Effect of three programmes for the treatment of endometritis on the reproductive performance of a dairy herd

Three management programmes to improve the reproductive performance of a da iry herd were compared in a prospective controlled field study on one comme rcial farm. A total of 542 cows were examined for endometritis 22 to 28 day s postpartum and assigned to one of three treatment groups: in group 1 the cows with signs of endometritis were treated with an intrauterine infusion of Ion mi of a 2 per cent polycondensated m-cresolsulphuric acid formaldehy de solution; in group 2 the cows with signs of endometritis were treated wi th an intrauterine infusion of 125 mi of a 20 per cent eucalyptus compositu m solution; and in group 3 ail the cows were injected intramuscularly with 0.75 mg of tiaprost, an analogue of prostaglandin F2(alpha) (PGF(2 alpha)) at two-week intervals, starting on day 43, until they were inseminated. Thi rty-four per cent of the cows showed signs of endometritis. In group 3, oes trus detection efficiency was significantly higher than in groups 1 and 2 ( P<0.05), the interval to first service was shorter, and the cows had fewer days open than the cows in groups 1 and 2 (P<0.05). The results indicate th at management programmes based on the strategic use of PGF(2 alpha) are an effective alternative to traditional programmes based on rectal palpations and intrauterine infusions to control endometritis at a herd level.