Association between retained fetal membranes, clinical endometritis, and reproductive performance of Holstein cows in the family dairy production system

In the family dairy production system, the prevalence of assisted calving and retained fetal membranes (RFM) is high; however, the extent to which these conditions affect the prevalence of uterine diseases and reproductive performance has not been determined. This study aimed to assess the presence or absence of assisted calving and RFM on the prevalence of clinical endometritis (CE) and conception rate at the first postpartum artificial insemination (1SCR) of Holstein cows. An observational retrospective cohort study was conducted to examine the relationship between assisted calving, RFM, CE, and 1SCR. The data were analyzed using descriptive statistics and logistic regression. The prevalence of assisted calving, RFM, and CE was 4.8 %, 8.3 %, and 16.8 %, respectively, and the overall 1SCR was 58.5 %. Cows with RFM had a 5.6 times higher risk of developing CE (P=0.001), and cows with CE had a 5.4 times higher risk of not becoming pregnant at the first postpartum artificial insemination (P<0.001). The prevalence of assisted calving and RFM observed in this study was lower than typically reported in this production system. Nevertheless, it was confirmed that RFM is a significant risk factor for CE, and this uterine condition negatively impacts reproductive performance in the family dairy production system.