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Animals
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Minimizing Pregnancy Loss and Calving Difficulty in Cattle
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Minimizing Pregnancy Loss and Calving Difficulty in Cattle

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Cattle".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (1 December 2022) | Viewed by 7813

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Takeshi Osawa

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Department of Veterinary Sciences, Faculty of Agriculture, University of Miyazaki, Miyazaki, Japan
Interests: bovine reproduction; reproductive disorders; timed artificial insemination protocols; uterine diseases

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Herd reproductive performance is commonly measured by parameters such as days open and conception rate. However, in terms of productivity and profitability, the number of calves born at the herd level, as well as at the individual level, for a certain period of time, is more important than the conception rate. Delays in the recognition of pregnancy loss (embryonic death and abortion) can cause loss of time and lower profits. Likewise, loss of a calf during calving, due to dystocia or stillbirth, negatively affects subsequent productive and reproductive performances. Furthermore, dystocia also threatens the life of the dam, leading to a huge economic impact. Therefore, regular checkup of animals throughout pregnancy and parturition is crucial. However, priorities for the management of pregnant animals often rank well below non-pregnant animal issues. A better monitoring system for pregnant animals should be established in bovine practice, not only from an economic point of view, but also from that of animal welfare.

We are seeking original research papers or reviews about how pregnancy loss and/or calving difficulty can be minimized in cattle (both dairy and beef). Manuscripts on the following are also welcome: a novel vaccination strategy for pregnant cows, induction of parturition without increasing the risk of retained placenta, prediction of dystocia, insights into the mechanism of the onset of parturition such as cervical ripening, pathophysiology of abnormal calving including premature birth, and prolonged gestation.

Prof. Takeshi Osawa
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • Abortion
  • Cattle
  • Calving management
  • Dystocia
  • Early embryonic death
  • Infection
  • Pregnancy
  • Premature birth
  • Prolonged gestation
  • Stillbirth

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Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

