Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE High milk yield characteristics with insufficient emphasis on traits relating to health in dairy cows increases the risk of suffering from reproductive problems, which represent one of the welfare indicators. This paper considers the most common problems of reproduction in large capacity dairy farms in Serbia in the light of their effects on the welfare of cows. Data on reproduction parameters, prepartal and postpartal reproductive disorders in total 3865 Holstein-Friesian cows held in tied system were collected. Rearing conditions in all farms were similar regarding housing and nutrition, and differences existed in some management procedures. Results pointed on prolonged intercalving period, interval from calving to the first artificial insemination, and extended service period (average values: 15.6 month, 98.46 days and 180.94 days, respectively), and increased insemination index (2.65). The most frequent reproductive disorders were ovarian hypofunction, insuficiencia corpora lutea and endometritis (31.18%, 17.54% and 14.31%, respectively). Due to reproductive disorders 7.6% of cows were culled. Condition on the farms in respect to the reproduction is commonly related to the intensive production and tied system. Risk related to the occurrence of reproductive problems is multifactorial, and associated with the housing conditions, nutrition, management and selection. Even in the tied system, improvement is possible by implementation of measures for enhancement of cows’ health and welfare in general, i.e. by introduction of certain changes in the rearing technology.
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