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Reproductive performance of dairy cows following treatment with cloprostenol 26 and/or 40 days postpartum: a field trial.

One hundred and seventy Holstein Friesian cows were randomly assigned to receive either 500 ug cloprostenol or saline placebo on Day 26 postpartum followed by 500 ug cloprostenol or saline on Day 40 postpartum. Four treatment groups were formed: Group 1-saline (Day 26)/saline (Day 40); Group 2-cloprostenol/(Day 26) saline (Day 40); Group 3-saline (Day 26)/cloprostenol (Day 40); Group 4-cloprostenol (Day 26)/cloprostenol (Day 40). Double blind techniques were used in administering treatments and in assessing the response to treatment. Palpation of the reproductive tract per tectum and uterine biopsies were performed on 92 cows prior to each treatment at Day 26 and Day 40 postpartum. Progesterone concentrations were determined on milk samples collected prior to treatment. There were no significant differences among treatment groups with respect to services per conception, number of heats detected before first service and culling for infertility. Cloprostenol treatment at Day 26 appeared to delay the first estrus, but it reduced the number of days to conception after the first service. Cows receiving cloprostenol at Days 26 and/or 40 had a decreased calving-to-conception interval compared to controls (P=0.01). Sequential therapy with two doses of cloprostenol resulted in slightly better reproductive performance than either treatment on Day 26 or 40 alone. Treatment with cloprostenol resulted in a decrease in the subsequent incidence of pyometra (P<0.05). It is concluded that in the herd studied, cloprostenol therapy at Day 26 and/or 40 postpartum was beneficial to reproductive performance. Although it was anticipated that cloprostenol would be more effective in cows with elevated progesterone levels, the opposite was observed at the Day 26 cloprostenol treatment. Uterine biopsy at Days 26 and/or 40 had a detrimental effect on subsequent reproductive performance.

Journal Article↗

The effect of lentinan on fertility and general reproductive performance of the rat.

Lentinan, a polysaccharide [(1 leads to 3)-beta-D-glucan], at 0.01, 0.10 or 1.0 mg/kg/day, was administered i.v. once daily to male rats for 9 weeks and to females for 2 weeks before mating. Some animals continued to be treated until they were killed during gestation: others were killed on day 21 post partum. Selected animals of the F1 generation were retained without further treatment, to provide F2 offspring. Reactions to treatment were generally dose-related and included bruising and cutaneous lesions of the tail and swelling and discolouration of the pinnae. In males given 1.0 mg/kg/day there was a clear evidence of gonadal damage and impairment of reproductive capacity; this effect was less marked at 0.1 mg/kg/day and much reduced at 0.01 mg/kg/day. However, the reproductive performance of the selected F1 pups did not appear to have been affected by the treatment of the F0 parents at any dosage. In animals of both sexes there was a dose-related enlargement of the spleen, with evidence of macrophage infiltration.

Abnormalities, Drug-Induced↗

Effects of supplemental dietary copper on growth, reproductive performance and kit survival of standard dark mink and the acute toxicity of copper to mink.

Natural dark mink kit were fed a diet supplemented with 0, 25, 50, 100 or 200 ppm Cu from CuSO4 . 5H2O for 153 or 357 d. The shorter term Cu supplementation had no significant beneficial or adverse effects on mink body weight gains or hemoglobin or hematocrit concentrations, although plasma Cu concentrations were slightly elevated in the mink fed added Cu. Liver Cu concentrations were significantly increased only in the mink fed 200 ppm Cu. Liver Zn and Fe concentrations were not affected by the added Cu. Darker fur was observed in pelted males fed the higher levels of Cu. The reproductive performance of mink on the longer term Cu supplementation was not adversely affected, although greater kit mortality and reduced "litter mass" were a result of the higher Cu concentrations. The acute (21-d) ip LD50 concentrations of Cu sulfate and Cu acetate in adult mink were 7.5 and 5.0 mg/kg, respectively.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗

Ovulation, ovarian function, and reproductive performance after treatments with GnRH in postpartum suckled cows.

