1. A Ali, A Kh Abdel-Razek, R Derar, HA Abdel-Rheem, SH Shehata
Department of Theriogenology,
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
Assiut University
Department of Animal nutition
Faculty of Veterinary Medicine,
Assiut University
Forms of Reproductive Disorders in Cattle and Buffaloes in Middle Egypt
A Ali, A Kh Abdel-Razek, R Derar, HA Abdel-Rheem, SH Shehata
Reprod Dom Anim 44, 580–586 (2009)
Impact Factor: 1.526

2. Introduction
In Egypt, cattle and buffaloes are mainly raised indoors and in small groups, with seasonal fluctuation in availability and quality of ration.
These managerial factors in addition to the subtropical environmental conditions may predispose to reproductive disorders that differ from that usually observed in animals managed in herds, or on pasture.

3. Aim
Estimate trends in fertility, in cattle and buffaloes reared by smallholders in Middle Egypt during the past few years, and to assess the most common infertility problems. Nutritional deficiencies or imbalances were investigated as a possible reason of reproductive disorders.

4. Materials and Methods Animals
2755 cattle (Native and Native × Frisian).
1521 buffaloes (Nili-Ravi breed).
parity
19.3% nullipara
21.1% primipara
59.6% multipara
Ages
1.5 to 8 years in cattle
2 to 10 years in in buffaloes

5. Materials and Methods General management
All included animals were kept indoors year-round, in an average of two to three animals per farmer.
Suckling:
1.5-2 month in buffaloes.
3-4 months in cattle.
After weaning, they were milked twice per day until 2 months before parturition.
Daily milk yields averaged:
5.0 to 6.0 kg in buffalo
10.0 to 12.0 kg in cattle

6. Materials and Methods General management
The farmers checked the animals for estrus visually, depending mainly on:
bellowing sound and teat erection in buffaloes.
observation of estral mucus in cattle.
Animals recognized as being in heat were naturally mated using common bulls, but 12% and 8% were artificially inseminated in cattle and buffaloes, respectively.

7. Materials and Methods Feeding
All animals in the three districts were fed individually on rations composed of the commonly available feeds in these areas.
In winter, the feeding stuffs composed of green berseem, wheat straw ad libitum, and concentrates that are composed of corn, cottonseed meal, soybean meal and wheat bran.
In summer, the animals are fed on concentrates and wheat straw with small amount of green corn (darawaha).
The concentrates are usually mixed by the farmer.
In most areas, farmers do not offer any feed additives to the rations.

8. Materials and Methods Data collection and analysis
Ten villages from districts A (Sohag), B (Assiut) and C (Elmenia) were randomly selected in winter and summer from 2003 to
An average of 20 animals per village was examined at a time for reproductive disorders and pregnancy.
Breeding history, general medical examination, body condition score, and smallholder’s complaint (SHC), or reasons for examination were recorded.
The frequencies of complaints were compared between species, districts and seasons.

9. Materials and Methods Data collection and analysis
The reproductive tract of each animal was examined by palpation per rectum.
The ovaries were carefully examined for structures, consistency and size.
The uterus was palpated for consistency, contractility, contents, thickness and symmetry.
Pregnancy diagnosis was performed 1–3 months after mating ⁄AI.
Transrectal ultrasound examination was used in cases of early pregnancy diagnosis and in cases where rectal palpation was insufficient to reach a definite diagnosis,.

10. Materials and Methods Criteria
Individual animals were classified as one of the following:
1. Pregnant.
2. Anestrum (failure to show the external signs of estrus in spite of elapsing 3 months or more after parturition).
3. Repeat breeder (failure to conceive from three or more services ⁄ AI within the same lactation period).
4. Ovarian inactivity (both ovaries found to be small, smooth, firm, with no palpable follicle or corpus luteum, the uterus was small and atonic).

11. Criteria
5. Endometritis (the uterus ⁄ cervix were enlarged, tough, coiled, and of thick wall, with or without abnormal vaginal discharge).
6. Silent heat (finding of a mature corpus luteum in an anestrous non-mated animal, while the uterus was considered to be normal).
7. Ovarian cyst (detection of a follicle with a diameter in excess of 25 mm in the absence of a corpus luteum).

12. Results Body condition score
The mean BCS was significantly lower in summer than in winter, for cattle (2.3 ± 0.1 vs 2.8 ± 0.1, p = 0.01) and buffaloes (2.6 ± 0.1 vs 3.2 ± 0.1, p = 0.02), respectively.

13. Results Reason of examination
4276 cattle and buffaloes were presented as suffered from
anestrum (33%),
repeat breeding (19.4%),
pregnancy diagnosis (47.6%).

14. Results The effect of district, season and species on frequency of:
1. Anestrum
Anestrum was more common in buffaloes than in cattle, but only in summer (p = ).
The mean duration of anestrum (from calving until the time of examination) was shorter in cattle ( ± 73.2 days) than in buffaloes ( ± days), p =
There was no effect of district on the incidence of anestrum.

