title: Evaluation of vaginal discharge with the Metricheck device and the relationship to reproductive performance in postpartum dairy cows.
abstract: Vaginal mucus during estrus was examined with the Metricheck device and the relationship to the reproduction of high-yielding dairy cows was studied. The study was conducted in 99 dairy herds located in Western Germany and 1348 Holstein-Friesian heifers and cows showing spontaneous estrus were examined. Independent of the Metricheck result, the animals were inspected by professional insemination technicians and those suitable for insemination (n = 989) were bred by artificial insemination (AI). Reproductive performance was characterized by non-return rate at 90 days (NRR90). The discharge of the animals predominantly had a clear appearance (70%) and a stringy consistency (80%). Animals with clear vaginal discharge had higher NRR90 (56%; n = 697) than animals with abnormal (turbid, mucopurulent, purulent, sanguineous) vaginal secretion (48%, n = 292; P < 0.05). NRR90 was lower in animals with short calving to AI interval (< 70 days; 39%) than with medium (70-130 days; 54%) or long (> 130 days; 62%) intervals (P < 0.05). NRR90 decreased by 12% from the lowest (< 15 kg) to the highest (> 45 kg) milk yield class. In conclusion, the use of the Metricheck device integrated into the insemination procedure is recommended to identify dairy cows suffering severely from uterine disease.
authors: Department of Animal Sciences, Georg-August-University, Göttingen, Germany.
authors: Christian
authors: C
authors: Lambertz
authors: Denise
authors: D
authors: Völker
authors: Ulrich
authors: U
authors: Janowitz
authors: Matthias
authors: M
authors: Gauly
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D002418:Cattle Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000503:physiopathology; D003612:Dairying / Q000295:instrumentation* / Q000379:methods; D004971:Estrus / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000379:methods; D049590:Postpartum Period / Q000502:physiology*; D012098:Reproduction; D013997:Time Factors; D014591:Uterine Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*; D019522:Vaginal Discharge / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000662:veterinary*
keywords: Metricheck device; dairy cattle; endometritis; reproductive performance; vaginal discharge