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether treatments with gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) during the early postpartum period in suckled cows would induce ovulation and initiate regular estrous cycles. In Experiment I, 0, 100 or 200 microg of GnRH was given to 22 suckled Angus x Holstein cows at three and again at five weeks postpartum. Serum luteinizing hormone (LH) responses did not differ between cows given 100 or 200 microg of GnRH. Treatment with GnRH tended to increase the percentage of cows exhibiting estrus by 30 and 60 days postpartum, but reproductive performance during the breeding season did not differ among groups. In Experiment II, 70 suckled Hereford cows were given either no treatment or 200 microg of GnRH at 7 weeks postpartum. Cows given GnRH received either no treatment prior to GnRH or were separated from their calves for 24 hr prior to GnRH treatment. Half of the cows that were separated from their calves also received progesterone via a progesterone intravaginal device (PRID) for 12 days prior to calf removal. Treatment with GnRH alone tended to increase the percentage of anestrous cows which ovulated by 8 days after treatment. Calf removal did not increase the ovulatory response to GnRH, but PRID treatment did. More estrous periods were detected in GnRH-treated cows than in control cows during 20 days after GnRH treatment.

Journal Article↗

[Effect of major histocompatibility complex disparity on reproductive performance].

From the viewpoint of transplantation immunology, the fetus is a allograft which bears antigens incompatible with the mother. So immunological rejection reaction has been considered as one possible mechanism of abortion. To investigate this possibility, we applied some immunological procedures to rat and mouse. The results were as follows: 1) Prior active immunization with allogeneic placental cells or spleen cells emulsified with Freund's complete adjuvant increased the rate of abortion in the rat. But this effect was not manifested in the cases to which these cells were administered without the adjuvant. 2) Prior active immunization with major histocompatibility complexes had no deleterious effect on gestation in either the rat or the mouse. 3) Compared with inbred mating, decrease in the incidence of abortion, increase in fetal weight and increase in litter size were noticed in outbred mating in the rat. The latter two were statistically significant but the former was not significant. These results suggest that the major histocompatibility complex disparity between the fetus and mother does not have a deleterious but a beneficial effect on reproductive performance. Some possible immunological mechanisms of abortion are discussed.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Hydrometra in dairy goats: reproductive performance after treatment with prostaglandins.

An intramuscular injection of 5 mg dinoprost caused a discharge of uterine fluid (cloudburst) in 49 cases of hydrometra in goats during the breeding seasons of 1988, 1989 and 1990. A spontaneous oestrus after the cloudburst was allowed to occur in 20 of the goats; in nine (45 per cent) of them a hydrometra recurred, three conceived at the first oestrus and eight returned to oestrus. Oestrus was induced in 29 other cases by means of a second intramuscular administration of 5 mg dinoprost, 12 days after the cloudburst. In this group a hydrometra recurred in only one goat, 14 goats (48 per cent) conceived at the first oestrus and 14 returned to oestrus. Of the animals in which a pseudopregnancy occurred once or more during the same breeding season, 85 per cent became pregnant, compared with 97 per cent of unaffected older goats. The mean number of kids of the goats that became pregnant and kidded after treatment for hydrometra was 2.0 compared with 2.3 for unaffected animals. The results indicate that a single administration of prostaglandin is not a satisfactory therapy for a hydrometra, but that reproductive performance improves when a second injection is given 12 days after the cloudburst.

Animals↗

Milk production, reproductive performance, and fecal excretion of phosphorus by dairy cows fed three amounts of phosphorus.

Milk production was measured and phosphorus (P) excretion in feces was estimated in dairy cows fed three amounts of P. A basal diet was formulated to contain 0.31% P (DM basis). Sodium monophosphate replaced corn in the basal diet to give two additional diets containing 0.40 and 0.49% P. The diets were fed to eight, nine, and nine multiparous Holsteins from the beginning to the end of lactation. Milk yields for the 308-d lactation were 10,790, 11,226, and 11,134 kg for the three treatments, respectively. The lowest milk yield resulted from decreased milk production during late lactation with the 0.31% P group. Reproductive performance of the cows was not related to dietary P content. Fecal P concentration, determined in wk 2, 4, 6, 8, 23, and 40 of lactation, increased as dietary P intake was increased. Cows fed the lowest P diet conserved P by minimizing P excretion in feces and urine, whereas cows in the other two treatments excreted more P through these routes. A reduction in dietary P from 0.49 to 0.40% reduced fecal P excretion by 23%. Apparent P digestibilities of less than 40% are indicative of surplus dietary P. Feeding 0.40% P appeared sufficient to maintain P balance and the level of milk production achieved in this experiment. An example is given which illustrates the relationship between dietary and fecal P.

