Cows and the backbone of our country: through culture and beyond!
Cows are known for their substantial contributions to our country in various fields, including agriculture [through bulls and bullocks], the dairy industry [through milk and milk products], and religious and cultural points of view.
India contributes about 23% of the world’s milk production. It is the largest dairy producer due to the small-scale producers who use cows for their daily meals and nutritional needs.
Large-scale producers and dairies also produce more milk than the numerous smallholder dairy producers. It is estimated that around 80 million people work directly or indirectly in the dairy industry in India. Frequently, households headed by women take over the dairy operations conducted at a small scale level as this is an important source of revenue for them. Milk is a complete food that supplies the critical proteins, lipids, vitamins, and minerals that fulfill all the necessary nutritional needs.
With milk and milk production comes fertility, which acts as a behind-the-scenes maestro for this orchestra of production and output. Hence, fertility is an important component of cows’ economic contribution. Fertility is usually enhanced by enhancing the genetic quality of dairy cows, which further improves milk output. We need our cows to be healthy and in excellent reproductive health.
Infertility in cows: the new threat to dairy production
As miniscule as this topic sounds, infertility in cows not only poses a challenge in front of the agricultural sector but also affects the livelihoods of small-scale dairy farmers. Reproductive health is the direct reflection of the livelihood of the nation as a whole.
Since fertility impacts milk yields, the immediate impact is a reduced number of calves and, therefore, a reduced amount of dairy and dairy products in the market. This leads to high costs of nutrients and limited availability for many families because dairy products are their primary source of nutrients in rural areas.
On the other hand, smallholder farmers who own a few cows can experience significant losses because their only source of cash income is reduced. This diminishes their earnings and compromises their capacity to spend on necessities such as feed, health care, and education. Hence, increasing cow fertility rates is not exclusively about developing more efficient farming techniques; it is a means of rebuilding economic resilience and feeding hungry nations.
Fertility in cows: key factors that may affect the fertility of cows
- Nutritional deficits: Inadequate or unbalanced diets may result in deficits in vital nutrients, including proteins, vitamins, and minerals, that are important for reproductive health.
- Heat Stress: High temperatures may adversely affect a cow’s reproductive hormones, resulting in fewer oestrus (heat) cycles and a reduced conception rate.
- Poor Management Practices: Some improper breeding management practices can be reflected in late insemination or failure to determine the proper time for mating.
- Health Concerns: Cows affected by some diseases, such as mastitis, reproductive organ infections, or metabolic disorders, such as milk fever or ketosis, could have low fertility.
- Genetic Factors: Reproductive inefficiencies caused by fertility issues may be attributed to genetic makeups, especially tendencies towards particular breeds or certain animals.
- Environmental Stressors: Stress resulting from factors like cramped living conditions, overcrowding, and inadequate housing may influence fertility and hormonal balance.
- Hormonal Treatment Usage: Overdosage of hormonal treatment drugs or applications may be more detrimental rather than helpful to one’s reproductive health, possibly resulting in irregular cycles as experienced above.
- Age: Older cows are expected to be less likely to conceive because of age factors such as lower rates of ovarian activity and being more likely to be pregnant with other diseases.
- Lack of Veterinary Care: Diseases that may lead to infertility may not be diagnosed in dogs because they cannot access veterinary care to prevent or check diseases affecting their reproductive health.
- Weaning Procedures: If a cow is weaned too quickly or without the proper precautions, the stress of the procedure can negatively affect her reproductive health.
Can we determine whether fertility in cows is adversely affected?
The answer is yes. This may be a bit complicated, but it is not as difficult as we think once we get the hang of a few things. Determining if fertility is affected in cows involves observing various signs and indicators. Here are some methods to assess fertility issues:
- Detecting Oestrus: These are heat indicators, including mounting behavior, vocalization, and increase in activity/oestrus. A lack of heat or a history of having heat only occasionally may mean fertility problems.
- Breeding Records: Record the dates, techniques, and conception rates when breeding your Animals consistently and effectively. If the rate of conception is not as expected, the failure to conceive could be due to fertility issues.
- Veterinary Pregnancy Diagnosis: To treat infertility, practitioners use methods such as blood tests or ultrasounds to confirm pregnancy. Routine checks may help identify the beginning of a non-pregnant cow’s cycle.
- Body Condition Scoring: Assess the general health of cows. Overweight or underweight cows may experience disruptions in hormonal balances and be unable to conceive.
- Milk Production Records: Monitor the lactation rate; a total drop in the production level could signal metabolic disorders or diseases that affect fertility levels.
- Vaginal and Reproductive Health Checks: Routine checkups with the vet should also be done to check for possible uterine abnormalities or retained placenta or infections.
- Behavioral Changes: Look for signs that it is time to consider reproductive concerns, such as a reduced level of sexual interest or a reluctance to mate.
- Hormonal Assessments: Blood tests can measure the concentration of progesterone and estrogen, which can help with fertility issues.
- Health Monitoring: Since diseases have implications on fertility and overall health, any sickness that may be present should be addressed.
- Fertility Management Programs: Implement frequent assessments and well-organized fertility plans incorporating data-based interventions.
Thus, these methods can evaluate male and female fertility among farmers, vets, and dairy farmers. Possible fertility problems can be detected as early as possible, and necessary actions can be taken.
Homeopathic veterinary medicine
To combat the problem of infertility, here is a veterinary homeopathic remedy that helps in the problem of infertility of cows, namely- uterogen.
Uterogen uses
Uterogen is a Homeopathic Veterinary Medicine that regulates the Hormones in Cattle. Uterogen medicine is a Homeopathic Veterinary Medicine for female animals in the case of Uterine troubles like hormonal imbalance, habitual abortion, delivery complications, retention of placenta, metritis, pyometra, etc., thereby working on the underlying infertility-causing factors aiding in the mitigation of infertility in cows.
Conclusion
Therefore, managing infertility in dairy cows is crucial in supporting the source of income for small-scale farmers and the dairy subsector. Uterogen veterinary homeopathy is a solution to the improvement of cattle reproduction through hormonal balancing and treatment of deep-rooted uterine complications. Hence, it facilitates improved fertility rates, which leads to better milk production and improved economic fortune of rural households and large producers of uterogen. Fertility in cows goes hand in hand with milk production, and by enhancing cow reproduction cycles, farmers are better placed to meet their people’s nutritional needs and income sources. With India being at the forefront of global dairy production, it becomes imperative for cows to be rewarded with solutions such as Uterogen; it is more than a health concern for the animals; it is a question of food security, rural development, and the economic stability of millions of people.