15. Results 2. Repeat breeding
The incidence of repeat breeding was more frequent in summer than in winter, but only in district A and B (p = 0.005).
District C showed the highest incidence of repeat breeding (p = 0.001).
The incidence of repeat breeding was greater in cattle than in buffaloes, but only in district C during summer season (p = 0.005).

16. Results 3. Pregnancy diagnosis
Pregnancy diagnosis was carried out more frequently in cattle than in buffaloes (p = ), in winter than in summer (p = ), and in district B than in the other two districts (p = 0.001).

17. Cattle n=990
Cattle n=618
Buffalo n=511
District A (Sohag)
n=943
District C (Elmenia)
n=1397
District B (Assiut)
n=1936
Winter
n=308
Summer
n=635
n=558
n=839
n=1501
n=435
66.9
18.8
14.3
Cattle n=133
Cattle n=358
Cattle n=270
Cattle n=386
Buffalo n=175
Buffalo n=277
Buffalo n=165
Buffalo n=221
Buffalo n=172
65.7
11.4
22.9
44.1
21.8
34.1
30.3
19.9
49.8
72.2
7.8
20.0
69.0
5.5
25.5
56.0
15.9
28.1
38.9
10.0
51.1
48.4
29.5
22.1
40.6
25.3
28.2
33.3
38.5
18.5
63.0 PD RB AN
Fig 1: Smallholder’s complains (%) as affected by district, season andspecies. AN: anestrum; RB: repeat breeding; PD: pregnancy diagnosis.
Results

18. Results Clinical findings in cases of anestrum
A total of 749 cattle and 661 buffaloes were examined because of anestrous.
ovarian inactivity was the most common cause of anestrum (78.9%), followed by silent heat (16.6%).
Miscellaneous causes of anestrum included pyometra ⁄ hydrometra ⁄ and mummified fetus (2.9%); pregnancy (0.8%); and ovarian cysts (0.8%).

19. Results
The effect of district, season, and species on the causes of anestrum:
Ovarian inactivity was greater in buffaloes than in cattle during summer season (p = ), and in summer than in winter (p = 0.02).
There was no effect of district on the incidence of ovarian inactivity.
Silent heat was common in cattle than in buffaloes, but only in summer (p = 0.02).
District B had the lowest incidence of silent heat, when compared with districts A and C (p = 0.01).

20. MIS: miscellaneous causes.
District A (Sohag)
n=325
District C (Elmenia)
n=449
District B (Assiut)
n=636
Winter
n=65
Summer
n=260
n=256
n=193
n=540
n=96
4.0
20.0
76.0
2.5
30.0
67.5
32.5
65.0
0.7
5.5
94.3
5.6
24.1
70.3
4.8
16.6
78.6
5.8
15.6
4.2
93.3
2.2
26.3
71.5
1.8
23.2
75.0
12.2
23.7
64.1
3.0
8.0
89.0
Cattle n=25
Buffalo n=40
Buffalo n=140
Buffalo n=42
Buffalo n=283
Buffalo n=56
Buffalo n=100
Cattle n=120
Cattle n=54
Cattle n=257
Cattle n=137
Cattle n=156
MIS SH
IOV
Fig 2: Effect of district, season, and species on the causes of anestrum (%). IOV: ovarian inactivity; SH: silent heat;
MIS: miscellaneous causes.
Results

21. Results
The mean BCS was significantly lower for animals with ovarian inactivity than the mean of all examined animals (1.95 ± 0.1 vs 2.5 ± 0.1, p = in cattle; and 2.3 ± 0.1 vs 2.88 ± 0.1, p = in buffaloes) respectively.

22. Results Clinical findings in cases of repeat breeding
A total of 589 cattle and 240 buffaloes were examined because they were repeat breeders.
Endometritis was the most frequent cause of repeat breeding (75.6%).
Apparently normal genitalia were occasionally observed (22.4%), while pregnant cases and those with ovarian cysts were rarely encountered (1.4% and 0.6% respectively).
The incidence of endometritis was greater in summer than in winter in district C (p = 0.01),with no significant effect of species or district.

23. Cattle n=184
Cattle n=157
Cattle n=129
Buffalo n=74
Cattle n=78
Buffalo n=51
Buffalo n=55
0.0
5.7
38.0
Buffalo n=19
Buffalo n=32
Cattle n=20
Cattle n=21
19.7
1.6
Buffalo n=9
0.0
10.1
3.8
74.6
62.0
MIS
31.1
2.6
3.6
2.0
88.4
93.6
3.6
15.6
4.8
74.3
0.0
0.0
5.3
92.8
APPN
28.6
82.4
0.0
5.0
5.3
0.0
100.0
95.0
89.4
66.6
11.1
ENDO
88.9
Winter
n=39
Summer
n=133
Winter
n=30
Summer
n=208
Winter
n=258
Summer
n=161
District A (Sohag)
n=172
District B (Assiut)
n=238
District C (Elmenia)
n=419
Fig 3: Effect of district, season, and species on the causes of repeat breeding (%).
ENDO: endometritis; APPN: apparently normal genitalia; MIS: miscellaneous causes.