Animals↗

Effects of lactation, energetic deficit and remating interval on reproductive performance of primiparous rabbit does.

Female rabbits (n = 151) were assigned at their first parturition (day 0) to one of three treatment groups (A: non-lactating does and ad libitum feeding, R: non-lactating does and restricted feeding, L: lactating does and ad libitum feeding). Additional females (n = 18) were slaughtered at parturition. Experimental females were presented to the male on days 3 (A3, L3 and R3 groups, n = 25, 26 and 26, respectively) or 10 (A10, L10 and R10 groups, n = 25, 25 and 24, respectively) and were slaughtered on day 28 after parturition. Compared to does slaughtered on day 0, adipose tissues were lighter in L (-66%) and R (-32%) females while they were heavier in A females (+40%; P < 0.01). These results suggest that both L and R females were in energy deficit. Receptivity (80% vs. 98%) and conception rate (51% vs. 83%) were lower in L compared to A females (P < 0.01) regardless the day of male presentation. Ovulation rate (-14%) and conception rate (-26%) were lower in R3 than in A3 does (P < 0.05). Ovulation rate was 24% lower in the L10 than in the A10 group (P < 0.01). The uterine contents were lighter (-25%) in L and R than in A does (P < 0.001) regardless the day of male presentation. These results suggest that the energy deficit associated with milk production can partly explain the negative influence of lactation on reproductive performance.

Adipose Tissue↗

Relationships among type of parturition, type of discharge from genital tract, involution of cervix, and subsequent reproductive performance in Holstein cows.

Data were from 492 Holstein cows calved between October, 1976, and May, 1977, in eight herds in Michigan. Diameter of the cervix of each cow was estimated by palpation at 8 to 21 days postpartum and again 2 wk later. Parturition and postpartum discharge from the genital tract were classified as normal or abnormal. Size of the cervix between 12 and 26 days postpartum was classified as small, medium, or large within two parity groups. Incidence of abnormal parturition and incidence of abnormal postpartum discharge were 14.1 and 38.0%. Involution of the cervix was affected by parity and type of postpartum discharge. Involution of the cervix occurred sooner postpartum in primiparous than in multiparous cows and sooner postpartum in cows with normal discharge than in cows with abnormal discharge. The greatest difference in cervix diameter between cows with normal or abnormal discharges was 10 mm at 3 wk postpartum. Days from parturition to first detected estrus and first service were extended by abnormal postpartum discharge but not by abnormal parturition. First-service conception rate was lower and days from parturition to conception were higher in cows with medium or large cervices compared to cows with small cervices. Type of postpartum discharge and size of cervix early postpartum may be useful for predicting subsequent reproductive performance in dairy cows.

Animals↗

The effect of treatment of clinical endometritis on reproductive performance in dairy cows.

The objective of this field trial was to compare the effect of intrauterine (i.u.) antibiotic or intramuscular (i.m.) prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) on time to pregnancy in dairy cows diagnosed with clinical endometritis between 20 and 33 days in milk (DIM). The case definition of endometritis was the presence of purulent uterine discharge or cervical diameter > 7.5 cm, or the presence of muco-purulent discharge after 26 DIM. There were 316 cows with endometritis from 27 farms assigned randomly within herd to receive 500 mg of cephapirin benzathine intrauterine (i.u.), 500 micrograms of cloprostenol i.m., or no treatment. The rate of resolution of clinical signs 14 d after treatment was 77% and was not affected by treatment. Reproductive performance was monitored for a minimum of 7 mo after treatment. Survival analysis (multivariable proportional hazards regression) was used to measure the effect of treatment on time to pregnancy. There was no benefit of treatment of endometritis before 4 wk postpartum. Administration of PGF2 alpha between 20 and 26 DIM to cows with endometritis that did not have a palpable corpus luteum was associated with a significant reduction in pregnancy rate. Between 27 and 33 DIM, cows with endometritis treated with cephapirin i.u. had a significantly shorter time to pregnancy than untreated cows (hazard ratio = 1.63). In this time period, there was no difference in pregnancy rate between PGF2 alpha and untreated cows, but the difference in pregnancy rate between cows treated with cephapirin i.u. and with PGF2 alpha was not statistically significant. Treatment of postpartum endometritis should be reserved for cases diagnosed after 26 DIM, based on criteria that are associated with subsequent pregnancy rate.

