nutritional development in replacement heifers Inadequate body condition of cows after calving Failure to identify cows in heat Failure to breed cows at proper time
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Poor results when:

Campylobacteriosis in cattle
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Now RARE Venereal Bacterial Persists on penis and in

female tract

EED or abortion Sterility Effective killed vaccines

e.g., Virbin venerealis

Campylobacter fetus ssp.

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Trich Tritrichomonas fetus

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Natural service bulls Venereal disease due to protozoan Recurring problem in WY, esp. in grazing associations Reportable to WLSB Test bulls during BSE InPouch test 3 times is best PCR once is adequate coming into increased use (mandated) Early returns to service and abortion (esp. early) Vaccine ineffective Cull bulls
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Confirmed venereal trichomoniasis in Wyoming

Sept 1, 2008 July 15, 2009 (7,550 bulls tested) Affected bulls/affected ranches
1/1

7/3 21/4 34/12

20/9

7/3

WLSB

<2% is normal

Abortion

Spontaneous abortions

Trauma, genetic and starvation uncommon Intoxications rare: ponderosa pine; locoweed; nitrates in WY Most unlikely to go through herd:

Opportunistic infections per vagina Twins Exceptions: BVD TRICHOMONIASIS Campylobacteriosis Leptospirosis Neosporosis BRUCELLOSIS Any systemic disease where fever-endotoxemia occurs

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ABORTION in a beef state

Viral 11%

Clyde Kirkbride, JVDI 1992

Bacte rial 14%

No diagnosis 51% Fungal 5% Othe r 2% No diagnosis, le sions pre se nt 17%

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ABORTION in a dairy-beef state

Dr. Mark Anderson 2003 AAVLD meeting

Protozoal 23% No diagnosis 40% Bacterial 17% No diagnosis, lesions present 16%
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Viral Other 3% 1%
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Neosporosis
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Rare in WY Most important cause of

abortion in dairy industry

Protozoan Dog-transmitted Vertical AND horizontal

spread
Vaccine so-so Post-natal CNS disease
Noah F19900
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Brucellosis
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GYA Eliminated in US Feb 2008 Bacterial B. abortus Late term abortion storms Elk and bison in western WY Spatial separation Vaccinate heifers Lifetime infection Testing at slaughter Zoonotic USDA regulated
Noah F19900
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Leptospirosis
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Underdiagnosed? Bacterial disease:

Leptospira borgpetersenii serovar Hardjo strain hardjobovis Leptospira interrogans serovar Hardjo strain hardjoprajitno

In urine Zoonotic Some reports of high rates of infection in herds, esp. dairy Diagnosis by serology Avoid by vaccination conventional vs. SpirovacTM Full spectrum disease: return to service; early embryonic

death; abortion/stillbirth; weak calves

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Systemic fever
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Underdiagnosed Recognized with febrile viral diseases Bacterial BRD? Oth ? Others? Difficult to confirm: No lesions in fetus No lesions in placenta

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Ponderosa pine abortion

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Isocupressic acid Associated with hard winters

and shelter-seeking

3rd trimester 2 14 days post ingestion Weak contractions Retained fetal membranes Weak calves Difficult to confirm Supplement in 3rd trimester Keep out of slash piles
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Mummies
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Fetal death Autolysis in absence of

putrefactive bacteria
Dried out May be dead for months Minimal diagnosis value in

cattle and sheep

Various causes

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Twins and abortion

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Can be ~10% of pregnancies Many early spontaneous abortions Recognized as <2.5% Complications: Death of one twin, esp. in unilateral pregnancies Freemartins Retained placentas Ketosis Dystocia

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In event of abortion storm

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Isolate animal till you know what is going on Protect yourself Submit fetus + placenta, if available Serum from cow, and resample 3 weeks later:

antibody tests

History: Illness in cows AI vs. natural service Retained placenta Recent introductions Other illness in herd
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Take home
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Attention to:

Bulls breeding soundness examination; venereal disease Heifers infectious disease crops up in this group first WHY? Cows records Opportunistic bacterial infections Regulated diseases: brucellosis and trich Toxic: pine needle abortion (regional in WY) Isolate dam Get tests run be patient, as it often takes multiple tries to figures out what may have occurred

Important diseases: p

In event of abortion storm:

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