Reproductive Disorders of Cattle in the Tole District of Southwest Ethiopia and Their Prevalence and Associated Risk Factors

Abstract

Reproduction is a basic requirement for efficient cattle production to continue or cease; whereas, reproductive disorders are the leading cause of economic loss in the cattle industry. To determine the prevalence and associated risk factors of major reproductive disorders in cattle in the Tole district, a cross-sectional study design was conducted from October, 2020, to October, 2021. To identify potential risk factors for cattle reproductive disorders, a multivariable random effect logistic regression analysis was used. A total of 400 randomly selected cows were examined, and 37.8% of them had at least one reproductive disorder. The three main reproductive disorders observed in the study area were abortion (17.8%), stillbirth (4.8%), and dystocia (3.3%). Risk factors for reproductive disorders in the study area included the calving season (OR = 3.7, 95% CL-1.37–7.18) and the accessibility of dogs to cattle (OR = 2.5, 95% CL-1.64–3.85). Accessibility of dogs to cattle in the study areas was also a risk factor for abortion (OR = 7.5, 95% CL-3.59–15.54). The present study also identified parity (OR = 5.2, 95% CL-1.05–26.04) as a risk factor for dystocia in cattle in the study areas. This demonstrated that losses in cattle production in the study areas are significantly attributed to reproductive problems. Hence, it is essential to increase public awareness of how reproductive disorders affect cattle production and to develop and implement appropriate control measures for these disorders. The causes of abortion and dystocia in various areas should be precisely identified and described through further research.