Causes and countermeasures of dystocia in beef cattle in Qianxinan Prefecture

Tan Yan; Xia Shunyou; Sun Qiang

doi:10.20154/j.cnki.issn1672-9692.2025.09.012

Abstract：The research aims to reduce the rate of difficult labor in beef cattle in Qianxinan Prefecture,increase the survival rate of calves,and at the same time reduce reproductive system diseases in cows,providing a reference for further research on the improvement of beef cattle breeds in Qianxinan Prefecture.The research was conducted through methods such as literature review,on-site investigation,telephone interviews and questionnaire surveys,focusing on four aspects:the current situation of beef cattle breeding in Qianxinan Prefecture,the situation of difficult labor,the causes of difficult labor,and preventive and improvement measures.Questionnaires were sent to relevant staff members in 8 counties and cities of Qianxinan Prefecture.The results show that 76.74%of difficult labor cases are caused by oversized fetuses.Abnormal fetal positions(such as breech position,transverse position,etc.)account for 62.79%.Abnormal body conditions(underweight/obesity)of the cows accounted for 41.86%.Pelvic stenosis or birth canal malformations in cows accounted for 39.53%.Secondly,there are premature birth or delayed delivery of cows and uterine diseases of cows(such as uterine inflammation and adhesions).Among the management factors that may lead to difficult labor,the respondents believed that insufficient movement space for cows accounted for 74.42%,unbalanced feed nutrition accounted for 67.44%,improper management during pregnancy accounted for 51.16%,and early initial mating age accounted for 46.51%.Among the influences of the environment on difficult labor,72.09%of the respondents believed that poor hygiene conditions in the pens(such as dampness and filth),extreme weather(high or low temperature stress)accounted for 60.47%,and excessively high stocking density accounted for 58.14%.During pregnancy,32.56%of the cows underwent relatively rough staged nutritional regulation,27.91%had strict staged adjustment,and 23.26%had no regulation at all.Studies show that the beef cattle breeds in Qianxinan Prefecture are mainly Simmental cattle and local yellow cattle,and the breeding scale is generally less than 50 heads.The causes of difficult labor include four aspects:The fetus,the birth canal of the cow,feeding management and the environment.