Determining the Association of the Dry Period Duration with Dystocia and Stillbirths in Dairy Cows by Considering Parity, Season, and Gestation Length

Abstract

This study aimed to assess the relationship between the length of the dry period (DL) and the risks of dystocia and stillbirths in Holstein cows. A total of 1072 healthy cows in lactations 1 and ≥2 were categorized based on the DL (mean: 58.07 ± 0.33 days) into three groups: short DL (70 days; 26.9%). Dystocia occurred in 12.4% of cows, while stillbirths accounted for 4.1% of calves. The medium DL group had the highest number of unassisted calvings. The dystocia rates were 11.4% for cows with gestation (GA) ≤ 274 days; 6.0% for cows with GA = 275–282 days; and 19.9% for cows with GA ≥ 283 days (p p p p p < 0.001). This research provides insights that could assist the dairy industry in making informed decisions to reduce the incidence rates of dystocia and stillbirths in cows.

Keywords

• dairy cows
• dry period
• gestation period
• calving difficulty
• stillbirth
• parity