Effects of administration of prostaglandin F at initiation of the seven-day CO-Synch+controlled internal drug release ovulation synchronization protocol for suckled beef cows and replacement beef heifers. Academic Article uri icon

abstract

  • Two experiments were conducted to determine the effect of administering PGF at the initiation of the 7-d CO-Synch+controlled internal drug release (CIDR) fixed-timed AI (TAI) protocol on pregnancy rates of suckled beef cows and replacement heifers. Within location, cows were stratified by days postpartum (DPP), BCS, and parity (Exp. 1; = 1,551) and heifers were stratified by BCS (Exp. 2; = 999) and randomly assigned to 1 of 2 treatments: 1) CO-Synch+CIDR (100-g injection of GnRH at CIDR insertion [d -10] with a 25-mg injection of PGF at CIDR removal [d -3] followed by injection of GnRH and TAI on d 0) or 2) PG-CO-Synch+CIDR (a 25-mg injection of PGF on d -10 of the CO-Synch+CIDR protocol). Follicle diameter and corpus luteum (CL) development were assessed on d -10 and -3, and pregnancy status was determined on d 30 to 35. Blood was collected on d -20, -10, -3, and 0 relative to TAI to determine concentrations of progesterone (P4). In Exp. 1, TAI pregnancy rates did not differ ( = 0.667) between treatments and were affected by BCS ( = 0.003) and DPP ( = 0.006). Concentrations of P4 were greater ( < 0.0001) on d -3 for CO-Synch+CIDR than for PG-CO-Synch+CIDR (4.1 0.2 and 3.4 0.2 ng/mL, respectively). Follicle diameter on d -3 differed ( = 0.05) between PG-CO-Synch+CIDR (13.4 0.3 mm) and CO-Synch+CIDR (12.5 0.3 mm) treatments. Cows with P4 > 2.5 ng/mL on d -10 had greater ( = 0.024) pregnancy rate to TAI (56.5%) compared with cows with 2.5 ng/mL < P4 > 1 (43.0%), whereas cows with P4 < 1 ng/mL were intermediate (51.6%). Cows with a CL on d -10 had greater ( = 0.012) pregnancy rates to TAI than cows without a CL (66.3 vs. 39.4%, respectively). In Exp. 2, TAI pregnancy rates did not differ ( = 0.316) between treatments. Concentrations of P4 differed ( < 0.0001) on d -3 with greater concentrations of P4 for CO-Synch+CIDR than for PG-CO-Synch+CIDR (3.75 0.20 ng/mL and 3.60 0.21 ng/mL, respectively). Follicle diameter was similar ( = 0.749) between treatments on d -10 and -3. Regardless of treatment, cyclic status tended ( = 0.062) to improve pregnancy rates to TAI (55 vs. 45%, for cycling and noncycling heifers, respectively). We concluded that addition of PGF to the 7-d CO-Synch+CIDR protocol decreased concentrations of P4 in cows and heifers and increased follicle diameter at CIDR removal in cows but failed to increase TAI pregnancy rates.

published proceedings

  • J Anim Sci

author list (cited authors)

  • Mercadante, V., Kozicki, L. E., Ciriaco, F. M., Henry, D. D., Dahlen, C. R., Crosswhite, M. R., ... Lamb, G. C.

citation count

  • 12

complete list of authors

  • Mercadante, VRG||Kozicki, LE||Ciriaco, FM||Henry, DD||Dahlen, CR||Crosswhite, MR||Larson, JE||Voelz, BE||Patterson, DJ||Perry, GA||Funston, RN||Steckler, TL||Hill, SL||Stevenson, JS||Lamb, GC

publication date

  • November 2015