Association of postpartum diseases occurring within 60 days after calving with productivity and reproductive performance in dairy cows in Fukuoka: A cow-level, retrospective cohort study

Abstract

Peripartum disorders in dairy cows negatively influence their productivity and reproductive performance. However, only a few reports have clearly indicated the influence of such disorders on the productivity and reproductive performance at a local-area or cow-level in Japan. This study aimed to elucidate the influence of diseases occurring within 60 days after calving on subsequent productivity and reproductive performance. Accordingly, a wide-area database on dairy production was used for epidemiological analysis; subsequently, multivariable analysis was performed to investigate the association of such diseases with productivity or reproductive performance in 6,545 cows from 178 farms in Fukuoka. We used 305-day energycorrected milk (305 ECM) as an index of productivity and conception and culling as indices of reproductive performance. With regard to causality, mixed-effects model was used for analyzing the association between disease and productivity, and Cox proportional hazard model was used for analyzing the association between disease and reproductive performance. Compared to the disease absence group, the disease presence group demonstrated significantly lower 305 ECM [−154 kg; 95% confidence interval (CI), −229 to −79] and risk of pregnancy [hazard ratio (HR), 0.85; 95% CI, 0.80–0.91] and higher risk of culling (HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.17–1.59). These results indicate that, in Fukuoka, dairy cows affected by diseases within 60 days after calving exhibit lower productivity and reproductive performance. Therefore, proper dairy cow management during the peripartum period to prevent diseases during early lactation may maintain or improve productivity.