Implementing Reproductive Implementing Reproductive ProgramsPrograms
Jeffrey S. Stevenson, Ph.D.Jeffrey S. Stevenson, Ph.D.
Ontario Association ofOntario Association ofBovine PractitionersBovine Practitioners
Reproductive SymposiumReproductive Symposium
Department of Animal Sciences
and Industry
• Challenges of detecting estrus
• Short duration of estrus
• Detection errors
• Lack of expressed estrus
Active AI-Breeding PeriodActive AI-Breeding Period
Heat Detection is a Lost ArtHeat Detection is a Lost Art
• Cow problems• Poor footing; sore and wet feet; hairy warts• Inadequate space for sexual behavior
• People problems• Limited visual detection in large herds!• Chalking tail heads = heat detection• Occasional visual heat is detected• Inaccurate and inefficient!• A.I.-breeding pregnant or luteal phase cows
Characteristics of Various Characteristics of Various Heat Detection AidsHeat Detection Aids
Device
Accuracy (%)
Efficiency (%)
Amount of labor
Visual observation Tail chalk or paint Heat mount patches HeatWatch
Pedometers
66-98 66-98 36-80 70-85
22-100
20-95 44-96 56-94 >95
60-100
High Moderate
Slight Moderate Moderate
Nebel, Virginia Tech
Heat Detection ErrorsHeat Detection Errors
13
5
0
10
20
30
40
1 3 5 7 9 11 13
%
California New York
Means
+20 +40
Fertile egg life
Ovulation
Standing heat
0
27 h
2040
Secondary heat signs
Timing of Estrus and OvulationTiming of Estrus and Ovulation
+20 +40
Fertile egg life
OvulationStanding
heat
0
27 h
2040
Secondary heat signs
Normal fertile sperm life
AI
Correct Timing Correct Timing of AIof AI
+20 +40
Fertile egg life
OvulationStanding
heat
0
27 h
2040
Secondary heat signs
Decreased fertile sperm life
AI
Correct Timing Correct Timing of AI - Careless of AI - Careless semen handlingsemen handling
Semen Placement by Semen Placement by Professional AI TechniciansProfessional AI Technicians
Technician ability
Site of semen placement
Below average
Above average
Vagina-cervix Body of uterus Right horn Left horn
23.5 29.7 42.4 4.4
0.0 85.7 14.3 0.0
Increasing conception rates . . .
Protocol ComplianceProtocol Compliance
Week 1
M
T W Th F S S
2
M T W Th F S S
3
M T W Th F S S
4
M T W Th F S S
5
M T W Th F S S
6
M T W Th F S S
PGFPGF
PGFPGF
PGFPGF GnRHGnRH TAITAI
GnRHGnRH
Presynch + Ovsynch ProgramPresynch + Ovsynch Program
12 days
0.95 0.95 × × 0.95 × 0.95 × 0.95 × 0.95 × 0.95 = 77.4% Compliance0.95 × 0.95 × 0.95 × 0.95 × 0.95 = 77.4% Compliance
PGF GnRHGnRH
TAI
PGFECP
TAIGnRH
PGF
Experimental ProtocolExperimental Protocol*
PGF
Ovsynch
Heatsynch
Detect estrus + tail chalking
Insemination
*Conducted on 2 of the 5 Foster Dairy
Farms, Hickman, CA
41 55 67 74 75 76 77 DIM
Conception RatesConception Rates
AI ScenarioAI after Estrus Timed AI
DIM at AI
% (no. of cows)
1 PGF*
2 PGF**
2 PGF + GnRH PGF**
Heatsynch
Ovsynch
23 (145)
33 (727)
32 ( 96)
45 (212)
49 ( 43)
21 (154)
24 (271)
54
59
74
76
77
*Noncompliance (7.9% of 1,846 inseminations).
**(727 + 96) = 823/1846 – 145 = 48.8% inseminated.
Compliance to ProtocolCompliance to Protocol
1,503 of 1,846 inseminations were performed according to protocol (81.4%; CR = 32%)
Noncompliant AI during 14 d after 1st Presynch injection
(n= 145; 7.9% of total;CR = 23%)
All other noncompliant AI(n = 198; 10.7% of total;
CR = 22.2%)
Noncompliant AI at estrus(n = 130; CR = 26%)
Noncompliant TAI(n = 68; CR = 15%)
Protocol ApplicationProtocol Application
Feedline Clothespin Technology
Pink = Prostaglandin
Green = GnRH
Blue = Breed
Protocol Protocol ApplicationApplication
RFID Technology• Record-keeping packages
integrated ability to read RFID tags using Bluetooth wand that transmits to a Pocket PC.
