Question

Which of the following is the most common cause of dystocia in cattle?

• A. Faulty fetal disposition
• B. Incomplete cervical and vaginal dilation
• C. Feto-maternal disproportion
• D. Uterine inertia

Hint:

To prevent the most common cause of bovine dystocia (feto-maternal disproportion), select bulls with low birth-weight EPDs (Expected Progeny Differences) and ensure heifers are well-grown before their first breeding.

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

Step 1: Understanding the Concept:
Dystocia (difficult calving) is a significant economic and welfare concern in livestock production, particularly in beef and dairy cattle.
It can be classified into maternal causes (e.g., narrow pelvis, uterine inertia) and fetal causes (e.g., oversized fetus, malpresentation).

Step 2: Detailed Explanation:
According to veterinary obstetrics literature, the single most common cause of dystocia in cattle, particularly in heifers (primiparous cows), is feto-maternal disproportion (also known as fetopelvic disproportion).
This condition occurs when the fetus is too large to pass through the maternal pelvic canal.
It is frequently caused by breeding immature heifers, mating small-framed cows with large-framed sire breeds, or excessive maternal nutrition during late gestation.
Other causes like faulty fetal disposition (malpresentation, malposition, or malposture) are also common but occur secondary to disproportion or less frequently.
Maternal causes like incomplete cervical dilation (ringwomb) or primary/secondary uterine inertia are less common compared to feto-maternal disproportion in cattle.

Step 3: Final Answer:
Therefore, the most common cause of dystocia in cattle is feto-maternal disproportion.