24. Results Clinical findings during pregnancy diagnosis
A total of 1417 cattle and 620 buffaloes were examined for pregnancy diagnosis.
The overall pregnancy rate was 64.4%.
Cases with ovarian inactivity and silent heat ⁄ embryonic death were frequently observed during pregnancy diagnosis (18.7% and 11.5% respectively), while those with endometritis, pyometra ⁄ hydrometra ⁄ mummified fetus, and ovarian cysts were rarely recorded (4.4%, 0.8%, and 0.2% respectively).
Pregnancy rate was greater in winter than in summer in district B (p = 0.01), with no effect of species.

25. District A (Sohag)
n=446
District C (Elmenia)
n=529
District B (Assiut)
n=1062
Winter
n=204
Summer
n=242
n=141
n=388
n=753
n=309
5.6
16.9
0.8
20.0
6.0
71.0
60.6
4.4
15.2
12.7
67.2
1.2
3.6
29.8
65.5
2.1
20.5
10.3
1.8
11.4
82.5
5.3
14.9
25.8
54.0
4.9
6.6
32.2
56.3
11.5
12.9
9.5
66.1
10.8
18.3
22.6
48.4
6.4
7.3
73.6
6.5
29.0
58.1
MIS
SH/ED
IOV
PREG
Cattle n=89
Cattle n=110
Cattle n=295
Cattle n=570
Cattle n=195
Cattle n=158
Buffalo n=115
Buffalo n=31
Buffalo n=93
Buffalo n=183
Buffalo n=114
Buffalo n=84
Fig 4: Effect of district, season, and species on the result of pregnancy diagnosis (%). PREG: pregnant;
IOV: ovarian inactivity; SH/ED: silent heat/embryonic death; MIS: miscellaneous findings.

26. Results The overall clinical findings
Ovarian inactivity, endometritis and silent heat ⁄ embryonic death were the major infertility problems, whereas pyometra ⁄ hydrometra ⁄ mummified fetus, and ovarian cysts constituted minor troubles.
Most of the fertility parameters are better in cattle than in buffaloes.

27. Results
Table 1: Clinical findings of all included cattle and buffaloes (n=4276).
Species
Clinical Findings n (%)
PREG IOV ENDO SH/ED APPN PM/HM/MF OVCY
Cattle
n=2755
910a
(33.0)
763a
(27.7)
515a
(18.7)
376a
(13.7)
123a
(4.4)
51a
(1.9)
15a
(0.6)
Buffaloes
n=1521
425b
(27.9)
708b
(46.6)
198b
(13.0)
112b
(7.4)
63a
(4.1)
12a
(0.8) 3a
(0.2)

28. Results The fertility trend from 2003 to 2006
The incidence of pregnant animals remained approximately constant in cattle, while in buffaloes the incidence increased gradually over each of the 4 years (from 23.4% to 30.9%; p = 0.04).
The incidence of ovarian inactivity in cattle increased from 2003 to (p = ) and decreased from 2004 to 2006 (p = 0.007), while in buffaloes the incidence decreased from 2003 to 2004 (p = 0.02), kept constant from 2004 to 2005, and decreased from 2005 to 2006 (p = ).
The incidence of endometritis fluctuated from 1 year to the other, both in cattle and buffaloes. The incidence of silent heat ⁄ embryonic death in cattle increased from 9.9% in 2003 to 17.6% in 2006 (p = 0.001), while in buffaloes the incidence changed little between 2005 and 2006.

29. Results * *
Cattle
n=2755 * * * * * * *
Buffaloes
n=1521 * * * *

30. Feeding
Based on the National Research Council (NRC, 2003), the available feedstuffs would be adequate to supply the animals with their needs in winter, because most farmers fed berseem and wheat straw in sufficient amount, in addition to a variable amount of concentrate.
Berseem is rich in CP and Ca, and is known to contain high amount of Vit A and E .
However, in summer, when berseem is not cultivated, the ration seems to be deficient in many essential nutrients especially vitamins.
Except wheat bran, manganese is under the recommended requirement for dairy cattle (40 ppm, NRC, 2001) in the most available concentrate.

31. Conclusion
Ovarian inactivity is the most common form of infertility in cattle and buffaloes reared by smallholders in Middle Egypt.
Poor nutrition in summer predisposes for high incidence of infertility.
District and season affect most of the reproductive disorders.
The trends of fertility from 2003 to 2006 in Middle Egypt are generally positive.

32. شكرا