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At least 73 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

Multiple manifestations of season on reproductive performance of commercial swine.

Seasonal variation of reproductive performance of female swine was analyzed by use of a data base that included farrowing records from 42 commercial swine herds. Farrowing rates of sows bred during December or January were higher (P < 0.001) than those bred in July or August (79.2 vs 74.1%). The percentage of sows with irregular (prolonged) return-to-estrus intervals after mating in December or January (2.63%) was lower (P < 0.01) than those mated in July or August (4.65%). Sows mated in November through January had greater total number of pigs born per litter (11.66 vs 11.19 pigs per litter), more pigs born alive per litter (10.39 vs 9.84 pigs per litter), and greater litter birth weights (15.20 vs 14.28 kg) than sows mated in June through August (P < 0.001). Adjusted 21-day litter weights were lower (P < 0.001) for litters from sows farrowing in July or August (52.04 kg) than sows farrowing in all other months (55.13 kg) except June and September. Sows that had their litters weaned in June through August had longer (P < 0.001) weaning-to-estrus intervals (7.95 days) than sows that had their litters weaned in November through January (6.84 days). The effects of season varied across parties. Primiparous sows had the greatest seasonal variability in weaning-to-estrus interval, whereas multiparous sows had the greatest seasonal variability in total number of pigs born per litter and pigs born alive per litter.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Parotid gland enlargement and female reproductive performance in a Papua New Guinea highland population.

Swelling of the parotid salivary glands is commonly observed among males and females of highland Papua New Guinea. Evidence suggests that the condition is related to the highlanders' high starch consumption in the form of sweet potato. In this paper we regard parotid enlargement as an indicator of high energy intake and test its association with two measures of reproductive performance, the number of live births and living offspring, in a sample of 274 women from Lufa in the Eastern Highlands District of Papua New Guinea. Multiple regression analysis including maternal age showed that parotid enlargement is positively correlated with both measures of reproductive performance. Given that parotid gland enlargement in this population is due to persistent starch consumption, and that the condition represents above average energy intake, these results suggest that increases in energy intake relate to increases in reproductive performance in this sample of highland females.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Effect of 188-day treatment with somatotropin on health and reproductive performance of lactating dairy cows.

Health and reproductive performance were observed in a lactational study involving 188 d of treatment with bovine somatotropin. Treatments commenced 84 +/- 10 d postpartum and consisted of 27 mg/d of pituitary somatotropin and 0, 13.5, 27, and 40.5 mg/d of recombinantly derived somatotropin (six cows per treatment group). Cows were high yielding (greater than 9600 kg/305 d), and somatotropin increased milk yield by 16 to 41% depending on source and dose. Somatotropin had no discernible effect on mammary health based on somatic cell count and incidence of clinical mastitis. Cows receiving somatotropin averaged 96% conception rate, 2.0 services per conception, and 116 d open, which were comparable to controls. No subclinical or clinical evidence of ketosis or milk fever was observed. Thirty-two blood chemistry and physical examination variables were examined at several intervals during the study and no adverse treatment effects of physiologic importance for any of the variables were observed. Somatotropin treatment had no discernible effect on gestation length or birth weight and growth rate (first 28 d) of calves. Milk yields for the first 60 d postpartum were compared for the period just prior to start of treatment and the lactation subsequent to treatment; no treatment effects were observed. Overall, our results for a well-managed herd demonstrate somatotropin treatment did not cause any serious health effects. However, examination of subtle health effects will require large numbers of animals treated under a range of environmental and management conditions.

Animals↗
PubMed1983

Amino acid supplementation of low-protein diets for swine: effects of gestation treatment on reproductive performance of gilts and sows.

