How does body condition affect fertility?

Influence of the heifer’s body condition on fertility

What is the optimal body condition at 1st service in dairy herds?

What is the optimal body condition score at calvingGiving birth to a calf. in beef herds?

Fat cow	Thin cow

Consequences
- Slow, listless birth, retained placenta - Milk fever, mammary oedema - Faster and more severe loss of weight - KetosisState characterized by the presence of ketone bodies (including acetone) in the blood. - Delay of onset of heatAlso “oestrus”. Physiological and behavioural phenomena that precedes and accompanies ovulation in female mammals. - MetritisInflammation of various tissues of the uterus, mainly of the uterine lining (endometritis), but also of the uterine muscle (myometritis or cervicitis). - High milk fat content in first tests	- Retained placenta - Under-production - True anoestrusState characterised by the absence of cyclicity and therefore the absence of heat. It is frequently observed after parturition for a longer or shorter period depending on the breed and physiological status. - Low fat content in first tests
Causes
- Dry cows not separated from others - Excess of feed during dry period or at the end of lactation - Prolonged lactation following a fertilityAbility of a living organism to reproduce. From a zootechnical point of view: ability to give birth to a calf, a lamb, a goat or a piglet. problem	- Restrictions on feeding at the end of lactation or dry period - Primiparous cows with parasites - Reserves not restored at the end of lactation