11 pages, 2825 KiB  
Article
Inflammatory Changes and Composition of Collagen during Cervical Ripening in Cows
by Eigo Yamanokuchi, Go Kitahara, Kazuyuki Kanemaru, Koichiro Hemmi, Ikuo Kobayashi, Ryoji Yamaguchi and Takeshi Osawa
Animals 2022, 12(19), 2646; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12192646 - 1 Oct 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2160
Abstract
Dystocia and stillbirths in cows pose a high risk of loss of both dams and fetuses, thereby resulting in high economic losses. One of the causes of these problems is birth canal abnormalities. Thus, to prevent these occurrences, it is necessary to understand [...] Read more.
Dystocia and stillbirths in cows pose a high risk of loss of both dams and fetuses, thereby resulting in high economic losses. One of the causes of these problems is birth canal abnormalities. Thus, to prevent these occurrences, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms underlying cervical ripening. Although physiological inflammatory responses and changes in collagen composition have been reported in humans and mice, related information is scarce for cows. We observed inflammatory changes and changes in the collagen composition in the cervix from late pregnancy to parturition to clarify some of the physiological changes associated with cervical ripening during normal calving in cows. Cervical mucus and tissue samples were collected from 41 Japanese Black cows at 200, 230, and 260 days of gestation and at 7-day intervals thereafter until parturition. The percentage of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMN%) in the mucus was calculated, and interleukin (IL)-8 concentration was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Blood samples were collected from the jugular vein, and leukocyte counts were determined. Picrosirius red-stained cervical tissue specimens were observed under a polarizing microscope, and the percentage of type I and type III collagen areas in the cervical tissue were calculated. The PMN% in cervical mucus was lowest at 200 days gestation (12–13 weeks before delivery), significantly increased 5 weeks before (21.7 ± 0.04), and was highest 1 week before calving (50.9 ± 0.04). IL-8 levels were increased at 295 days compared with those at 200 days of pregnancy (p < 0.05). No significant changes were observed in the white blood cell counts. The percentage of type I collagen in the cervical tissue reached a maximum (91.4 ± 0.02%) on day 200, significantly decreased after 274 days (3 weeks before calving), and continued to decrease thereafter until the week of parturition. There was no significant change in type III collagen levels. The results suggest that cervical ripening progresses when PMNs begin to infiltrate the cervix at around 260 days of gestation (5–4 weeks before parturition), IL-8, which increases at the end of pregnancy, mobilizes PMNs, and enhances inflammation, and that type I collagen changes are useful as an indicator of cervical ripening. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Minimizing Pregnancy Loss and Calving Difficulty in Cattle)
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7 pages, 203 KiB  
Article
Association of Herd Size with Stillbirth and Dystocia Rates in Japanese Black Cattle
by Moe Misaka, Mizuho Uematsu, Go Kitahara, Takeshi Osawa and Yosuke Sasaki
Animals 2022, 12(15), 1994; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12151994 - 6 Aug 2022
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 1562
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of herd size on stillbirth and dystocia rates; the relationships between herd size, calving season, parity, and gestation length in Japanese Black cattle were also explored. Data were collected for 41,184 calvings from [...] Read more.
The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of herd size on stillbirth and dystocia rates; the relationships between herd size, calving season, parity, and gestation length in Japanese Black cattle were also explored. Data were collected for 41,184 calvings from 15,512 animals on 905 farms between 2006 and 2010. In this study, herds were classified into three groups based on size: small (1–10 cows), medium (11–50 cows), and large (≥51 cows). Herd size had an effect on the dystocia rate (p < 0.05) but not the stillbirth rate. Additionally, interactions between herd size and gestation length were associated with the dystocia rate (p < 0.05), and the dystocia rate was the highest in small herds, followed by medium and large herds for cows with a gestation length of 281–300 days, which is considered a pregnancy of normal duration. In summary, in Japanese Black cattle, there were different effects of herd size on the stillbirth rate and dystocia rates, as herd size was associated with the dystocia rate but not with the stillbirth rate. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Minimizing Pregnancy Loss and Calving Difficulty in Cattle)
13 pages, 433 KiB  
Article
Calving Ease Risk Factors and Subsequent Survival, Fertility and Milk Production in Italian Holstein Cows
by Monica Probo, Marcello Guadagnini, Giulia Sala, Paola Amodeo and Agostino Bolli
Animals 2022, 12(6), 671; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani12060671 - 8 Mar 2022
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 2967
Abstract
The objectives of this study were to investigate the main risk factors associated with calving ease (CE) in Italian Holstein cow herds, and to estimate the association between CE and subsequent survival, fertility and milk production. Data obtained from Holstein cows in 40 [...] Read more.
The objectives of this study were to investigate the main risk factors associated with calving ease (CE) in Italian Holstein cow herds, and to estimate the association between CE and subsequent survival, fertility and milk production. Data obtained from Holstein cows in 40 Italian herds were retrospectively investigated. Calvings were surveilled and classified into two categories of CE, unassisted calving or assisted calving, based on the need for intervention. The following factors were analyzed as possible risk factor affecting CE: herd, number of calvings/herd/year, age at first calving (AFC), cow parity, gestation length, twinning, calf sex, previous calving-to-conception interval, previous milk yield, dry period and close-up length, and season of calving. The association between CE and culling risk within the first 30 days-in-milk (DIM), cumulative 60-d milk yield and predicted 305-d milk yield, and pregnancy risk within 150 DIM were also investigated. Of the 47,672 calvings, 37,892 (79.5%) were unassisted, while 9780 (20.5%) required some type of assistance. Among the risk factors, only the AFC was not correlated with CE, while for all the other risk factors an association with CE was detected. Assisted calvings were associated with an increased culling risk at 30 DIM, decreased 60-d milk yield, decreased 305-d milk yield and reduced pregnancy risk at 150 DIM. In conclusion, dairy herd management should aim at correcting/reducing the risk factors in order to limit the incidence of assisted calving, and possibly improve the quality of calving assistance; controlling CE within the herd is crucial to reducing culling risk, and achieving higher lactation and reproductive performance. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Minimizing Pregnancy Loss and Calving Difficulty in Cattle)
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