Field Trial on the AHV Uterine Health & Fertility Programme

The aim of this field trial was to demonstrate the effects of the AHV Uterine Health & Fertility programme on fertility performance and to demonstrate ROI.

The trial started in February 2022 and finished 100 days after the last cow received her treatment. The animals were chosen randomly, including both first- and multiple lactation cows and conducted as follows:

The problem we’re aiming to solve

Studies have shown 80 to 90% of dairy cows have uterine health challenges two days after calving (Verhaert et al., 2014). Visible and non-visible uterine health challenges have been related to a decrease in milk production of 0.6 to 1.03 kg/cow/day (Arias et al., 2018). It is estimated that days open increases by 36 days due to visible and non-visible uterine health challenges (Strüve et al. 2013).

Parameters measured:

•  Milk yield (measured by parlour system up to 100 DIM)
•  Days to first visible heat (measured by CowManager)
•  Number of inseminations (collected from farm management system)
•  Number of open days (collected from farm management system)

Results

Key Findings

Cows that received Metri Tablet and Milk Start Paste directly after calving had:

• 98.2 kg more milk in the first 21 days in milk.
• 208.8 kg more milk during the first 100 days in milk.
• First visible heat 10 days earlier.
• A reduced number of inseminations from 2.64 to 1.60.
• A reduced number of open days from 97.3 to 72.6 days.

Total investment cost: £22.40 per cow

Assumed Costs

Return on Investment: £162.03 per cow and a ROI rate of 7:1

Cows receiving Metri Tablet and Milk Start Paste had the following benefits during the first 100 DIM:

Compared to the control group.

If you would like more information on the AHV Uterine Health & Fertility programme, please fill in the contact form below or contact your local AHV Consultant directly.

Sources:

HEPELMANN, M., KRACH, K., KRUEGER, L., BENZ, P., HERZOG, K., PIECHOTTA, M., HOEDEMAKER, M., & BOLLWEIN, H. (2015). The effect of metritis and subclinical hypocalcaemia on uterine involution in dairy cows evaluated by sonomicrometry. The Journal of Reproduction and Development, 61(6), 565–569. https://doi.org/10.1262/jrd.2015-015

Lin, Y., Yang, H., Ahmad, M. J., Yang, Y., Yang, W., Riaz, H., Abulaiti, A., Zhang, S., Yang, L., & Hua, G. (2021). Postpartum Uterine Involution and Embryonic Development Pattern in Chinese 

Holstein Dairy Cows. Frontiers in Veterinary Science, 7. https://doi.org/10.3389/fvets.2020.604729

Sheldon, I., Price, S., Cronin, J., Gilbert, R., & Gadsby, J. (2009). Mechanisms of Infertility Associated with Clinical and Subclinical Endometritis in High Producing Dairy Cattle. Reproduction in Domestic Animals, 44, 1–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1439-0531.2009.01465.x

Verhaert, F., Depreester, E., & Opsomer, G. (2014). RISICOFACTOREN VOOR KLINISCHE VERSUS SUBKLINISCHE ENDOMETRITIS BIJ HOOGPRODUCTIEF MELKVEE door Fien VERHAERT. 

Blanken, K., De Buisonje, F., Evers, A., Ouweltjes, W., Verkaik, J., Vermeij, I., & Wemmenhove, H. (2020). Kwantitatieve Informatie Veehouderij 2020–2021 (Quantitative Information Livestock Husbandry). Wageningen Livestock Research, Wageningen.

Hudson C.D., Breen, J.E., Bradley A.J., Green M.J. (2010) Fertility in UK dairy Herds: Preliminary findings of a Large Scale Study. Cattle practice 18(2): 89-94.