Content
On large livestock farms, ovarian hypofunction in cows brings subtle but major losses. This is the same “lost profit” that cannot be proven in the courts. Of course, you can't sue cows. You can only swear and treat animals.
It seems that the size of the losses is small, and you can ignore it. The costs of treatment, maintenance and feeding of infertile cows, as well as losses due to a decrease in milk yield, amount to only 220-253 rubles. But in large complexes where thousands of animals are kept, these couple of hundred add up to hundreds of thousands.
What is ovarian hypofunction in cows?
In simple terms, ovarian hypofunction in cows is a hormonal imbalance. The official “deciphering” is broader: after calving, the generative and hormonal functions of the ovaries weaken. Weakening is accompanied by a complete lack of hunting or defective sexual cycles.
Causes of ovarian hypofunction in cows
In first-calf heifers, hypofunction often occurs in winter when kept in stalls. Causes of sexual dysfunction:
- lack of walks;
- poor lighting in the barn;
- inadequate diet.
For the same reasons, hypofunction can also occur in older cows. Failure of reproductive cycles may be a sign of other health problems in the cow:
- inflammatory processes in the genital organs;
- ovarian cyst;
- inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract;
- mastitis;
- ketosis;
- diseases of the endocrine glands.
Highly productive dairy cows often suffer from ovarian hypofunction.
If there is a lack of iodine in the diet of livestock, the functioning of the thyroid gland is disrupted. This also leads to ovarian hypofunction.
Symptoms of ovarian hypofunction in cows
The main symptom of hypofunction is disruption of the reproductive cycle in cows. Such disruptions can last up to 6 months. The cow does not come into heat or comes but is not fertilized. It is impossible to imagine a clear photo of ovarian hypofunction in a cow. The maximum that can be obtained is a screenshot of an ultrasound machine or a photo of the ovary obtained during a post-mortem autopsy.
The disease also has other internal signs: the ovaries are reduced in size and the follicles do not ovulate. But the narrowing of the organs can only be palpated during rectal examination. The condition of the follicles is also determined. The cow is usually examined rectally by a veterinarian, and this procedure should be considered diagnostic rather than symptomatic.
Diagnosis of ovarian hypofunction in cows
In the field, that is, in private barns, hypofunction is usually diagnosed the old fashioned way: lack of heat and palpation of the ovaries. Few veterinarians bring an ultrasound machine with them, but this modern diagnostic method significantly increases the accuracy of the examination.In some cases, with ovarian hypofunction, cysts can be clearly seen on ultrasound in a cow and separated from other similar formations:
- vesicular large follicles;
- cystic and compact corpus luteum.
You can also obtain information about the location of cysts, their size and number. Ultrasound is also used to monitor the progress of ovarian treatment.
Treatment of ovarian hypofunction in cows
After a diagnosis has been established, treatment begins with improving living conditions and recalculating the diet or treating inflammatory processes in the cow’s genitals. With therapy “the old fashioned way”, without the use of scary hormonal drugs, the animal owner will have to master rectal massage of the uterus and ovaries. It is carried out daily, alternating it with irrigation of the cervix with sterile saline solution at a temperature of 45 °C. Instead of a solution, you can use a salt-soda mixture 2-3 times every other day.
Of the older drugs, serum Gonadotropin is used intramuscularly at a dose of 4-5 U/kg. It is combined with a solution of Proserin 0.5% or a solution of Carbacholine 0.1%.
To stimulate the functioning of the ovaries, cows can be injected subcutaneously with 25 ml of fresh colostrum 2-3 times with a break of 6 days. It can be taken no later than 12 hours after calving.
Nrogesterone is also used: 100 mg 2 days in a row. The kit includes an analogue of Prostaglandin F-2-alpha. This injection is given a day after progesterone and in a dose of 2 ml intramuscularly.
But there are also more modern drugs. Today, in the treatment of ovarian hypofunction in cows, Surfagon, a synthetic analogue of Gonadotropin, is widely used.
Surfagon
This drug is used not only for the treatment of ovarian disorders; there are other areas of application of Surfagon:
- increased fertility;
- acceleration of the onset of the sexual cycle;
- increased activity of the corpus luteum;
- treatment of follicular cysts.
The activity of Surfagon is 50 times higher than that of natural hormones. It begins to act 2-3 hours after administration. An increased level of gonadotropins in the blood is observed within 4-5 hours after administration. Gradually, the drug breaks down into amino acids, which are excreted from the body.
Application and dosage
Surfagon is always administered intramuscularly. For mild hypofunction, the drug is administered twice:
- 50 mcg on days 8-12 of the cycle;
- 10-25 mcg 10 days after the first injection.
For more severe forms of hypofunction, the drugs are used in combination: days 1, 3, 5 - 4-5 ml of progesterone at a concentration of 2.5%, on the 7th day 50 mcg of Surfagon is injected. Cows are inseminated after they come into heat. To increase the likelihood of fertilization, no later than 2-4 hours after the start of heat, 10 mcg of Surfagon is administered to the queens. This causes the follicles to mature faster and ovulation occurs within the next 24-28 hours.
Both problems are often caused by hormonal imbalance. To reduce embryonic mortality in the early stages, 10-50 mcg of Surfagon is injected once 8-12 days after insemination.
Results of testing the effect of Surfagon on experimental cows
As a result of studies of the drug on a group of cows in the Sverdlovsk region, it was established:
- Hormonal levels begin to recover within 24 hours after administration of 50 mg of the drug. After 48 hours, hormone levels begin to decline sharply. In this regard, it is recommended to repeat injections every 48 hours until ovarian activity is restored.
- The administration of Surfagon does not have a negative effect on the cow's metabolism and does not interfere with the production of antibodies responsible for the immunity of the internal genital organs to infections during sexual intercourse.
- Surfagon can be used to treat reproductive disorders in cows, either as a stand-alone drug or in combination with other hormonal drugs. In the first induced cycle, the fertility of cows reaches 56.3-73.4%. In the next heat, taking into account already inseminated cows, the total fertility rate reaches 100.
- When treating ovarian hypofunction, Surfagon can reduce the recovery period by 13-42 days and reduce the culling of cows due to complications.
Taking into account all these factors, Surfagon allows you to obtain additional products worth 13.5-32.3 rubles. for 1 rub. costs. But this is in comparison with other methods of treating hypofunction. There will still be some losses due to hormonal imbalance. And it is better to prevent hypofunction from occurring in the first place than to treat it. Even if it's fast.
Disease prevention
It is often impossible to prevent inflammation and other diseases of the reproductive organs. But it is quite possible to try to avoid hormonal imbalance after calving. Since hypofunction is often observed in winter, when livestock are kept indoors, it is necessary to provide them with optimal housing conditions.
The animals are well adapted to living in the open air, and there is no need to worry that they will freeze their udders during a short walk. The calves won't get cold playing together. In severe frosts, animals should be released for at least half an hour to an hour.
It is necessary to ensure good lighting (at least wash the windows) and ventilation of the barn.The lack of vitamins and minerals in the winter diet is compensated for by adding special premixes in full doses. Saving in this case can be disastrous.
Conclusion
Hypofunction of the ovaries in cows can be a problem only in the case of serious diseases that will need to be treated according to a different scheme. The owner of cattle can avoid physiological disorders of reproductive function by observing the standards of housing and feeding.
