Causes of infertility in cattle

• Inheritance: some families of animals inherit low fertility from their parents.
• Twinning in cattle: Although it’s rare in cattle, but when it happens, heifers born co-twin with males (free martins) can be sterile.
• White heifer’s disease: This is infertility which is caused when the hymen is too strong and thus preventing natural mating or artificial service of the cow.     
• Cryptorchidism: This is when the male animals are born with both testes retained in the abdominal cavity making it unable to produce sperms.
• Retained corpus luteum: this prevents the development of the eggs in the ovary by continuous production of progesterone (maintains pregnancy)  
• Cystic ovaries: This is when follicles fail to rapture in order to release the ova causing a condition called Nymphomania (excessive desire for sex) and the cow is set on prolonged heat.
• Nutritional deficiency: Lack of vitamin A which is responsible for the formation and maintenance of membranes in the reproductive system lowers the fertility of cattle
• Excessive conditioning (fattening) animals: Heavy fat deposits on the ovary affects its functioning and cause low fertility / infertility.
• Management: Mating the animal too soon after calving, too early or late after onset of heat and failure to recognize heat signs will lead to infertility.
• Venereal diseases like brucellosis and Trichomoniasis can also cause low fertility in farm animals.
• Unfavorable conditions in the reproductive tract of a female can cause infertility
• Use of defective sperms during service lowers animal fertility

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Dr. Bbosa Science