Artificial induction of lactation as a remedy for infertility and stray cow menace

Sanjeev Kumari, Rajender Paul, M. L. Sharma, Shakuntla

Veterinary Polyclinic Bhuntar

India

Introduction:

In India stray cow menace is increasing day by day. Farmers do not want to keep the

cows that become repeat breeders and cease giving milk. Induced lactation of non-

pregnant cows may be a management alternative to reduce culling and increase profits

(Magliaro

et a

l., 2004). As cow slaughter and their use for meat purpose is not an option

in India, the non-lactating repeat breeder cows are finally left stray on the roads. These

stray animals again pose many kind of risks to the people in the form of accidents,

zoonoses etc. The present clinical effort was hypothesized at inducing artificial lactation

in such animals on one hand and treating infertility by the means of priming the

reproductive tract with estrogen and progesterone on the other hand. The effort was also

aimed at rehabilitating stray cows to reduce stray cow menace.

Materials and Methods:

Thirty cows (Jersey X Zebu) which were non-lactating and

non-pregnant were chosen for carrying out this clinical effort. The cows chosen for this

purpose were divided into three groups each comprising of 10 animals.

Group No. 1.

(Number of animals: 10

Non-lactating repeat breeder cows with clinically normal udder and teats, showing no

apparent clinical abnormality of reproductive tract but refractory to conventional

treatments. The owners were in a mood to let them stray.

Group No. 2.

(Number of animals: 9+1)

9 Non-lactating repeat breeder cows with clinically normal udder and teats but with

clinically appreciable reproductive disorders for more than a year and refractory to

conventional treatments and a free martin heifer. The owners were frustrated and wanted

to let them stray.

(Endometritis: 5, Pyometra:2, Free-martin:1, Fetal mummification:1, Uterine adhesions

post cesarean section: 1)

Group No.3.

(Number of animals: 10)

Stray cows adopted from roads which were non-pregnant and showing normal udder and

teats.

All the 30 animals (3 groups) were examined clinically before starting the treatment.

After clinical examination and ruling out any pregnancy all of them were given a dose of

Albendazole @ 10mg per kg body weight. The cows were induced into lactation using a

combination of Estrogen and Progestrone followed by Dexamethasone. For the first

seven days the cows were treated with once daily injection of stilbestrol 0.15mg/kg body

weight and hydroxy progestrone 1mg/kg body weight. Thereafter on 8th and 9th day only

Injection stilbestrol was given at the dose rate of 0.1mg/kg body weight once daily. On

10th day, no medicine was given while on 11th, 12th, 13th, 14th and 15th day once daily

injection of dexamethasone (4 mg total dose) and 4 tablets containing norgestrel 0.30.mg

+ ethinylestradiol- 0.03mg per tablet were given per os. The animals started lactating on

14th to 15th day of the therapy. Thereafter upon exhibition of regular estrus these animals

were inseminated (except the free-martin that did not show estrus).

Results and Discussion

Artificial induction of lactation with this protocol yielded 86% success rate for

induction of lactation and 80% success rate of conception in the repeat breeding cows.

The milk yield of the cows of all the groups ranged between 3 litres to 11 litres per day.

These animals are crossbred and their normal yield also ranges from 4 litres to 12 litres

per day in this hilly area. After exhibition of regular estrus cycle post treatment, all these

animals were inseminated.

In group-I out of 10 animals, lactation was successfully induced in 9 animals

while one animal showed failure of induction of lactation. All of them were diagnosed

pregnant 3 months post insemination. The cow which showed failure of induction of

lactation also conceived. Out of the 10 pregnant cows a cow aborted at 4 months

gestation and another one at 5 months gestation. Rest of the 8 animals calved on full

term.

In group-II lactation could not be induced in the free-martin heifer. Rest all the

animals showed induction of lactation in this group, but out of these, one cow did not

yield more than 300 ml of milk so it was not considered a successful induction. The cow

with uterine abnormality post cesarean section could not conceive and a cow with

endometritis could not be followed up due to its shifting to some other place; free-martin

was sterile, while rest 7 cows were diagnosed as pregnant 3 months post insemination.

All the 7 pregnant cows of group-II calved on full term.

In group-III, 9 out of 10 animals showed successful induction of lactation, out of

9 lactating cows, 8 cows were diagnosed pregnant 3 months post insemination. One cow

aborted at 4 months gestation, rest of the 7 cows calved on full term.

There was significant economic advantage to inducing non-pregnant, healthy

cows into lactation rather than using replacement heifers (Magliaro

et a

l., 2004). Since

studies reporting about the fertility decreases originate from regions all around the globe,

this situation seems to be widespread and universally accepted (Opsomer et al., 2006).

Various treatment protocols including hormonal as well as antimicrobial therapy have

continuously being utilized by various veterinarians to treat reproductive disorders in

bovines. Jayakumar

et al (

2000) have conducted a trial to evaluate the effect of