Research Article

Effect of pre-calving condition in dairy cows on calving quality and perinatal calf mortality

Ewa Januś ¹ , Piotr Sablik ²

¹Department of Cattle Breeding and Genetic Resource Conservation, University of Life Sciences in Lublin, Faculty of Animal Sciences and Bioeconomy, Akademicka 13, 20-950 Lublin, Poland

² Department of Ruminant Sciences, West Pomeranian University of Technology in Szczecin, Klemensa Janickiego 29, 71-270 Szczecin, Poland

1. Acta Sci. Pol. Zootechnica, 23(3), 2024

Abstract. In three herds, the body condition of Polish Holstein-Friesian (PHF CB) cows was evaluated between the 25th and 7th day before calving. The effect of body condition on calving quality and perinatal calf mortality was analysed. A 5-point Body Condition Score (BCS) scale was used for the evaluation. Basing on body condition assessments, cows were categorized into three groups: ≤ 2.75 BCS points, 3.0–3.75 BCS points, and > 3.75 BCS points. Difficulty of calving was classified on a four-point scale: unassisted, easy, difficult, and very difficult. Perinatal mortality was also assessed by classifying the cases as live calves or calves born dead or dying within 24 hours of birth. The average pre-calving BCS of all cows was 3.50. The largest percentage (52.13%) was related to the BCS between 3.0–3.75. In this range, the combined percentage of unassisted and easy calvings was the highest (93.96%), and perinatal mortality was only 2.11%. It was shown that cows in poor condition (≤ 2.75 BCS) or over-conditioned (> 3.75 BCS) showed a higher tendency of difficult and very difficult calvings as well as stillbirths. In the > 3.75 BCS group, the combined percentage of difficult and very difficult calvings was the highest at 20.11%, including 6.35% stillbirths or deaths within 24 hours. A 3.21% higher stillbirth rate was observed in the under-conditioned group. The relationship between pre-calving condition and both calving difficulty and stillbirth rate was statistically confirmed.

Keywords: Polish Holstein-Friesian BW cows, cow condition, calving quality, perinatal mortality