Animals↗

Feed intake pattern during lactation and subsequent reproductive performance of sows.

Daily feed intake during lactation was recorded for 20,296 lactating sows on 30 commercial farms in the United States. Each lactation feed record was categorized into one of six patterns: RAPID, rapid increase in feed intake; MAJOR, major drop; MINOR, minor drop; LLL, low feed intake throughout lactation; LHH, low intake during the 1st wk then an increase in feed intake for the remainder of lactation; and GRADUAL, gradual increase. A database containing 24,340 farrowing records and 19,015 subsequent litter records were abstracted from the PigCHAMP data files of the farms enrolled in the study. Multiple regression analyses revealed that ADFI during lactation had nonlinear or linear associations with weaning-to-first service interval (WSI), weaning-to-conception interval (WCI), litter weight at weaning (WWT), and subsequent litter size (SLS). Sows having LLL and LHH had longer (P < .01) WSI and WCI than the other patterns. Sows with MAJOR had a longer WCI (P < .05) than females with RAPID. Further, sows having MAJOR had lighter (P < .01) WWT than those with RAPID, MINOR, and GRADUAL. Sows having MAJOR had a higher (P < .01) proportion of females culled for anestrus relative to RAPID. Furthermore, sows exhibiting a drop in feed intake in either wk 1 or 2 were more likely to be culled for anestrus than sows having no drop. These results suggest that both the amount and pattern of feed intake during lactation influence subsequent reproductive performance.

Anestrus↗

The influence of prepartal bacteriuria on the reproductive performance of the sow.

UNLABELLED: In a Slowakian indoor pig production unit, with high prevalence of vaginal-vulval discharges, the sows were subjected one day prefarrowing to urine analysis. Sows suffering urinary tract infection (UTI) were assigned to an UTI group (group 1, n = 384), the remaining sows were classified as free of UTI and were assigned to group 2 (n = 1099). Total born litter size, liveborn litter size, weaning litter size and the occurrence of periparturient diseases, reasons for sow cullings at weaning, subsequent weaning to estrus intervals, conceptions- and farrowing rate, next total born- and lifeborn litter size and the occurrence of periparturient diseases were evaluated. UTI having sows had smaller (p < 0.05) total born litter size (11.71 +/- 1.11) when compared to the healthy animals (12.97 +/- 1.25). Liveborn litter size was significantly (p < 0.01) lower in group 1 (10.21 +/- 0.81 vs. group 2: 11.31 +/- 1.21). The occurrence of periparturient diseases revealed highly significant (p < 0.001) differences between the groups (group one 26.24% vs. group two 4.64%). Weaning litter size showed significant (p < 0.05) differences between group 1 (9.21 +/- 1.02) and 2 (10.11 +/- 0.37). More (p < 0.05) sows were culled post-weaning in the UTI group, compared to the healthy animals. Causes of post-weaning cullings differed between the groups: all sows of the group one had the pathological signs of swine urogenital disease at culling, while the majority of sows of the group 2 were culled due to locomotor problems and chronic mastitis. Subsequent weaning to estrus intervals, conceptions-, and farrowing rate and next total born litter size differed significantly (p < 0.05) between the groups, next lifeborn litter size (p < 0.01) and the occurrence of periparturient diseases (p < 0.001) were high significantly better in the healthy than in the UTI suffering group of sows. IMPLICATIONS: antepartal UTI might be the sign of swine urogenital disease and might negatively influence the sows reproductive performance.

