Multiple ovulations and so multiple pregnancies have increased recently in dairy cattle. The incidence of the double ovulation impact in high producers at insemination may be over 20%. Twin pregnancies are undesirable as they seriously compromise the welfare and productive lifespan of the cow and...

AIM: To assess potential risk factors for differences between predicted and actual calving dates in Holstein-Friesian cows in seasonal calving dairy herds where predicted dates are based on fetal ages estimated using manual rectal palpation. METHODS: Accuracy of predicted calving dates was assessed ...

Carrying twins has been extensively described as an emerging principal non-infectious factor jeopardizing pregnancy maintenance and reducing the lifespan of dairy cows. The risk of pregnancy loss during the first trimester of gestation for cows carrying twins may be from three to seven times higher ...

This study examines the impact of the body mass index (BMI) at calving on the development and postpartum efficiency of cows of Zebu origin. The study involved 87 cows and their calves [pure Nellore (N) or predominant Nellore composition in a cross with Charolais (C) (3/4N1/4C and 5/8N3/8C)]. The...

In 2067 dairy farms in developing countries will be modernized and automated systems will replace much of the manual labour on farms. Traditionally, livestock management decisions have been based on almost entirely on observations, judgement, and experience of the farmer. However, such manual...

This study examines incidences and timing of abortion in Holstein Friesian dairy cows with advanced twin pregnancies in north-eastern Spain. The study population consisted of 1,194 twin pregnancies in two herds recorded from 2010 to 2015: 522 bilateral and 672 unilateral. The presence of live twins ...

Chemical pregnancy testing is an alternative to traditional methods of pregnancy diagnosis (either manual palpation or ultrasound) in postpartum dairy cows and heifers. The objective was to validate a chemical pregnancy test that confers the advantages of using whole blood, rapid incubation times,...

Our objectives were to develop an economic model to estimate the economic impact of twinning in dairy cows and to evaluate management strategies to mitigate the negative economic impact of twinning in dairy herds. A probabilistic tree considering spontaneous embryo reduction, early pregnancy loss,...

Objective: To evaluate the efficiency of different ultrasound devices in achieving an early diagnosis of pregnancy in dairy herds. Material and methods: A total of 1976 Holstein Friesian cows and heifers were artificially inseminated (AI) according to the herd manager's regime. Pregnancy...

AIM: To assess the use and performance of activity-based oestrus detection systems (ODS) on two commercial dairy farms using a gold standard based on profiles of concentrations of progesterone in milk, artificial insemination (AI) records and pregnancy diagnosis results. METHODS: Two activity-based ...