<abstract xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><p> The objective of this study was to present a relationship between mastitis in the post-calving period and fertility traits of dairy cows. The threshold of 200,000 cells/ml for somatic cell count is used as a reference for healthy quarters of the cow’s udder. The genetic correlation between mastitis and somatic cell count is strong (from 0.7 to 0.8). Although heritability for fertility traits is low (from 0.01 to 0.02), the genetic standard deviation for mastitis varies from 1.2 to 7.0 percentage units, suggesting that genetic gain can be achieved by selecting for mastitis. Results of this study suggest that mastitis in the postpartum period can have a markedly negative impact on the reproductive performance of dairy cows. The synergistic effect of common conditions (somatic cell count, body condition score and lameness score) or other factors (e.g. heat stress, fertility management, the presence of repeat breeders) also lowers fertility of cows. Production of milk with fewer than 100,000 cells/ml leads to improved health and fertility in the cows.</p></abstract>

The objective of this study was to present a relationship between mastitis in the post-calving period and fertility traits of dairy cows. The threshold of 200,000 cells/ml for somatic cell count is used as a reference for healthy quarters of the cow’s udder. The genetic correlation between mastitis and somatic cell count is strong (from 0.7 to 0.8). Although heritability for fertility traits is low (from 0.01 to 0.02), the genetic standard deviation for mastitis varies from 1.2 to 7.0 percentage units, suggesting that genetic gain can be achieved by selecting for mastitis. Results of this study suggest that mastitis in the postpartum period can have a markedly negative impact on the reproductive performance of dairy cows. The synergistic effect of common conditions (somatic cell count, body condition score and lameness score) or other factors (e.g. heat stress, fertility management, the presence of repeat breeders) also lowers fertility of cows. Production of milk with fewer than 100,000 cells/ml leads to improved health and fertility in the cows.

A Connection Between Mastitis During Early Lactation and Reproductive Performance of Dairy Cows – A Review / Związek mastitis we wczesnej laktacji z użytkowością reprodukcyjną krów mlecznych – artykuł przeglądowy

Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Animal Breeding and Biology, Poznan University of Life Sciences, Wołyńska 35, 60-637 Poznań, Poland

Annals of Animal Science

The objective of this study was to present a relationship between mastitis in the post-calving period and fertility traits of dairy cows. The threshold of...

A Connection Between Mastitis During Early Lactation and Reproductive Performance of Dairy Cows – A Review / Związek mastitis we wczesnej laktacji z użytkowością reprodukcyjną krów mlecznych – artykuł przeglądowy

Published Online: Aug 01, 2013

Page range: 435 - 448

DOI: https://doi.org/10.2478/aoas-2013-0030

This content is open access.