Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-gbm5v Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-26T21:22:35.514Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A protocol for initiating oestrus and ovulation early post partum in dairy cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  18 August 2016

A. O. Darwash ,
G. E. Lamming  and
M. D. Royal
A. O. Darwash
Affiliation:
Cattle Fertility Research Group, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
G. E. Lamming
Affiliation:
Cattle Fertility Research Group, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
M. D. Royal
Affiliation:
Cattle Fertility Research Group, School of Biosciences, University of Nottingham, Sutton Bonington Campus, Loughborough LE12 5RD, UK
Get access

Abstract

The objective of the present study was to evaluate the efficacy of a prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) and progesterone (P4) treatment in initiating oestrus and ovulation post partum (PP) in Holstein-Friesian cows. Using four herds, the treatment protocol consisted of a single intra-muscular injection of PGF2α (Estrumate) between days 12 to 14 PP followed 48 h later by progesterone treatment via intra-vaginal CIDR insertion for a period of 7 days. Milk samples for progesterone determination were collected three times weekly from 7 to 65 days PP. The ovarian activity and reproductive performance of treated (T, no. = 153) animals and untreated control cows (C, no. = 315) were compared. Treatment was effective (P < 0·001) in reducing the mean interval to PP commencement of luteal activity from 29·62 (s.e. 0·82) days to 22·09 (s.e. 0·70) days. The mean interval to first PP oestrus in the T animals was significantly reduced (P < 0·001) from 55·62 (s.e. 1·58) days to 44·91 (s.e. 1·44) days and the incidence of silent ovulation in cycles between days 21 to 65 PP was reduced (P < 0·001) from 56·28% to 42·27%. In two herds under one management regime and with a similar block-calving pattern (no. = 280 animals), the treatment protocol was beneficial to the overall reproductive performance as there was a significant shortening in the mean interval to first PP service (75·82 (s.e. 1·93) v. 80·86 (s.e. 1·32) days) and in the interval to PP conception (83·07 (s.e. 2·49) v. 88·90 (s.e. 1·95) days), both P < 0·05.

Keywords

dairy cowsovarian activitypost-partum periodprogesteroneprostaglandins
Type
Reproduction
Information
Animal Science , Volume 72 , Issue 3 , June 2001 , pp. 539 - 546
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 2001

