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ABSTRACT
Objective: To analyze embryonic losses between early pregnancy diagnosis and confirmation in dairy cows of different farms for one year.
Design/methodology/approach: Total of 3,413 Holstein milking cows stabled from three different farms were studied. Cows were milked 3 times a day and they had an average daily milk production of 36.5 ± 1.5 L. The diagnosis of pregnancy was made by ultrasonography at 34 ± 7 days post-artificial insemination and confirmation at 60 ± 5 days. Mean embryonic losses were compared with respect to farm and month.
Results: Average embryonic losses were 18.8%. No effect was observed in month factor, nor in month x farm interaction in the embryonic loss percentage (p < 0.05). Factor farm showed differences (p < 0.05), embryonic loss percentages for farms 1, 2 and 3 were: 4 ± 1.6%, 11.4 ± 1.6%, y 22.9 ± 1.6%, respectively.
Limitations on study/implications: Cow management was similar therefore no detailed differences between farms were studied. It is important to keep records of embryonic losses as they can have a significant impact on the farm.
Findings/conclusions: There is a high variability of embryonic losses between the diagnosis of early pregnancy and the confirmation between the stables and this may be due to differences in management since the breed and environmental conditions were the same in the three stables.