Cow cow: concept, definition, main differences, performance improvement and economic damage

2024 Author: Howard Calhoun | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-01-07 20:55

Cows on farms, of course, are kept primarily for calves, and subsequently, respectively, for milk. The first offspring of a heifer is usually brought at 14 months. But sometimes it happens that a cow does not give offspring for a long time. Of course, in this case, the farmer can incur significant losses. After all, he has to spend money on animal feed and maintenance. In this case, the owner of the farmstead does not receive milk for a long time.

What does a dry cow mean

After properly conducted artificial insemination or mating, most heifers on the farm become pregnant. But sometimes it happens that even in outwardly perfectly he althy cows that periodically come into the hunt, conception does not occur. Such heifers are called barren.

In some cases, infertility in cows can be cured, in others not. At the same time, even an animal that has already given birth to calves can become a yalov. This is quite common on farms. In any case, a cow may be considered barren if it is notbearing offspring longer than 3-10 months from the last calving.

Distinguishing Features

Cows in our time, unfortunately, are quite expensive. And when buying such an animal, you should, of course, be more careful. Purchasing a barren cow for a backyard or farm can hit owners hard.

Distinguishing such a cow from a he althy one, of course, is quite difficult. But according to some signs, it is still possible to suspect a tendency to infertility. Experienced farmers when buying a cow are advised to first look at her horns. If there are large gaps between some rings, it means that in certain years the heifer was dry.

How to predict productivity when shopping

So we figured out what a dry cow means. In order not to incur losses in the future, it is better for the farmer to purchase already pregnant animals for the farm. This is the name of inseminated pregnant women, but before that they had never given birth to heifers. In this case, the farmer, in fact, acquires two animals at once. In addition, the profitability of young cows is usually higher than that of 3-4 year olds.

Buying a heifer is therefore a profitable procedure, but unfortunately, usually quite risky. The productivity of an adult cow that has ever given birth has in most cases already been determined. It is quite difficult to find out in advance how profitable the maintenance of heifers will be in the future.

To determine how productive a young cow will be in the future, of course, first of all, you need to inspect her udder. It should be large and well developed both in length and in width or depth. The nipples of lactating animals are usually widely spaced and resilient. They are directed slightly forward. The tissues of the udder itself in good cows are usually not fleshy, but glandular.

Also, a potentially high-yielding heifer can be identified by:

• deep chest;
• flat back;
• well-developed joints;
• thin and long tail.

Unfortunately, milk signs in pregnant heifers are often still not very pronounced. Therefore, when buying such an animal, among other things, you should ask about the productivity indicators of his older sisters, mother, and both grandmothers. If the "relatives" of the heifers give a lot of milk, there is no doubt that a good cow will grow out of her.

Damage to the farm

The barrenness on farms is usually determined as a percentage. For example, if 90 calves were born per 100 cows on the farm, this figure would be 10%. The percentage of infertility on farms is usually calculated at the end of the calendar year, that is, on January 1.

Economic damage from dry cows in the herd is made up of several factors:

• lack of offspring;
• lack of milk supply;
• feed cost overruns;
• deceleration of breeding herd growth;
• forced costs of buying new calves to meet the stock growth plan.

Remaining infertile cows reduce milk yield by 30-70%. In this case, the farmer's losses can amount to tens of thousands of rubles.

Main reasons

More than 55% of cow infertility in a herd is due to improper feeding. If the animal does not receive the nutrients, vitamins and minerals that its body needs, it will, among other things, have impaired functions of the genital organs. At the same time, a cow may experience:

• lack of sexual cycles;
• low fertility;
• high embryonic mortality.

In especially severe cases, atrophic processes can begin in the ovaries of a cow with improper feeding. Such an animal may subsequently completely lose the ability to reproduce.

The second most common cause of barrenness is non-compliance with the required technologies during artificial or natural insemination. In this case, even perfectly he althy, ready-to-reproduce cows can remain infertile.

Another common cause of lethargy is diseases of the genital organs. As a result of various pathologies, infertility in cows develops in 5-15% of cases. At the same time, most often barrenness in animals becomes a consequence of heavy calving or postpartum diseases.

Less common causes

Sometimes a barren cow also becomes when:

• metabolic disorders;
• diseases of the limbs.

Quite often, for no apparent reason, high-milk cows also become lethargic, from which they receive more than 7000 kg of product per lactation.

In some cases, infertility of heifers is a consequence of unsuitable conditions of detention. Barren cows can become, for example, due to high humidity in the premises. Often negatively affect the ability of cattle to reproduce and severe frosts or heat. Drafts on the farm can also increase the percentage of barrenness in the herd. Too frequent milkings during any lactation periods, early first insemination of heifers can also lead to lower herd reproduction rates.

How to improve farm productivity

So one of the main problems a cattle farmer can face is dry cows. What to do to prevent loss of profit due to infertility? To avoid losses and overcome barrenness on the farm, first of all, of course, you need to identify the causes of such a problem.

If the infertility of some cows is the result of improper feeding, the owner of the farm should, of course, develop a new, more suitable and balanced diet for the animals. Cows in the herd should receive coarse, juicy, concentrated feed in the required quantities, as well as various vitamin and mineral premixes. By balancing the diet of animals, overcoming barrenness, most likely,succeed in 3-4 months.

Also, a farmer who suffers losses due to infertility of cattle should definitely invite an experienced veterinarian to the farm. The specialist will examine problem animals to identify diseases of the genital organs and take all the necessary tests. In lethargic cows, pathologies of the reproductive system in most cases can be cured, and at a relatively low cost.

Sometimes it is possible to overcome a high percentage of infertility in a herd by changing the conditions of keeping cows. Most often, to improve productivity in terms of reproduction, farmers insulate the walls of the barn and equip ventilation in it. Thus, it is possible to reduce air humidity in the barn, to exclude sudden temperature changes and drafts.

Instead of a conclusion

Thus, we found out what a barren cow and a cow are. Infertility, of course, can cause great damage to the economy. Therefore, heifers and adult cows should be kept on the farm with strict observance of all the required technologies. Subject to a properly developed diet, the arrangement of a comfortable dry barn, periodic inspections by specialists, the percentage of barrenness of cattle on the farm can be minimized. Accordingly, the profits of the farmer himself will increase significantly.