The experts say: Early treatment is the way to go! Three reasons for metrichecking early this season:
- Check early or miss the signs – The uterus contracts down from its massive size at pregnancy to its pre-pregnant size over just 3 weeks. During this period, any infection or discharge is squeezed out into the vagina. Except in very severe cases, from three weeks on, pus stops being squeezed out into the vagina. This means that these cows may not be picked up at metrichecking time, despite many of them still being infected.
- Missed cows are less fertile! – Missed cows have what we call “sub-clinical” infections. This is a bit like sub-clinical mastitis; we can’t see the infection but pus is still present. In this case, the infected cells are in the uterus, rather than the udder. It should come as no surprise that sperm cells struggle to move through a uterus lined with pus and infection. Even if they do manage to survive, the embryo won’t. Studies have shown that cows with sub-clinical uterine infections have conception rates up to 50% lower than un-infected cows.
- Missed infections cost you money! – Putting AI straws into a uterus lined with pus is clearly a waste of money! However, the main cost is the increase in the number of days it takes for sub-clinically infected cows to conceive and the resulting reduction in days in milk next season. These infected cows decrease your 6-week in-calf rate and possibly the empty rate if they do not manage to self-cure.
There are various ways you can group cows for early metrichecking, ranging from two to four batches. The main thing to do is action it now!! Ring us to discuss a plan and book the job in.
