Trich, or the more scientific name Trichomoniasis, is a very serious economic problem for cattle producers. Some of the problems that it can cause are a reduced calf crop as well as lower weaning weights. It can cause this because it making your breeding cows infertile and possibly causing a longer breeding season.
But not to worry, all is not lost. This may seem like a pretty devastating disease but there are things you can do to prevent it from showing up. There are steps that you can take in order to prevent Trich from even showing up in the first place. With that being said here are some things for you to consider:
What is Trichomoniasis?
Trichomoniasis is a venereal disease caused by an organism. This organism, known as Tritrichomonas foetus, can be found in the reproductive tracts of infected cows and bulls. While they can be found in both the bull is the primary carrier of this disease. Think of this like an STD for cattle.
Transmission occurs when the infected bull breeds with the cows in the herd, like I said an STD. Once a cow has been infected it will cause the cow to go infertile. If she is already breed when she gets infected it can cause her to abort any fetus that she may have. Once this disease infects them it has been known to stay in her system for a certain amount of time. Infertility can last for almost 5 months. Cows exposed to Trich cannot be considered safe in calf until they are at least 120 days pregnant. Open cows cannot be considered free of this infection until they have had 90 days of sexual rest.
What it does
During breeding, organisms on the surface of the infected bull’s penis will be left in the vagina. There they will then multiply and invade the uterus causing an infection. Cows will still be able to conceive during the first couple of weeks that it takes the infection to develop. Once the organism has caused sufficient damage to the lining of the reproductive tract the cow will miscarriage or abort.
The problem with this disease is that an infected bull will not show any visible symptoms. Sometimes an infected cow will have some discharge from her reproductive organs but not always. The only real visible sign that you have a Trich infection is when some of your cows all of a sudden abort their pregnancies.
Other than that the only way to know for sure is to have your veterinarian run a test specifically for this disease. This is one of those cases where it is more important to know for sure before you turn the bull out. Otherwise it will be very costly for you because of a lower calf crop than you normally have.
Economic costs of Trich
As I mentioned earlier this disease will cause infertility in cows and early embryonic death for any calf that she may be carrying. This will mean less calves for you to sell later.
Now you may be wondering “Just how many calves?”. Well according to a paper written by Washington State transmission rates can be as high as 42% of your herd. This 42%, or almost half, of your calf crop…. gone just like that. I don’t know about you but having half as many calves can be a real problem to deal with.
Though infertility can last for a long time, 5 months as I mentioned earlier, an infected cow can pass the organism through her system. You will have to keep her separated from the bull for 120 to 150 days. A drawback to this is that although she can get rid of the disease once she is infected her immune system will become weak to it. Roughly translated this means that she can more easily get it the next time.
Since this disease is carried by the bull this means that if you do have an infection you will have to replace the bull. Not only this but since he is infected more than likely you will have to just sell him to the slaughterhouse because not many people will want a bull that has had Trich.
Treatment and Prevention of Trichomoniasis
Unfortunately I will have to start this off with some bad news: From the research I have done there is not any approved treatment for a cow that is infected with Trich. Once it has made it into your herd the only option you have is to sell the infected cow and bull. Depending on the number of infected animals this can become very expensive.
Though there may not be any treatment there are steps that you can take to prevent this disease from even showing up in the first place.
Prevention Options
- Purchase virgin bulls if possible
- If buying a virgin bull is not possible there is still something that you can do. Before you purchase him have him tested by a veterinarian. The normal breeding soundness exam does not include this so you will have to specifically ask for the test. Most of your reputable seedstock producers will include this test but it is always good to ask if not mentioned. A good time to do this test is while you are conducting the breeding soundness exam. I talk more about the importance of this exam in “Don’t forget the bull”.
- A good strategy all around but especially when preventing Trich from spreading to your herd is to keep your fences in good condition. Having good fences will prevent any stray bull from getting in with your herd and possibly getting them infected.
- Maintain good records on your herd. This is a good strategy anyways but it will help you in determining if the disease is present in your herd. Knowing what your normal calf crop percentage looks like will aid you in telling if there is a problem or not. If you have an extremely lower than normal amount it may be a sign of Trich.
- Always have a defined breeding season and preg check your cows in a timely manner. This is good to do anyways in order to have a more uniform calf crop come sale time. However checking your cows in a timely manner after breeding season will let you know if there is a problem. If you suspect it may be in your herd then you will need to cull and sell.
Is a vaccine possible?
Though there may not be a treatment per say, there is a vaccine available. This vaccine can help with the control and prevention of Trichomoniasis. It can help with any cows that may be infected but it will not cure any bulls that are carrying the disease. The vaccine requires two doses that must be administered one month apart.
As a disclaimer I must warn you that the vaccine still has not show to be completely effective. So if your herd is infected really the only option that you may have is to get rid of the infected animals.
