Undernutrition, or lack of feed consumption, results in weight loss and decreased body condition, impacting reproductive performance. Declines in performance will be registered as delayed puberty, and an increase in the postpartum-to-conception interval in cattle and the wean-to-oestrus interval in swine. It may also reduce ovarian cyclicity, which impacts fertility (Figure 1). Low insulin signals…
Reducing inflammation in the 30 days both pre- and post-calving can play a big role in improving lactation performance and lifetime productivity. In this series, we look at six major areas where a management focus will reduce the risk of excessive inflammation during the transition period. Last month we introduced inflammation, the hidden milk thief;…