Korean J Vet Res.  2011 Sep;51(3):233-237.

The impact of the duration of retained placenta on postpartum diseases and culling rates in dairy cows

• Hur TY
• Jung YH
• Kang SJ
• Choe CY
• Kim UH
• Ryu IS
• Son DS
• Park SJ
• Kim IH

Abstract

The objective of this study was to evaluate the duration of retained placenta (RP) on postpartum diseases and culling in dairy cows. Data were collected from 456 Holstein cows between 2008 and 2010. RP (> or = 24 h after parturition) and postpartum diseases were diagnosed by farm managers and a veterinarian according to standardized definitions. The overall incidence rate of RP was 14.0%, and the incidence rate of RP with fourth and higher parity was two times that of cows having offspring for the first time. The duration of RP was 2 to 15 days with a mean of 6.8 days, except for cases of fourth and higher parity which had a mean of 10.5 days. A total of 63% of cows with RP had postpartum diseases. Among the cows diagnosed with RP, 23.4% developed metritis, and of those, 35.3% developed endometritis or pyometra. A total of 25% (n = 16) cows with RP were culled within 60 days in milk (DIM) and of those culled, 75% (n = 12) had postpartum diseases. These results suggest that RP increases the risk of postpartum diseases such as metritis and mastitis and is a culling hazard up to 60 DIM.

Keyword

culling rates; dairy cows; postpartum diseases; retained placenta

MeSH Terms

Endometritis
Female
Humans
Incidence
Mastitis
Milk
Parity
Placenta, Retained
Postpartum Period
Pyometra
Veterinarians