• Pocket PC (Dell Axim® or Palm OS) contains entire herd database and accesses each individual cow record—provides audible commands through headphones (“pass”, “GnRH”, “prostaglandin”, “bST”, “wrong pen”, etc.)
$600-$700
$1120-$1357
25 RFID tags/$56.25
Practical TipsPractical Tips
• Needle sizes:– No larger than a 18 to 20-g needle for
injection solutions in saline– Preferably a 1.5 inch single-usesingle-use needle
• Injection sites:– Neck vs. upper hind leg
• Syringe sizes:– 6 cc for Lutalyse, Prostamate, and In-Synch– 3 cc for Estrumate and for administering
GnRH products
Clinical Mastitis and AbortionClinical Mastitis and Abortion
• Cows having mastitis during the first 45 d of pregnancy are 2.7 at greater risk for abortion during the next 90 days.
• Abortions are related to gram () and gram (+) pathogens isolated from udder
• Mechanism:– Increase in prostaglandins, thromboxane B2,
and cortisol– Resulting decrease in progesterone output
Embryonic Losses in Dairy Cows Embryonic Losses in Dairy Cows Producing >11,000 kg of MilkProducing >11,000 kg of Milk
Stage of pregnancy,
days
Loss of Embryos
(%)
28 to 42 43 to 56 57 to 70 71 to 98
10.5 6.3 1.7 1.7
Vasconcelos et al., 1999
Pregnancy Losses in Dairy Cows Pregnancy Losses in Dairy Cows 30 to 58 days of Pregnancy30 to 58 days of Pregnancy
Status Pregnancy loss Adjusted OR P value
Cyclic
Anovular
14.5 (249/1716)
18.6 (63/339)
Referent
1.3 (0.95,1.79)
0.09
Q1: 34.5 kg/d
Q2: 41.4 kg/d
Q3: 45.7 kg/d
Q4: 51.6 kg/d
14.9 (73/491)
13.7 (73/533)
14.4 (79/550)
18.1 (87/481)
Referent
0.91 (1.64, 1.30)
0.94 (0.66, 1.35)
1.20 (0.84. 1.72)
NS
Lost ≥1 BCS
Lost <1 BCS
No change
22.5 (29/129)
16.8 (176/1047)
12.2 (107/879)
Referent
0.66 (0.41, 1.04)
0.50 (0.30, 0.81)
0.01
Timed AI
Estrus
15.2 (227/1493)
15.1 (85/562)
Referent
1.00 (0.75, 1.33)
0.99
Santos, 2006
Early Pregnancy Factor (EPF)Early Pregnancy Factor (EPF)
• EDP/ECF (Biotech Corp., Knoxville, TN) www.EDPbiotech.com– Foremilk or blood serum 7-8 days after AI– Claim 94-95% accurate detection of open
cows and 1-4% of pregnant cows test open (false negatives)
Non-AI controls: 96% false positives (open cows called pregnant) at day 6 samples
18 with viable embryos: 14% false negatives
Fricke et al., 2001
Interferon-tau Directed Interferon-tau Directed Uterine Protein SynthesisUterine Protein Synthesis
• Bovine trophoblast cells produce bIFN- 13-21 days after conception
• bIFN- is not luteotropic like eCG or hCG• bIFN- interferes with endometrial production of
PGF2 - no luteolysis• bIFN- stimulates uterine production of a protein• Protein appears in blood stream of pregnant cow• SurBred on day 18 after AI (AspenBio Pharma
Inc., Castle Rock, CO) www.aspenbioinc.com/rdproduct/bovine/surbred.html
Pregnancy-Specific Protein B or Pregnancy-Specific Protein B or Pregnancy-Associated GlycoproteinPregnancy-Associated Glycoprotein
• BioPRYN™ (BioTracking, LLC, Moscow, ID) www.biotracking.com
• Pregnant Ruminant Yes/No• Product of binucleate giant cells of placenta
that is detectable about 28-30 days• Collect blood 30 after AI (no sooner than 90
DIM)• Claim 99% accuracy with 27-hr turnaround
($2.25 per cow).