Reproductive performance starts long before the cow is confirmed pregnant. While producers rely on metrics to evaluate their reproduction program, many factors—like nutrition, management, environment and health—directly contribute to an animal’s ability to conceive. One of these critical factors is uterine health.

Why Uterine Health?

The prevalence and financial losses related to uterine diseases, like metritis, are staggering. Research has shown that one case of metritis can cost the dairy hundreds of dollars, and subclinical metritis can impact as much as 20 percent of the herd¹.

“Endometritis and metritis can cost the dairy producer as much as $363 per case,” explains Senior Manager, Technology with Arm & Hammer Animal Nutrition, Dr. Elliot Block. “The cost is mainly due to the reduction in milk production and treatment cost. If the animal doesn’t respond quickly to treatment, metritis can also lead to milk loss throughout the lactation as well as delays in future breeding.”

The most successful way to treat metritis is to proactively avoid the uterine disease altogether.

Nutrition Matters

One tool that may help reduce the incidence of endometritis is MEGALAC®-R Omega-3 and Omega-6 Essential Fatty Acids (EFAs). Research¹ conducted on a large commercial dairy by the University of Arizona compared the reproductive health and performance between cows fed MEGALAC® Rumen Bypass Fat (control diet) and cows fed MEGALAC-R (treatment diet). Both diets were fed three weeks prepartum through confirmed pregnancy.

Edometritis Chart

“Clinical cases of metritis were seen in 4.5% of control cows versus zero animals in the treatment group,” explains Dr. Block of the study results. “Endometritis was diagnosed by taking uterine swabs and monitoring bacterial activity in the uterus. 56% of cows in the control group were diagnosed with endometritis—meaning they had some kind of uterine infection—versus 19% in the treatment group. That’s a 66% difference! Using both clinical and subclinical cases, we feel confident that MEGALAC-R contributed to improved uterine health.”

Dr. Block points out that the clinical metritis seen in the control group would have resulted in a $1,635.54 loss for the dairy operation. Reduced cases of endometritis—as seen when animals were fed MEGALAC-R—means fewer financial losses for the dairy producer.

Healthier animals are also able to cycle and conceive sooner. In the same study researchers found cows fed MEGALAC-R:

  • Returned to normal ovarian activity faster. Cows fed MEGALAC-R resumed cyclicity earlier and experienced more ovulatory cycles by 60 days in milk (DIM).
  • Experienced more pregnancies sooner. By 175 DIM 70% of cows fed MEGALAC-R were confirmed pregnant, while only 40% of the control group were pregnant.

Reducing metritis has many positives for your dairy. MEGALAC-R can help by reducing vet costs, increasing milk production and improving pregnancy rate, translating to healthier cattle for maximized profit potential.

1 Overton M, Fetrow J. “Metritis Costs Us a Bundle.” Hoard’s Dairyman. July 210; p. 471.

2 Bowen AJ. The Effects of Dietary Linoleic and Linolenic Acids on Reproductive Performance in Holstein Cows. [Master’s thesis]. Department of Animal Sciences, University of Arizona; 2008.