Infertility and disease surveillance using a milk recording scheme in the Sahiwal district of Pakistan.

Milk recording was initiated in 1980 in the Sahiwal district of the Punjab province in Pakistan with the aim of identifying superior cattle and buffalo cows. The paper describes how the recording scheme with some modification was utilised to obtain accurate information about production parameters, reproductive traits, blood mineral contents and the prevalence of certain diseases. The main findings indicate that the calving interval in cattle is even higher than previously estimated (22.3 months), that phosphorus and copper deficiency is widespread in the area and that reproductive diseases are not a major factor in infertility. It is concluded that the low reproductive efficiency among cattle and buffaloes in the Sahiwal district is due mainly to phosphorus and copper deficiency accompanied by a low level of feeding and management.