Retained placentas are a relatively common occurrence during the calving season, which can in turn affect the upcoming breeding season.
A retained placenta is when a cow or heifer fails to expel their afterbirth within 24 hours post-parturition or after calving.
We often see it in cows that have difficult calvings, especially in those who have calved down with twins or delivered a stillborn calf.
Although sometimes it may have nothing to do with the calf, it may be a result of another issue such as subclinical milk fever, mineral and vitamin deficiencies, or low immune systems.
Either way, a retained placenta drives up the risk of the cows coming down with metritis, ketosis and mastitis.
Fertility is often affected if the retained placenta has been removed forcefully.
By removing the cleaning yourself, you can cause damage to the wall of the womb, cause lesions in the uterus, or the placenta may even split, leaving the toxic cleaning within the animal.
That is why it is always recommended to let her drop it naturally, and if the animal has not dropped the cleanings within seven days, farmers should speak to their vet regarding treatment.
These issues can easily affect the cow’s cycles, so therefore as the breeding season approaches, carrying out the necessary pre-breeding checks is critical.
Pre-breeding
If a cow is not cycling at the start of breeding, it will be at least three weeks into breeding before they can be served, and even at that, conception won’t be guaranteed on the first try.
That is why we need to be identifying the cows that are not bulling by heat detecting for a full cycle of 24 days, and find the non-bullers that are calved over 35 days and still showing no signs of heat.
These then need to be monitored to highlight any underlying issues that are affecting her cycle.
Start tail painting cows now with one colour. Once they have shown signs of cycling, tail paint them with a different colour.
In terms of a retained placenta, that often links back to endometritis as the cleanings act as a gateway for bacteria to enter the vagina.
If you notice any vaginal discharge, you should get your local vet out to undertake a metric check.
Metrichecking is an examination of the discharge, scored on a 1 to 5 scale ranging from clear oestrus-like mucus to thick foul-smelling pus.
If the metricheck comes back with a score of two or more, then the cow more than likely has endometritis.
Identifying endometritis at an early stage means the cow can be treated with metricure or other treatments recommended by your vet, as it typically needs to be treated at least four weeks before mating starts.
If a number of cows are missing heat, and no health issues are prevailing, it may be worth considering a synchronisation programme.