The effect of lysine and tryptophan addition to an all-corn diet fortified with vitamins and minerals fed to gestating gilts and sows was studied in a series of five trials. The experiments were designed to establish the effect of the addition of the two amino acids on: 1) N balance, 2) reproductive performance over two consecutive parities and 3) the immune response of the gestating gilt and transfer of immune proteins to the nursing pig. Nitrogen retention by gravid gilts fed an all-corn gestation diet increased (P less than .05) in response to lysine addition, but was not affected by subsequent addition of tryptophan. Daily N retention of gravid gilts fed the corn or corn and amino acid-supplemented diets was lower than that of gilts fed a 12% crude protein (CP) diet. Reproductive performance for two parities, as evaluated by gestation and lactation weight gain and, number and weight of pigs at birth and at 28 d was similar among treatments. Evaluation of the amino acid status of gestating gilts by measurement of the development of specific antibody response to sheep red blood cells and bovine serum albumin showed a trend for improved antibody development in gilts fed corn diets supplemented with both lysine and tryptophan and in the passive immunity of their offspring. Total whey protein and globulin content of 0-h colostrum was not affected by dietary treatment. The lack of a depression in reproductive performance of gilts fed an all-corn diet could be because of compensatory N retention. During the 4 to 5 d before parturition, all gilts were fed the 12% protein control diet. Gilts that were fed a corn diet from d 1 to 108 of gestation retained 40% more (P less than .01) N from d 109 to 114 of gestation than gilts that had been fed the 12% protein diet throughout gestation.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1990

Growth and reproductive performance of ewe lambs fed corn or soybean meal while grazing pasture.

In a 2-yr study a total of 120 Suffolk and Suffolk-cross ewe lambs, approximately 3 mo of age, were assigned within weight strata to one of three treatments: 1) control, pasture only (C), 2) .09 kg soybean meal/(hd.d) (SBM) plus pasture or 3) .45 kg whole shelled corn/(hd.) plus pasture to compare growth and reproductive performance and to determine lamb selectivity of forage quality and type. Each year, supplements were offered from June through the 3rd wk in November. Ewe lambs were managed as one flock on Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis L.) and tall fescue (Festuca arundinacea Schreb.) pastures except for a brief daily supplementation period when all lambs were brought into a corral and sorted into treatment groups for the feeding. Ewe lambs were exposed to fertile rams from October 1 through the 3rd wk of November each year. Growth rates of ewe lambs grazing pasture alone were slower than those of corn-supplemented ewe lambs and were comparable to those of SBM-supplemented ewe lambs, but reproductive performances were similar (P greater than .05). Date of first detected rise in serum concentrations of progesterone and date of first observed estrus and lambing performance were similar (P greater than .05) among treatments for each year. Compared to hand-clipped forage, forage samples collected by esophageally fistulated lambs were higher (P less than .05) in crude protein and lower (P less than .05) in acid detergent fiber each year, indicating that lambs selectively grazed higher-quality forage. These data indicate that neither protein nor energy limited growth or reproductive performance of these ewe lambs.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1988

Influence of concentration, duration and route of administration of melatonin on reproductive performance of spring-mated polypay and polypay-cross ewes.

The effects of exogenous melatonin on reproductive performance of 737 Polypay and Polypay-cross ewes were evaluated during a late March and April breeding period. Different concentrations (2 or 10 mg) routes of administration (fed vs implanted) and durations of administration (20 or 40 d before breeding) were studied. Estrus was synchronized in all ewes using 60 mg medroxyprogesterone acetate (MAP) in a vaginal pessary. Number of mature ewes lambing/ewe present at lambing was increased (P less than .05) nearly 20% by implanting for 40 d with melatonin (75%) or by feeding either 2 (72%) or 10 mg (73%) melatonin for 40 d before spring breeding compared with untreated control ewes (54%) or ewes implanted for only 20 d before breeding (58%). Date of lambing, number of lambs born/ewes lambing and number of lambs born alive/ewe lambing were not altered significantly by treatments. Number of yearling ewes (n = 166 for ewes 1.5 yr old at lambing time) lambing/ewe present at lambing was lower (P less than .01; 26%) than that of mature ewes (n = 381, greater than or equal to 2.0 yr; 68%). We concluded that feeding 2 or 10 mg melatonin or implanting melatonin for 40 d enhanced reproductive performance and effectively overcame the restrictions of seasonality of breeding in mature ewes. In yearling ewes, 10 mg melatonin increased the number of ewes lambing.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1990

Reproductive performance and variation in body weight during annual cycles for crossbred beef cows with different genetic potential for milk.

