By Umar Nsubuga
Deborah Nabatanzi has a cow which has delivered four times, however, she says she has not seen it on heat since it delivered its last calf, which is now one and a half years.
“The animal is healthy but I have not seen any of her usual heat signs like making noise and breaking ropes. Could it have become infertile,” she wonders.
Muhammad Kiyemba, a veterinary doctor says that one and a half years without heat is too long. A healthy and well-fed cow, indigenous or exotic, should be able to come on heat within two months after it delivers.
“Assuming it has been delivering at normal intervals, a cow that has produced four calves is still fairly young. An indigenous cow can deliver more than 10 times before it becomes too old to produce any more calves. So, the problem is not the cow’s age,” he explains.
Kiyemba says perhaps the cow came on heat but did not exhibit enough signs for you to notice, some cows have silent heat, and they do not show the obvious heat signs.
“After years of normal heat, your cow could have become a silent heater,” he says adding that perhaps the cow has developed some other fertility problem originating from a faulty ovary, an infection or deficiency of certain nutrients.
“Several infectious diseases (including some venereal diseases) can cause infertility in cows. Some of them are difficult to notice, so you might think the cow is perfectly normal,” he says.
Fortunately, Kiyemba says these problems can be solved. But you need a veterinary doctor to examine the cow’s problem and advise you accordingly.
LEAD PHOTO CAPTION: Several infectious diseases (including some venereal diseases) can cause infertility in cows. Photo by Umar Nsubuga
