Hostname: page-component-78c5997874-lj6df Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-16T07:28:05.571Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Effect of abnormal vaginal discharge at oestrus on conception rate after artificial insemination in cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

A. R. Mahmoudzadeh
Affiliation:
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agricultural Science, Gilan University, PO Box 3179, Rasht, Iran
M. Tarahomi
Affiliation:
Sefidroud Agroindustrial Company, PO Box 1651, Rasht, Iran
H. Fotoohi
Affiliation:
Department of Plant Breeding, Faculty of Agricultural Science, Gilan University, PO Box 3179, Rasht, Iran
Get access

Abstract

During a 2-year study from January 1997 to December 1999, the visual characteristics of the cervical mucous discharge of cows and heifers in oestrus and their relations to conception rate were studied in a large dairy herd of Holstein-Friesian cows. Cows were divided into two groups based on mucous discharge being of normal or abnormal appearance and the group with abnormal discharge was further divided into the following classes: cervical mucus with urine (CMU), cervical mucus with microbes (CMM), cervical mucus with blood (CMB) and a group with no cervical mucus (NCM). From 6169 cases of cows in oestrus, 82·2% had normal discharge, and the remaining 17·8% had abnormal discharge classifications (6·1% CMU, 5·1% CMM, 0·5% CMB and 6·1% NCM). Conception rate after artificial insemination (AI) in the normal group (38·3%) was significantly higher than that of the abnormal group (27·9%), (P < 0·05). When the conception rate of the normal group was compared with each one of the abnormal classifications, it was significantly different from that of CMU (26·5%), CMM (22·6%) and CMB (21·8%), (P < 0·05), but not from that of NCM (34·4%), (P > 0·05). From 1734 cases of heifers in oestrus, only 6% had abnormal discharges, and the conception rates of the normal and abnormal groups were not significantly different (P > 0·05).

We conclude that AI of cows in oestrus discharging cervical mucus that is contaminated with urine, microbes or blood produces conception rates significantly lower than those of cows discharging a normal and clear mucus. Absence of a cervical mucous discharge at the time of AI of cows does not imply a low conception rate. In the case of heifers, appearance of cervical mucus had no effect on the conception rate after AI.

Type
Reproduction
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Drost, M. and Thomas, P. G. A. 1996. Diseases of the reproductive system, female reproductive disorders. In Large animal internal medicine (ed. Smith, B. P.), pp. 15191556. Mosby, London.Google Scholar
Jainudeen, M. R. and Hafez, E. S. E. 2000. Cattle and buffalo. In Reproduction in farm animals (ed. Hafez, E. S.E. and Hafez, B.), pp. 159171. Lippincott Williams and Wilkins, London.Google Scholar
Mani, K. B.S. 1992. Culture and antibiotic sensitivity studies on organisms causing repeat breeding in dairy cattle. Indian Veterinary Journal 69: 11421143.Google Scholar
Noakes, D. E. 1996. Infectious forms of infertility in cattle. In Veterinary reproduction and obstetrics (ed. Arthur, G. H., Noakes, D. E., Pearson, H. and Parkinson, T.), pp. 389422. W. B. Saunders Company, London.Google Scholar
Ramaswamy, V., Andrew, M., Roy, P., Chandramohan, C. P. and Venugopalan, A. T. 1991. Aerobic microbes of cervicovaginal mucus from repeat breeder bovines and their antibiogram. Singapore Veterinary Journal 14-15: 6065.Google Scholar
Richardson, G. F. 1993. Metritis and endometritis. In Current veterinary therapy, food animal practice 3 (ed. Howard, J. L.), pp. 770773. W. B. Saunders Company, Philadelphia.Google Scholar
Salphale, G. V., Kadu, M. M., Fasihuddin, M. and Kadu, M. S. 1993. Study of some physical properties of estrual cervical mucus in synchronized normal and repeat breeder crossbred cows with reference to fertility. Indian Journal of Animal Reproduction 14: 7778.Google Scholar
Studer, E. and Morrow, D. A. 1978. Postpartum evaluation of bovine reproductive potential: comparison of findings from genital tract examination per rectum, uterine culture and endometrial biopsy. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 172: 489494.Google Scholar
Vlcek, Z., Kudlac, E., Nesnalova, E. and Lanikova, A. 1989. Fertility of cows after dystocias and complicated puerperium with respect to bacteriological and mycological findings in the genitalia. Acta Veterinaria Brno 58: 245260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Zaiijer, D., Counotte, G. H. M., Sol, J., Smidt, W. J. and Broadbent, P. J. 1993. Changes in the composition of cervical mucus of the cow during the estrous cycle as parameters for predicting potential fertility. Theriogenology 39: 569580.Google Scholar
Zar, J. H. 1999. Data transformations. In Biostatistical analysis (ed. Zar, J. H.), pp. 273281. Prentice-Hall, London.Google Scholar