CATTLE BREEDING

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21247, 29 July 1932, Page 14

CATTLE BREEDING

STERILITY IN BULLS CAUSES OF IMPOTENCE Sterility was tho name given to the manifestation of some disease in the cow or bull which prevented the occurrence of pregnancy in the cow, said Mr. T. A Blake, Government veterinary surgeon, in a recent address, writes the Waikato cor respondent of the Weekly News. The physiology of reproduction was explained, and the many diseases of the cow which prevented normal pregnancy were fuily demonstrated. Anything up to 7or 8 per cent, of cows were considered temporarily or permanently sterile on account of these diseases. There were various treatments advised for these troubles, some of them efficacious in some cases. Granular vaginitis, as distinct from ulcerative vaginitis, which latte; was not very common, did not appear to be of any importance in this matter, the well-known granules at the entrance to the vagina calling for no treatment. Tho few cows that were sterile on account of the above-named diseases did not constitute 'tie very serious menace to the dairy industry that herd sterility did By herd sterility hj» rppunt those "«««« in most of the cows relumed two 01 three times This form of sterility was tho one in which he was particularly interested and was now, luckily, well on the way to being brought to light. The actual cause of impotence in tho bull was thought to be understood, but exactly how and why some bulls should become so was not definitely known, continued the speaker. Infection with streptococcus, a first cousin to the germ which caused mammitjs and so many other diseases of man and animals, was believed to be the actual cause of much impotence. r lhe abortion bacillus also caused serious trouble in the bull as in the cow About 250 bulls had been examined and the results, while not perfect, were 100 constant to bo far wrong. Instances in which farmers were having serious trouble and in which their bull or bulls were found to be more or less useless >n laboratory examination were quoted, the speaker saying that in some of these cases the cows held straight away when.mated with another bull The lecture was concluded with the advice to try the bull on a few cows early in the season so that an idea could be formed of his usefulness, and with the final reminder that there were many bad bulls about, so that if many cows were returning, the bull must at least be suspected.