Anogenital distance (AGD) is a marker of the degree of prenatal exposure to androgens in multiple species, and it has been suggested that there is an inverse association between AGD and fertility. Therefore, the aim of this study was to determine the usefulness of AGD and anti-Müllerian hormone (AMH) concentrations, an indirect marker of the follicular population, as predictors of future reproductive potential in Holstein cattle. The AGD was measured in 566 females from 9 dairy farms in Galicia (Spain). A group of 172 females underwent a second measurement 9 months after. Additionally, data on the age at first insemination (1stAI age), number of AI (AI-PREG), age at first pregnancy (1stPREG age), age at first calving (1stCAL age), and calving–pregnancy (CAL-PREG) and calving–calving (CAL-CAL) intervals were collected. Blood samples were collected from 80 heifers to determine AMH concentrations. Our results showed that AGD varied minimally with age, and that cows with short AGD had earlier 1stAI age, 1stPREG age, and 1stCAL age (p < 0.05) than cows with long AGD. No significant differences were observed for the CAL-PREG and CAL-CAL intervals. Additionally, no significant association was found between AMH concentration and AGD or reproductive parameters. Consequently, the results suggest the possibility of using AGD as a marker of future reproductive performance in Holstein heifers. However, there was insufficient evidence to associate AMH concentrations and reproductive performance, underlining the need for further studies with larger sample sizes.

Prompt identification of clinical signs and early treatment of hoof problems are essential to effectively manage and reduce lameness in dairy farms. This study aimed to evaluate the influence of days in milk (DIM), parity, and milk yield (MY) on the mean temperature (MT) of the hind hooves in healthy cows, with the perspective of implementing infrared thermography (IRT) as an automated tool for early lameness detection. Thermal images were collected from 156 milking cows, capturing both cranial and caudal surfaces of each hind foot. Significant differences were found between primiparous and multiparous cows across all analyzed surfaces. Moreover, cows with higher milk production exhibited significantly higher MT in the caudal left hoof and on both cranial surfaces. The variable DIM (group 1 = cows with ≤202 DIM; group 2 = cows with >202 DIM) did not significantly affect MT on caudal surfaces; however, on the cranial view, MT of the right hoof was higher in group 2, while group 1 tended to show higher MT in the left hoof (p = 0.051). In conclusion, hoof MT increases in multiparous and high-producing cows. Additionally, during the first 200 days of lactation, cranial hoof surface temperatures tend to rise. Future studies should include continuous monitoring using automated systems to record variations throughout the day.