Animals↗

[The energy and nitrogen metabolism of pregnant and lactating sows and suckling piglets. 1. Experimental plan and results concerning the live weight development of pregnant, non-pregnant and lactating sows and the reproductive performance during gestation and lactation].

The aim of the experiments was to work out new results for a factorial derivation of energy and protein requirement. The experiments were carried out according to a 3 x 3 factorial experimental plan with 3 variants of litter number (1, 2 and 4, age of sows) and 3 variants of energy supply (120, 100 and 80% of the norm of pregnancy, continued in lactation with 80, 100 and 120%). Methods of the indirect calorimetry and the slaughtering technique were used. The mean cumulative live weight changes of the sows for the 9 experimental variants amounted from 13.1 to 63.2 kg for the 115 days of pregnancy and from -17.0 to 6.8 kg for the first 26 days of lactation. The chosen variation of energy supply of pregnant and lactating sows had no relevant effect on the reproductive performances, measured by litter size, weight of conception products, litter weight at birth and the quantity of milk per sow and day respectively. In comparison with the sows of litter number 1 the sows of litter number 2 and 4 had higher litter weights at birth and higher milk quantities.

Amino Acids↗

Improving reproductive performance in lactating dairy cows by synchronizing ovulation or inducing oestrus.

Lactating crossbred Holstein-Friesian dairy cows (n = 331) were started on an Ovsynch regimen 68 +/- 8.2 days after calving; 200 micrograms GnRH intramuscularly (i.m.) on Days 0 and 9, and 35 mg prostaglandin F2 alpha i.m. on Day 7. Thirty-eight and 31 cows (11.5 and 9.4%, respectively) were in oestrus on Days 0 to 6 and 7 to 8, respectively, and inseminated, and the remainder were fixed-time inseminated (on Day 10). For these three groups, pregnancy rates (60-65 days after breeding) were 31.6, 38.7 and 34.0%, respectively (P = 0.82) and calving rates were 100, 100 and 89.9% (P = 0.23). In a preliminary trial, twelve lactating cows (45 to 60 days postpartum) with inactive ovaries were given 1500 IU eCG i.m.; 10 were in oestrus within 10 days after treatment (and inseminated) and eight of these were pregnant (30 days after breeding). The Ovsynch program resulted in acceptable reproductive performance in cyclic cows and eCG treatment has considerable promise for inducing oestrus in anoestrous cows.

Animals↗

Influence of past reproductive performance on risk of spontaneous abortion.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the incidence of spontaneous abortion in a population of women in order to establish their risk of spontaneous abortion and the obstetric factors predisposing to it. DESIGN: Prospective study of women recruited by radio and poster appeal and from hospital outpatient clinics. SETTING: English provincial community. PATIENTS: 630 Women from the general population intending to become pregnant. INTERVENTIONS: The viability of the pregnancy was assessed by abdominal ultrasonography before completion of the eighth week, and the assessment was repeated if vaginal bleeding occurred. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Spontaneous abortion or live births in women with or without a previous history of spontaneous abortion. RESULTS: The overall incidence of clinically recognisable spontaneous abortion before 20 weeks of gestation was 12% (50/407 pregnancies). The risk of spontaneous abortion in each category of patient was classified with respect to the patient's past reproductive performance and found to be influenced greatly by her previous obstetric history. In primigravidas and women with a history of consistently successful pregnancies the incidences of abortion were low (5% (4/87) and 4% (3/73) respectively), whereas women with only unsuccessful histories had a much greater risk of aborting the study pregnancy (24% (24/98)), even when their sole pregnancy had ended in abortion (20% (12/59)). The outcome of the last pregnancy also influenced the outcome of the study pregnancy; only 5% of women (5/95) whose previous pregnancy had been successful aborted, whereas the incidence of loss of pregnancy among women whose last pregnancy had aborted was 19% (40/214). CONCLUSIONS: A knowledge of the patient's reproductive history is essential for the clinical assessment of her risk of spontaneous abortion. As the most important predictive factor for spontaneous abortion is a previous abortion, the outcome of a woman's first pregnancy has profound consequences for all subsequent pregnancies.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗

Reproductive performance in South Australian dairy herds.

