Experiences in Community-based genetic improvement using oestrus synchronization

Azage Tegegne

IPMS Workshop on Alternatives for Improving Field AI Delivery System to Enhance Beef and

Dairy Production in EthiopiaILRI, Addis Ababa, 24-25 August 2011

Background

Increasing urbanization

Increasing income

Increasing demand for meat, milk and milk products – prices of meat , milk and milk products has sky rocketed globally

Excellent pre-conditions GoE – favourable enabling environment, GTP, AGP, LGP Suitable agro-ecology Large livestock population Tradition of livestock keeping Culture of consumption of animal products Large labour force Huge market opportunity, etc

But, hindered by

Weak AI delivery system and low pregnancy rates

Inbreeding??

High prices for improved dairy animals

About 50% - male calves in dairy system

Low level of promotion of indigenous breeds

Weak targeted technological interventions

Cow♀ Bull♂

Joining/Mating

Conception

Calving

Weaning

Simple requirement for cattle reproductive performance

ConceptionParturition

Gestation280 days

Involution/breeding seasonCritical 75-90 days

Reproductive cycle

Some technological options

Conventional artificial insemination (AI)

Hormonal oestrus synchronization plus AI

Sexed semen

Sex fixer

Embryo transfer and sexed embryos

In-vitro fertilization plus sexed semen

Stages of bovine oestrous cycle

Stage Period Activity

Pro-oestrus 17-21 days Follicular growthCL regression

Oestrus 6-30 hrs Sexual receptivityGrowth and maturity of graffian follicles

Met-oestrus 1-3 days CL commences development

Dioestrus 4-16 days Luteal development (Progesterone)

What is oestrus synchronization?

Occurrence/induction of estrus in all females in a group at the same time; or simply…

Prostaglandins PRID Syncromate B Ear Implant

Natural hormones for oestrus synchronization

• Estrus (heat): 2-5 days after treatment

• Estrus interval - heifers ~50 hours; cows ~72 hours

• Estrus response - about 60-65% of treated herd

• Pregnancy rate to AI – about 50% of responding cows/heifers

General Response to Prostaglandin: PGF2α

Why synchronize? - Ethiopian context

To produce large number and uniform animals of desired germplasm (kick start)

To match calving with feed availability and market demand for dairy and meat

To control heat period and allow more accurate AI service

To improve the effectiveness and efficiency of AI service (AI staff deal year round; no AI in rural areas (butter and/or meat)

Possibility of avoiding milk production during fasting season

Options to improve use of human resource for AI services

Use of Regional/Zonal mobile teams; AI large numbers of animals in a two weeks period through:

Community mobilization to bring animals with the desired characteristics to a central point with good animal handling facility

Use of hormonal synchronization and subsequent insemination within 2-5 days of treatment

In a dairy system, use of sexed semen or sex fixer to increase the number of female

Performance of existing AI system (National data; Dessalegn et al., 2010)

One AI technician inseminates about 300 animals per year

Pregnancy rate to first AI is about 27% = 81 calves/year

50% female = 41 calves/year

Mobile teams - preliminary data from Tigray and SNNPR Oestrus response to hormonal treatment = 90%

Two AI technicians working in as a team can inseminate about 200 synchronized cows in a 2 week period – 100 cows/AI technician

Result of pregnancy testing - 60% (due to increased precision and effectiveness of AI)

A Possible Scenario

Assumptions on annual output of a mobile team

Two person team work 40 weeks in 10 villages/year (2 weeks/village) synchronize & inseminate 200 cows/village = 2000 cows 1000 cows/AI technician

Pregnancy rate of 60% = 600 calves/AI technician

Use of sex fixer/sexed semen = 90% female

Number of female calves per AI technician = 540/year

Applying this to the proposed plan - OromiaExisting plan

Sixty (60) Woredas/year involving 60 technicians 300 AI x 60 technician = 18,000 AI/year 50% pregnancy rate = 9,000 (improved performance) 50% female calves = 4,500 female calves/year

Alternative approach This would result in:

60 technicians x 540 female calves = 32,400 calves/year (7.2 times higher)

Animal handling facility

A.I. technicians

Body condition score, health and cyclicity of cows/heifers

Semen quality and handling techniques

Heat detection accuracy and time of insemination

Heat stress

Management factors affecting conception

Just do the right thing and do it right – No silver bullet!!

Attempts to solve the problemIPMS Experience

Tigray, Amhara, SNNPR

Hands-on training - regional teams @ EMDTI

Community Mobilization – Mekelle-Adigrat Milkshed, Tigray and Dale, SNNPR

Good site, lots of space and good animal handling facility!

Poor animal handling facility

Good conditioned animals

Poor conditioned animals

Pre-mature heifer calves

An old man asked by his wife to take the cows…no clue about the cow..when asked about the cow, he says ‘let me check with my wife first…’

School children with no clue about the cow!!

Women know better about their cows!!

Many on-lookers affect efficiency!!

Support from administration and PA officials… KEY

Explain properly and set clear expectations

Agree on clear roles and responsibilities

Practice, practice, practice - Key

Team work and multi-tasking – Key and critical

A little experience and record keeping!

Poor animal handling facility – causes stress, is high risk, creates inefficiency!!

Be prepared for on the spot insemination and treatment of some sick animals

Exhausted…….some break! Carry enough water and some food...

Beef System – Metema, Amhara

Good export market – live animals & meat High cattle population and large holdings Large underutilized feed resource Mainly highland zebu brought with settlers

Mismatch between genotype and environment

High environmental stress, particularly heat Lower fertility and calving rate High pre-weaning calf mortality Slower growth rate, low market weight Lower milk production

Highland Zebu, Transhumance & Heat Stress

Young Boran bulls at Andassa Ranch, Bahir Dar

Supplemented with synchronization and AI

Boran crossbred calves…

THE FUTURE

(for discussion)

Guernsey Jersey

Norwegian Red

Ayrshire

Introduction and testing other dairy breeds for fluid milk and butter systems

Brown Swiss

Kenya South Africa

USA

Australia

Beef system - Our own Boran….in

Potential milk sheds for fluid milk

Tigray• Adgirat-Mekelle• Adwa-Axum-Shire

Amhara• Gondar• Bahir Dar• Debre Markos• Dessie• Debre Berhan

Oromia• Addis Ababa• Adama• Jimma• Ambo• Arsi• Wellega• Zewai-Shashemene

SNNPR• Awassa-Dilla• Arbaminch• Butajira-Soddo

Special• Harar• Dire Dawa• Jigjiga

Potential for beef production and development using Boran cattle

Sperm sexing technology

First commercial sexed semen 1999.

Flow cytometers are used to sort female sperm cells from the male sperm cells.

The female (X bearing chromosome) contains 3.8% more DNA than the male (Y bearing chromosome).

It is this difference in DNA content that is detected by the sensors when the sperm cells pass by a laser beam, one at a time in a fluid stream.

On average sexed semen straw contains over 90% female sperm cells

In dairy system, almost doubles the number of heifer calves produced

Sex fixer with active constituent blocks the H-Y antibody receptor site on ovum; effectively blocking chance of Y chromosome from binding with ovum

Mid to long-term – ET and in-vitro fertilization

Training EIAR researchers – in-vitro fertilization technique

Thank You!

♀ ♂