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Early Postpartum Reproductive Profiles in Holstein Cows with Retained Placenta and Uterine Discharges

College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, Virginia Agricultural Experiment Station, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University

ABSTRACT

Sixty Holstein cows were allocated to three groups. Twenty cows had retained placenta. The remaining cows were examined on d 14 postpartum and those with purulent discharges (n = 22) were assigned to one group and the remaining (n = 18) to a control group. Within each group, cows were given randomly either gonadotropin-releasing hormone (i.m., 200 µg) or saline on d 15 postpartum to evaluate the effect on changes in ovarian structures and plasma progesterone through 50 d postpartum and fertility. Corpora lutea were found in control cows by d 21, cows with uterine discharge by d 28, and cows with retained placenta by d 27. Maximum progesterone production during the first luteal phase was higher in control cows than in cows with purulent discharge or retained placenta (4.66 ng/ml compared with 3.23 and 3.34 ng/ml, respectively). Duration of the first corpus luteum was affected by clinical condition. Only 6.2% of cows with retained placenta had corpora lutea of normal duration (12 to 16 d), whereas 43.8 and 50.0% of cows with uterine discharge and control cows had normal postpartum luteal phases. Measures of fertility were not affected by gonadotropin-releasing hormone. Control cows had less days to conception (97) and fewer services per conception (1.6) than cows with retained placenta (134 and 2.5, respectively). Clinical group affected reproduction more than gonadotropin-releasing hormone did, possibly by altering ovarian function.

¹ Department of Dairy Science.

² Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine.