Risk factors associated with detailed reproductive phenotypes in dairy and beef cows

• Published in: Animal (Cambridge, England) England), 2014-05, Vol.8 (5), p.695-703
• Main Authors: Carthy, T. R., Berry, D. P., Fitzgerald, A., McParland, S., Williams, E. J., Butler, S. T., Cromie, A. R., Ryan, D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: animal ovaries; Animals; beef; beef cows; Breeding; Breeding and genetics; calving; Cattle - physiology; Cattle Diseases - diagnostic imaging; Cattle Diseases - epidemiology; cow; dairy cows; dairy herds; Dairying; death; dystocia; Dystocia - epidemiology; Dystocia - veterinary; Embryo Loss - epidemiology; Embryo Loss - veterinary; embryonic mortality; equations; Female; Fertility; heterosis; Hybrid Vigor; Lactation; lactation stage; Linear Models; Ovarian Cysts - epidemiology; Ovarian Cysts - veterinary; ovary; Ovary - diagnostic imaging; Ovulation; Parity; Phenotype; Pregnancy; Prevalence; Reproduction; Risk Factors; statistical models; ultrasonics; Ultrasonography; ultrasound; uterus; Uterus - diagnostic imaging
• ISSN: 1751-7311; 1751-732X; 1751-732X
• DOI: 10.1017/S1751731114000354

The objective of this study was to identify detailed fertility traits in dairy and beef cattle from transrectal ultrasonography records and quantify the associated risk factors. Data were available on 148 947 ultrasound observations of the reproductive tract from 75 949 cows in 843 Irish dairy and beef herds between March 2008 and October 2012. Traits generated included (1) cycling at time of examination, (2) cystic structures, (3) early ovulation, (4) embryo death and (5) uterine score; the latter was measured on a scale of 1 (good) to 4 (poor) characterising the tone of the uterine wall and fluid present in the uterus. After editing, 72 773 records from 44 415 dairy and beef cows in 643 herds remained. Factors associated with the logit of the probability of a positive outcome for each of the binary fertility traits were determined using generalised estimating equations; linear mixed model analysis was used for the analysis of uterine score. The prevalence of cycling, cystic structures, early ovulation and embryo death was 84.75%, 3.87%, 7.47% and 3.84%, respectively. The occurrence of the uterine heath score of 1, 2, 3 and 4 was 70.63%, 19.75%, 8.36% and 1.26%, respectively. Cows in beef herds had a 0.51 odds (95% CI=0.41 to 0.63, P