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On large livestock complexes, ovarian hypofunction in cows brings implicit, but large losses. This is the same "lost profit" unprovable in the courts. Of course, cows cannot be sued. 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 on reducing milk yield are only 220-253 rubles. But on large complexes, where thousands of heads are kept, these couple of hundreds 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 "decoding" 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 during the winter period when they are kept in stalls. The reasons for the violation of the reproductive cycle:
- lack of walks;
- poor lighting in the barn;
- defective diet.
For the same reasons, hypofunction can occur in older cows. Failure of the sex cycle can be a sign of other cow health problems:
- inflammatory processes in the genitals;
- ovarian cyst;
- inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract;
- mastitis;
- ketosis;
- diseases of the endocrine glands.
Highly productive dairy cows often suffer from ovarian hypofunction.
With a lack of iodine in the diet of cattle, the thyroid gland is disrupted. It also leads to ovarian hypofunction.
Symptoms of ovarian hypofunction in cows
The main symptom of hypofunction is a violation of the reproductive cycle in cows. Such failures can last up to 6 months. The cow does not come to the hunt or comes, but does not fertilize. It is impossible to imagine a visual photo of ovarian hypofunction in a cow. The maximum that can be obtained is a screenshot of an ultrasound machine or a photo of an ovary obtained during an 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 state of the follicles is also determined. The cow is usually examined rectally by a veterinarian and should be considered a diagnosis rather than a symptom.
Diagnosis of ovarian hypofunction in cows
In the field, that is, in private barns, hypofunction is usually diagnosed in the old fashioned way: lack of hunting 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 hypofunction of the ovaries on ultrasound, the cow can clearly see the cysts and separate them from other similar formations:
- vesicular large follicles;
- cystic and compact yellow bodies.
You can also get information about the location of the cysts, their size and number. Ultrasound is also used to monitor the course of ovarian treatment.
Treatment of ovarian hypofunction in cows
After the diagnosis is established, treatment begins with improving the living conditions and recalculating the diet or treating inflammatory processes in the genital organs of the cow. With therapy "the old fashioned way", without the use of terrible hormonal drugs, the owner of the animal will have to master rectal massage of the uterus and ovaries. It is carried out daily, alternating 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 composition 2-3 times every other day.
Of the old 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 work 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 is injected with an analogue of Prostaglandin F-2-alpha. This injection is done 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 dysfunction, there are other areas of application of Surfagon:
- increased fertility;
- acceleration of the onset of the sexual cycle;
- increased activity of the corpus luteum;
- follicular cysts treatment.
Surfagon's activity is 50 times higher than that of natural hormones. It begins to act 2-3 hours after administration. Increased blood levels of gonadotropins are observed within 4-5 hours after administration. Gradually, the drug breaks down into amino acids, which are excreted from the body.
Application and dosage
The introduction of Surfagon is always intramuscular. With a mild degree of hypofunction, the drug is administered twice:
- 50 mcg on the 8-12th day of the cycle;
- 10-25 μg 10 days after the first injection.
With a more severe form of hypofunction, the drugs are used in a complex: 1, 3, 5 days - 4-5 ml of progesterone at a concentration of 2.5%, on the 7th day, 50 μg of Surfagon is injected. The cows are inseminated after they come to the hunt. To increase the probability of fertilization, no later than 2-4 hours after the start of the hunt, 10 μg of Surfagon is administered to the queens. This accelerates the maturation of the follicles, and ovulation occurs within the next 24-28 hours.
Both problems are often caused by hormonal imbalances. To reduce embryonic mortality in the early stages, 10-50 μg of Surfagon is injected once 8-12 days after insemination.
Results of checking the action of Surfagon on experimental cows
As a result of studies of the drug on a group of cows in the Sverdlovsk region, it was found:
- The hormonal background begins to recover within 24 hours after the injection of 50 mg of the drug. After 48 hours, hormone levels begin to drop sharply. In this regard, it is recommended to repeat the injections every 48 hours until the ovarian activity is restored.
- The introduction of Surfagon does not adversely affect the metabolism of the cow and does not interfere with the production of antibodies responsible for the immunity of the internal genital organs to infections during intercourse.
- Surfagon can be used to treat abnormalities in the reproductive cycle in cows, either alone or in combination with other hormonal drugs. In the first induced cycle, cows' fertility reaches 56.3-73.4%. In the next hunt, taking into account the already inseminated cows, the total fertility reaches 100.
- In the treatment of ovarian hypofunction, Surfagon can shorten the recovery period by 13-42 days and reduce the culling of cows due to complications.
Taking into account all these factors, Surfagon makes it possible to obtain additional products in the amount of 13.5-32.3 rubles. for 1 rub. costs.But this is in comparison with other hypofunction treatment methods. There will still be some losses in case of hormonal imbalance. And it is better to initially prevent hypofunction than to treat it. Even if it is 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 disruption after calving. Since hypofunction is often observed in winter, when livestock are kept indoors, it is necessary to provide them with optimal conditions.
Animals are well adapted to living in the open air, and there is no need to fear that for a short walk they will freeze their udders. Calves will not freeze even when playing together. In severe frosts, animals need to be released for at least half an hour or an hour.
It is necessary to provide good lighting (at least wash the windows) and ventilate the barn. The lack of vitamins and minerals in the winter diet is replenished by the addition of special premixes in a full dose. Savings in this case can be disastrous.
Conclusion
Ovarian hypofunction in cows can only be a problem in the case of serious diseases that need to be treated according to a different scheme. The cattle owner can avoid the physiological disorder of reproductive function by adhering to the norms of housing and feeding.
