The Beef Cattle Health and Nutrition Podcast Dealing with a herd infertility case with Dr. Zach Johnson
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Oct 26, 2023 Dr. Zach Johnson, a mixed animal veterinarian from Melville, Saskatchewan, discusses a challenging herd infertility case. He shares insights on the complex nature of diagnosing infertility, outlining the various diagnostic tests employed. One surprising culprit was widespread copper deficiency, which led to impaired fertility. Zach emphasizes the importance of consistent mineral provision and the economic benefits of regular pregnancy checks to identify issues early and enhance herd management.
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Large Herd Infertility Discovery
- Dr. Zach Johnson described a 350-head commercial herd where 103 of ~347 cows were open at pregnancy check.
- The herd had previously been vaccinated and appeared normal externally, making the high open rate surprising.
Challenges Of Investigating Infertility
- Infertility investigations are hard because you examine the herd after breeding and often must reconstruct past events.
- Multiple causes (nutritional, infectious, management) complicate finding a single answer.
Sample Strategically For Diagnostics
- Test representative samples rather than every animal to balance cost and information when investigating infertility.
- Run infectious disease titers and mineral/vitamin blood tests to cover likely causes.