Breed-specific risk assessment strategy for dystocia in beef cattle

Tan Yan; Xia Shunyou; Wei Qihang

doi:10.20154/j.cnki.issn1672-9692.2026.02.016

Abstract：The study aimed to assess the risk of dystocia in different breeds of beef cattle and to develop targeted prevention strategies.Through a national questionnaire survey combined with on-site research in Qianxinan Prefecture,the risk characteristics of dystocia for local breeds,introduced breeds,and hybrid combinations were systematically analyzed.The results showed that there were differences in the risk of dystocia among different breeds of beef cattle.32.91%of the respondents believed that the combination of first-time calving heifers and Charolais bulls was a high-risk combination for difficult births,while 63.29%of the respondents thought that the hybrid heifers and Limousin bulls were a low-risk combination for difficult births.Excessive fetal size(64.56%)and abnormal fetal position(53.16%)were the main direct causes of dystocia in beef cattle,and the birth weight of calves was positively correlated with the dystocia rate.67.09%of the farmers had misconceptions about the selection of breeding bulls for first-time pregnant cows,choosing high-risk bull breeds,and 84.81%of the farms had problems with the lack of nutritional regulation techniques.The studies have shown that the risk of dystocia in beef cattle is significantly influenced by the breed combination,fetal factors,and breeding management techniques.Therefore,it is necessary to optimize the breeding plan and nutritional regulation to reduce the rate of dystocia.