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

Armstrong, J. D., D’Ogorman, J. and Roche, J. F. 1989. Effects of prostaglandin on the reproductive performance of dairy cows. Veterinary Record 125: 597–600.Google ScholarPubMed
Ball, P. J. M. and McEwan, E. E. A. 1998. The incidence of prolonged luteal function following early ovarian activity in post-partum diary cows. Proceedings of the British Soceity of Animal Science, 1998, p. 187 (abstr. ).Google Scholar
Bernard, M. and Stevenson, J. S. 1986. Gonadotrophin releasing hormone and prostaglandin F2α for post partum dairy cows; estrus, ovulation and fertility traits. Journal of Dairy Science 69: 800–811.Google Scholar
Bonnet, B. N., Etherington, W. G., Martin, S. W. and Johnson, W. H. 1990. The effect of prostaglandin administration to Holstein-Friesian cows at Day 26 post partum on clinical findings and histological and bacteriological results of endometrial biopsies at Day 40. Theriogenology 33: 877–890.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Buch, N. C., Tyler, W. T. and Casida, L. E. 1955. Post partum estrus and involution of the uterus in an experimental herd of Holstein-Friesian cows. Journal of Dairy Science 38: 73–79.Google Scholar
Bulman, D. C. and Lamming, G. E. 1978. Milk progesterone levels in relation to conception, repeat breeding and factors influencing acyclicity in dairy cows. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 54: 447–458.Google Scholar
Dally, A. E. H. 1997. The advantages of milk progesterone monitoring. Cattle Practice 5: 371.Google Scholar
Darwash, A. O., Lamming, G. E. and Woolliams, J. A. 1997. The phenotypic association between the interval to post-partum ovulation and traditional measures of fertility in dairy cattle. Animal Science 65: 9–16.Google Scholar
Darwash, A. O., Ward, G. L., Lamming, G. E. and Woolliams, J. A. 1999. The effects of raising post-oestrus progesterone concentrations on luteal activity in post-partum dairy cows. Animal Science 68: 527–532.Google Scholar
Eger, M., Shemesh, H., Schindler, H., Amir, S. and Foote, R. H. 1988. Characterization of short luteal cycles in the early post-partum period and their relation to reproductive performance of dairy cows. Animal Reproductive Science 16: 215–224.Google Scholar
Etherington, W. G., Kelton, D. F. and Adams, J. E. 1994. Reproductive performance of dairy cows following treatment with Fenprostalene, Dinoprost, or Cloprostenol between 24 and 31 days post partum — a field trial. Theriogenology 42: 739–752.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Etherington, W. G., Martin, S. W., Bonnet, B., Johnson, W. H., Miller, R. B., Savage, N. C., Walton, J. S. and Montgomery, M. E. 1988. Reproductive performance of dairy cows following treatment with Cloprostenol 26 and or 40 days post partum -a field trial. Theriogenology 29: 565–575.Google Scholar
Etherington, W. G., Martin, S. W., Dohoo, I. R. and Bosu, W. T. K. 1985. Interrelationships between post partum events, hormonal therapy, reproductive abnormalities and reproductive performance in dairy cows: a path analysis. Canadian Journal of Comparative Medicine 49: 261–267.Google Scholar
Gustafsson, B., Backstrom, G. and Edqvist, L. E. 1976. Treatment of bovine pyometria with prostaglandinF2α, an evaluation of a field study. Theriogenology 6: 45–50.Google Scholar
Hussain, A. M. 1989. Bovine uterine defence mechanisms: a review. Journal of Veterinary Medicine 36: 641–651.Google Scholar
Kinsel, M. L. and Etherington, W. G. 1998. Factors affecting reproductive performance in Ontario dairy herds. Theriogenology 50: 1221–1238.Google Scholar
Kyle, S.D., Callahan, C. J. and Allrich, R. D. 1992. Effect of progesterone on the expression of estrus at first post partum ovulation in dairy cattle. Journal of Dairy Science 75: 1456–1460.Google Scholar
Lamming, G. E. and Darwash, A. O. 1998. The use of milk progesterone profiles to characterize components of subfertility in milked dairy cows. Animal Reproduction Science 52: 175–190.Google Scholar
Lamming, G. E., Wathes, D. C. and Peters, A. R. 1981. Endocrine patterns of the post partum cow. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 30: (suppl. ) 155–170.Google Scholar
Lindell, J. O. and Kindhal, H. 1983. Exogenous prostaglandin F2α promotes uterine involution in the cow. Theriogenology 24: 269–274.Google Scholar
McClary, D. G., Putman, M. R., Wright, J. C. and Smith, J. L. 1989. Effect of early post partum treatment with prostaglandin F2α on subsequent fertility in the dairy cow. Theriogenology 31: 565–570.Google Scholar
Macmillan, K. L., Day, A. M., Taufa, V. K., Henderson, H. V. and Allison, P. A. 1987. Some effects of injecting a prostaglandin F2α (Lutalyse) during the post-partum period on the subsequent fertility of dairy cows. Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production 47: 65–68.Google Scholar