Reproductive performance and body weights were studied in 81, 79 and 88 spring-calving beef cows from three groups, reasonably similar in growth rate and mature size but different in level of milk production (low [L] = Hereford x Angus, medium [M] = Red Poll x Angus and high [H] = Milking Shorthorn x Angus). Milk group did not have a significant effect on dates of first postpartum estrus and first and last breeding or in the intervals from calving to first estrus, to first breeding and to last breeding. A significant age-of-cow x milk-group interaction was found for pregnancy rate (PR, P less than .10) and calf-crop percentage (CC, P less than .05). In heifers, PR and CC were lowest for the L (85.6 and 73.6%) and highest for the M group (94.2 and 92.5%); in 2-yr-olds there were no differences, and in older cows, PR was highest for the L (94.8%) and lowest for the H group (91.6%), and there were no differences in CC. As estimated from Brody's growth curves, mature sizes were 530 +/- 5.7, 471 +/- 4.6 and 499 +/- 4.2 kg for the L, M and H groups, respectively. Of weights taken on four occasions during the year, October weight was the highest for all cows. February weight, minus the estimated gravid uterus weight, was the lowest for L and M cows, and May weight was lowest for H cows. Weight fluctuation over an annual cycle was greatest for the L group. Under these experimental conditions, cows in all groups were able to consume sufficient energy and gain or lose body reserves to achieve similar reproductive performance while differing in lactation performance.

Animals↗
PubMed1979

Retrospective evaluation of reproductive performance of workers exposed to ethylene dibromide (EDB).

An attempt has been made to examine retrospectively any antifertility influence of ethylene dibromide (EDB) by studying the reproductive performance of men exposed to EDB, exclusively on the basis of their reproductive histories in terms of live births to their wives, subsequent to their occupational exposure to EDB. The number of live, putatively legitimate, natural children born to the wives was compared to the expected number derived from national fertility tables published for successive birth cohorts of U.S. women by the National Center for Health Statistics. The indirect standardization method was used to adjust for the confounding effects of maternal age, parity, race and calendar year in deriving the expected births. The number of observed births was expressed as a percentage of the expected in assessing the workers' reproductive performance. One of the four plants studied showed a significant decrease in fertility.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Reproductive performance and profitability of heifers fed to weigh 272 or 318 kg at the start of the first breeding season.

Reproductive performance and weaning weight of the first calf was determined in 221 Brahman crossbred heifers fed to weigh either 272 (TW1) or 318 kg (TW2) at the start of their first breeding season (target weight). Heifers were divided into light- (below average) and heavyweight (above average) groups on the basis of initial weight. Within each target weight, heifers were fed in three lots. One lot contained lightweight heifers, the second contained heavy heifers and the third was composed of one-half heavy- and one-half lightweight heifers. Heifers were fed for 200 d before the start of the first breeding season. More heifers in TW2 showed estrus and became pregnant in the first 20 d of the breeding season and more were pregnant at the end of the first breeding season. These same differences in reproductive performance were also noted the second year. Each heifer exposed in TW2 weaned 43.4 kg more calf than those in TW1. An average heifer in TW2 was fed 220 kg more corn and 100 kg less hay than a corresponding heifer in TW1. Estrus and pregnancy rate for lightweight heifers in TW1 and TW2 were not improved by sorting and feeding them separately.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

Effect of streptozotocin-induced diabetes in primiparous swine on subsequent reproductive performance.

