Effect of GnRH treatment as a potential solution for ovarian disorders in dairy cows infected with foot and mouth disease in Indonesian smallholder farms.

BACKGROUND

The outbreak of foot and mouth disease (FMD) in Indonesia induces reproductive disorders in dairy cows that lead to economic losses to smallholder dairy farms.

AIM

The study was to assess the influence of FMD on reproductive traits and evaluate the effect of gonadotropin hormone-releasing hormone (GnRH) administrations on the reproductive performance in FMD-infected dairy cows.

METHODS

The study was conducted in Jemowo village, Taman Sari sub-district, Boyolali district, Central Java, Indonesia. A total of 155 cows were used to identify the reproductive disorders on FMD-infected dairy cows aged 2-10 years old. Cows were raised in similar conditions and fed diets. A single dose of 2 ml GnRH was injected intramuscularly into 96 ovarian disorder cows. Reproductive performance was measured by service per conception (S/C), conception rate (CR), and pregnancy rate (PR). A descriptive study was conducted to demonstrate the results.

RESULTS

The study showed that 61.9% of FMD-infected cows had reproductive disorders, whereby 53.5% ovarian hypofunction, 4.52% silent heat, 1.94% repeat breeder, 1.29% ovarian atrophy, and 0.65% endometritis. FMD-infected cows injected with GnRH had a 98% reproductive recovery rate. Moreover, the S/C, CR, and PR of cows injected with GnRH were 2.02%, 51%, and 85%.

CONCLUSION

GnRH administrations enhanced the reproductive traits of FMD-infected dairy cows indicated by the improvement of CR and PR.