Madej, A., Kindahl, H., Woyono, W., Eqvist, L. E. and Stupiniski, R. 1984. Blood levels of 15-keto- 13, 14-dihydroprostaglandin F2α during the post partum period in primiparous cows. Theriogenology 21: 279–287.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mann, G. E., Keating, R., Hunter, M., Hedley, B. A. and Lamming, G. E. 1998. Monitoring reproductive performance in beef suckler cows by milk progesterone analysis. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science, 1998, p. 189 (abstr.).CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Mortimer, R. G., Ball, L., Olson, J. D., Huffman, E. M. and Farin, P. W. 1984. The effect of PGF2α on reproductive performance of naturally bred dairy cows, with or without pyometria. Theriogenology 21: 869–874.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Morton, J. M., Allen, J. D., Harris, D. J. and Miller, G. T. 1992. Failure of a single post partum prostaglandin treatment to improve the reproductive performance of dairy cows. Australian Veterinary Journal 69: 158–160.Google Scholar
Pankowski, J. W., Galton, D. M., Erb, H. N., Guard, C. L. and Grohn, Y. T. 1995. Use of prostaglandin F2α as a post partum reproductive management tool for lactating cows. Journal of Dairy Science 78: 1477–1488.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Peters, A. R., Lamming, G. E. and Fisher, M. W. 1981. A comparison of plasma LH concentrations in milked and suckled post partum cows. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 62: 567–573.Google Scholar
Rowson, L. E. A., Lamming, G. E. and Fry, R. M. 1953. The relationship between ovarian hormones and uterine infection. Veterinary Record 65: 335–341.Google Scholar
Royal, M. D., Darwash, A. O., Flint, A. P. F., Webb, R., Woolliams, J. A. and Lamming, G. E. 2000. Declining fertility in dairy cattle: changes in traditional and endocrine parameters of fertility. Animal Science 70: 487–501.Google Scholar
Royal, M. D., Darwash, A. O. and Lamming, G. E. 1999. Trends in the fertility of dairy cows in the United Kingdom. Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Science, 1999, p. 1 (abstr. ).Google Scholar
Senatore, E. M., Butler, W. R. and Oltenacu, P. A. 1996. Relationships between energy balance and post-partum ovarian activity and fertility in first lactation dairy cows. Animal Science 62: 17–23.Google Scholar
Senger, P. L. 1994. The estrus detection problem: new concepts, technologies and possibilities. Journal of Dairy Science 77: 2745–2753.Google Scholar
Smith, M. C. A. and Wallace, J. M. 1998. Influence of early post partum ovulation on the re-establishment of pregnancy in multiparous dairy cattle. Reproduction, Fertility and Development 10: 207–216.Google Scholar
Staples, C. R., Thatcher, W. W. and Clark, J. H. 1990. Relationship between ovarian activity and energy status during the early post partum period of high producing dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 73: 938–947.Google Scholar
Stevenson, J. S. and Call, E. P. 1983. Influence of early estrus, ovulation and insemination on fertility in post partum Holstein cows. Theriogenology 19: 367–375.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Stevenson, J. S. and Call, E. P. 1988. Fertility of post partum dairy cows after administration of gonadotropin releasing hormone and prostaglandin F2α . Journal of Dairy Science 71: 1926–1933.Google Scholar
Stevenson, J. S. and Pursely, R. 1994. Resumption of follicular activity and interval to post partum ovulation after exogenous progestins. Journal of Dairy Science 77: 725–734.Google Scholar
Thatcher, W. W. and Wilcox, C. J. 1973. Post partum oestrus as an indicator of reproductive status in the dairy cow. Journal of Dairy Science 56: 608–610.Google Scholar
Van Cleeff, J., Lucy, M. C., Wilcox, C. J. and Thatcher, W. W. 1992. Plasma and milk progesterone and plasma LH in ovariectomized lactating cows treated with new or used controlled internal drug release devices. Animal Reproduction Science 27: 91–106.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Webb, R., Lamming, G. E., Haynes, N. B. and Foxcroft, G. R. 1980. Plasma progesterone and gonadotrophin concentrations and ovarian activity in post partum cows. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 59: 133–143.Google Scholar
White, A. J. and Dobson, H. 1990. Effect of prostaglandin F2α on the fertility of dairy cows after calving. Veterinary Record 24: 588–592.Google Scholar
Williams, G. L., Talavera, F., Petersen, B. J., Kirsch, J. D. and Tilton, J. E. 1983. Coincident secretion of follicle stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone in early post partum beef cows: effects of suckling and low level increases of systemic progesterone. Biology of Reproduction 29: 362–373.Google Scholar
Xu, Z. Z., Burton, L. J. and Macmillan, K. L. 1997. Reproductive performance of lactating dairy cows following estrus synchronization regimes with PGF2α and progesterone. Theriogenology 47: 687–701.Google Scholar
Young, I. M. and Anderson, D. B. 1986. Improved reproductive performance from dairy cows treated with dinoprost tromethamine soon after calving. Theriogenology 26: 199–208.Google Scholar
Young, I. M., Anderson, D. B. and Plenderleith, R. W. J. 1984. Increased conception rate in dairy cows after early post partum administration of prostaglandin F2α . Veterinary Record 115: 429–431.Google Scholar