Herd breeding records (161) were examined from a random 10% sample of dairy farms (96) in South Australia with more than 40 cows and suitable breeding records for 1988 and/or 1989. Of these farms, 53 (55.2%) had a year-round calving pattern, 42 (43.8%) claimed to be seasonal and one was changing from a year-round to a seasonal pattern. Only 14.6% of farmers observed oestrous behaviour outside milking times and 18.8% used tailpaint. Overall, the average proportion of unobserved heats was estimated to be 32%. Artificial insemination (AI) was carried out on 85.4% of farms (16.7% used AI alone and 68.7% also used bulls) of which 32.9% used commercial technicians and 67.1% were do-it-yourself operators. Overall, the average 30-day submission rate was 59.9% and the average 49-day non-return to service rate was 58.9%. Investigation into the probable causes of suboptimal reproductive performance gave a tentative diagnosis of inefficient oestrous detection, deferral of service, inadequate nutrition, poor AI technique, insufficient bulls, and venereal/other diseases in 69.1, 32.1, 27.2, 28.4, 13.6 and 7.4% of records, respectively.

Animal Nutritional Physiological Phenomena↗

Effect of supplemental dietary vitamin E and zinc on reproductive performance of dairy cows and heifers fed excess iron.

We tested the hypothesis that the incidence of retained fetal membranes could be reduced by limiting oxidative stress. Sixty-four primigravid heifers (56 Holstein and 8 Jersey) and 80 multiparous cows (64 Holstein and 16 Jersey) were used. A combination of vitamin E or Zn and Fe was fed in a 2 x 2 x 2 factorial arrangement during the last 42 d prepartum. Amounts of supplements per animal were 1000 IU of vitamin E (d, l alpha-tocopheryl acetate), 0.8 g of Zn (Zn-Met and ZnSO4), and 12 g of Fe (FeSO4.7H2O) for Holsteins and 9 g for Jerseys. Neither vitamin E nor Zn directly affected the incidence of retained fetal membranes, but plasma alpha-tocopherol was lower when fetal membranes were retained > 12 h or when vitamin E was not supplemented. Iron had no direct negative effects on reproductive performance, but cows receiving additional Fe had lower unsaturated iron-binding capacity, which, in turn, was also lower in cows that retained fetal membranes. Days to first observed estrus were reduced by supplementation with either vitamin E or Zn. Vitamin E reduced days to first artificial insemination (AI) and tended to reduce days open. Supplemental Zn tended to reduce days to first AI but did not affect days open. Milk production during the first 12 wk and AI per conception were not affected by supplementation with either vitamin E or Zn. Both vitamin E and Zn reduced days to first observed estrus, indicating improved reproductive health during the early postpartum period.

Animals↗

Milk production and reproductive performance of dairy cows fed two concentrations of phosphorus for two years.

The performance of lactating Holstein cows in response to P supplementation was determined in a 2-yr study. Each year included confinement feeding for approximately the first two-thirds of lactation and grazing for the remaining one-third of lactation. In yr 1, 42 cows were assigned at calving to a low or high P diet within parity. Fourteen cows from the low P group and 16 cows from the high P group continued with their treatments for a second year. Also in the second year, 12 new cows were included in the low P group and 11 in the high P group. Thus, a total of 95 lactations with 65 cows were used in the trial, and 30 of the cows were used in both years. The dietary P was 0.38 and 0.48% during confinement feeding and approximately 0.31 and 0.44% during grazing for the low and high P treatments (dry basis). When all cows were used to obtain treatment means, milk yield for 308 d of lactation was 9131 and 8860 kg in yr 1, and 9864 and 9898 kg in yr 2 for the low P and high P groups, respectively. Blood serum inorganic P tended to be slightly lower for the low P than for the high P group during most of lactation; all concentrations (5.6 to 7.4 mg/dl) were within normal ranges. Reproductive measures were similar between groups in both years. When just the cows completing two lactations (N = 30) were evaluated, milk yield was 9072 and 8780 kg in yr 1 and 11,457 and 11,358 kg in yr 2 for the low P and high P treatments, respectively. Reducing dietary P from 0.48 to 0.38% for 2 yr did not impair milk production or reproductive performance.

Animal Feed↗