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Current knowledge about the function of the reproductive tract and appropriate use of hormonal drugs affords control of the oestrus cycle of cows. One of the hormonal protocols is OvSynch, which enables artificial insemination (AI) to be performed at the precise optimum time without control of the ovaries and uterus. Use of such protocols in reproductive management allows oestrus cycles to be synchronised and cows to be effectively inseminated without oestrous detection, which is time-consuming and difficult in farms with numerous cows. Therefore, OvSynch has become the first management tool for AI and is an alternative method to heat detection. Over the 20 years since its first implementation, OvSynch has been modified many times to improve its reproduction outcomes and widen its use. Besides its original use for heat synchronisation, it is also used in many ovarian disorders as a therapeutic method. This review article describes the possibilities which OvSynch provides, its current modifications, various applications, and the advantages and disadvantages of its use in practice.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence and etiological agents of subclinical mastitis at the end of lactation in nine dairy herds in North-East Poland. In total, 387 Polish HF were involved in the study. The diagnosis of mastitis was performed on the basis of clinical examination of the udder, macroscopic evaluation of milk, determination of somatic cell count and bacteriological examination of milk. Subclinical mastitis was found in an average of 36.7% (range from 21.0% to 53.1%) of cows and of 15.7% (range from 9.6% to 25.2%) of quarters. Coagulase negative staphylococci (CNS; 31.6% of quarters), Streptococcus (Str.) agalactiae (15.6% of quarters), Staphylococcus (Staph.) aureus (12.1% of quarters) and fungi (12.2% of quarters) were most frequently isolated from subclinical mastitis. Etiological agents of subclinical mastitis differed strongly between herds. The results of this study showed that the incidence of subclinical mastitis at the end of lactation in dairy herds in North-East Poland is high. CNS were the most frequently isolated from subclinical mastitis cases, however mastitis caused by the contagious pathogens Str. agalactiae and Staph. aureus is still a problem. The fungal infections of the mammary gland also play an important role.

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