Guadagnini Marcello, Amodeo Paola, Bolli Agostino, Probo Monica
Axiota Animal Health, 2809 East Harmony Road #190, Fort Collins, CO 80528, USA.
Dairy Science Specialist, Via Carpaccio 3, 20133 Milan, Italy.
Vet Sci. 2025 Apr 10;12(4):353. doi: 10.3390/vetsci12040353.
Twinning in cattle is an increasingly common reproductive phenomenon that has significant implications for herd productivity and animal welfare. This retrospective study aimed to assess the occurrence rate of twinning (TW) in Italian Holstein multiparous cows and to identify the associated risk factors and consequences with respect to fertility, milk production, and cow survival. Data from 44,535 calvings across 61 Italian dairy farms from January 2019 to December 2020 were analyzed. The overall TW rate was found to be 3.79%, affected by factors such as parity ( < 0.0001), season of conception ( < 0.0001), previous lactation 305-day mature equivalent ( < 0.05), and prior days open ( < 0.0001). Cows experiencing TW had significantly shorter gestation lengths ( < 0.0001) compared to singletons and lower 305-day milk production estimates (11,094 kg for TW vs. 11,295 kg for singleton females and 11,318 kg for singleton males) ( < 0.0001). Moreover, TW was linked to a decreased pregnancy risk and an increased risk of culling ( < 0.0001) both in short- and long-term analysis. These findings underline the need for targeted management strategies to mitigate the adverse effects of twinning in dairy herds, especially where TW rates are notably high.
奶牛双胎是一种日益常见的繁殖现象，对牛群生产力和动物福利具有重大影响。这项回顾性研究旨在评估意大利荷斯坦多胎奶牛的双胎发生率，并确定与繁殖力、产奶量和奶牛存活率相关的风险因素及后果。分析了2019年1月至2020年12月期间来自意大利61个奶牛场的44535次产犊数据。总体双胎率为3.79%，受胎次（<0.0001）、受孕季节（<0.0001）、前一个泌乳期305天成熟当量（<0.05）和空怀天数（<0.0001）等因素影响。与单胎奶牛相比，双胎奶牛的妊娠期明显较短（<0.0001），305天产奶量估计值较低（双胎奶牛为11094千克，单胎母牛为11295千克，单胎公牛为11318千克）（<0.0001）。此外，在短期和长期分析中，双胎都与妊娠风险降低和淘汰风险增加有关（<0.0001）。这些发现强调了需要制定有针对性的管理策略，以减轻奶牛群中双胎的不利影响，特别是在双胎率明显较高的情况下。
