As the mating season continues, there will be cows or heifers that may be struggling to get in-calf. You may have heard the term ‘phantom cow’ being mentioned to describe some of these cattle. But what exactly are phantom cows?
The term ‘phantom cow’ is used to describe a syndrome where a cow doesn’t return for a second insemination after it’s had a first insemination, even though they have been declared ‘empty’ during an early pregnancy scan or through rectal palpation.
What causes this syndrome?
Causes:
Longer than normal gaps between successive inseminations.
Undetected returns to oestrus (farmer missing a cycle).
Embryonic loss (slips).
Relapse into anoestrus (became a non-cycler again).
Uterine diseases such as pyometra (pus in the uterus), ovarian cysts, or other genital tract diseases.
Other contributing factors:
Age of the cow (first calvers and older cows are at greater risk).
Retained fetal membranes.
Prolonged period between calving and first service.
Low milk to protein concentration.
What can be done to reduce the number of phantom cows in a herd?
Managing these cows with synchronisation programmes or PG injections may work, but not as well as people may think. Plus, it can get expensive, limiting your return on investment.
The best way to reduce phantom cow numbers is to manage the underlying causes and factors that may have led to the cow having this syndrome.
We can check your cows are free from genital tract diseases and infections by metrichecking prior to mating. We can also provide nutritional advice. An increasing and well-balanced feed intake will improve the amount of energy the cows can put towards cycling on top of milk production. If this isn’t possible, milking once a day uses the same principles, reducing the energy being put towards milk production so further energy can be put towards cycling.
Effective, consistent heat detection is very important as well and good records can help you recognise a cow’s risk of becoming a phantom cow.