A follow-up study was conducted to determine the effects of streptozotocin-diabetes during the first parity on subsequent reproductive performance of sows. Only in the first parity, two doses of streptozotocin (50 and 100 mg/kg body weight) were administered to two groups of pregnant gilts at 80 d of gestation; a third group of gilts served as a control. Second-parity reproductive performance showed that gestation length, placental weight, mean birth weight of the litter, litter size and number of pigs born alive were not affected (P greater than .05) by maternal diabetes. Maternal serum glucose and fructose were greater (P less than .01) in high-dose sows than in the low-dose and the control dams. Serum free fatty acids (FFA) were higher (P less than .05) in high-dose dams than in control dams at d-1 and d 112 of gestation; no differences were observed between the high-dose and the low-dose during the same period. Liver and kidney weight, as well as DNA and RNA content, were greater (P less than .01) in pigs from high-dose dams than in those of the other treatments. Liver protein was elevated (P less than .01) in the progeny of high-dose dams. Dry matter and percent lipid were higher (P less than .05 and P less than .01, respectively), in pigs from high-dose sows than those from other treatment. Serum glucose, fructose and FFA of piglets were not affected by previous treatment of the dam.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Return of reproductive performance after expectant management and local treatment for ectopic pregnancy.

The purpose of this study was to examine hysterosalpingographic findings and reproductive performance in patients previously managed non-surgically for ectopic pregnancy. Forty-nine patients with unruptured ectopic pregnancies were treated either by expectant management (n = 16) or medically (n = 33), using transvaginal methotrexate or sulprostone injection. The treatment was successful in 35 patients (71.5%), 12 out of 16 and 23 out of 33 in the two groups respectively. For all patients, follow-up currently varies from 3 to 52 months with a median follow-up of 16.6 +/- 11.2 months and 7.3 +/- 4.3 months in the two groups respectively. Hysterosalpingography was performed in 25 out of 26 patients who desired further pregnancy. We found evidence of tubal patency on the ectopic pregnancy treated side in 23 cases (92%). In this group, no recurrent ectopic pregnancy was observed. In the expectant management group, eight out of nine patients became pregnant, and the mean time to achieve pregnancy was 16.6 +/- 11.2 months. In the medical treatment group, eight out of 17 patients became pregnant and the mean time to achieve pregnancy was 8.6 +/- 4.2 months. In this last group, seven out of nine non-pregnant patients have had only a short follow-up, 4.5 +/- 3.2 months since treatment completion. No recurrent ectopic pregnancy was observed in this successfully treated group of patients who desired further pregnancy. We conclude that the medical approach to unruptured ectopic pregnancy is associated with a high rate of tubal patency and a reproductive performance similar to conservative surgical methods.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

The influence of an essential fatty acid deficient-diet on the reproductive performance of female rats.

Several parameters of the reproductive function were studied in albino rats of the Wistar strain fed an essential fatty acid-deficient (EFAD) diet, a linoleic acid-sufficient (EFAS) diet or a commercial diet (CD). The frequency of irregular estrous cycles, with an increased incidence of prolonged diestrus, was significantly higher in EFAD and EFAS groups than in the CD group. There were no significant differences between EFAD and EFAS rats in any of the estrous cycle parameters studied. The EFAD rats showed the following changes in reproductive performance in respect to EFAS and CD dams: prolonged period of gestation, reduced litter size and increased pup mortality during delivery and the first 48 neonatal hours. From this time to weaning, EFAD and EFAS pups had a similar rate of mortality and were different in this respect from the CD group. These results support previous reports indicating that linoleic acid is essential to the maintenance of normal pregnancy and the survival of newborn rats. Nevertheless, we cannot conclude that impairment of the estrous cycle and sucking mortality until weaning were primarily due to the absence of linoleic acid in the maternal diet. The possible role of alpha-linolenic acid in the reproductive is discussed.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Use of dairy herd improvement monthly summary data to monitor intervention strategies in a dairy herd experiencing suboptimal reproductive performance and reduced milk production.

An 87-cow dairy herd with a history of high milk production was visited because of reduced reproductive performance and decreasing milk production. Cows that had recently delivered calves were thin, and many cows had evidence of previous episodes of laminitis. A ration that provided an unfavorable forage-to-concentrate ratio was being fed. In addition to various diagnostic efforts, management changes that were made included alteration of the ration and installation of a computer-operated feeder. After the initial visit, the herd was monitored for 30 months by the use of Dairy Herd Improvement monthly herd summary data. Several potential strengths and weaknesses of using selective production and reproduction monthly summary statistics were illustrated by this study. Milk production, as monitored by mature-equivalent production and average relative value-milk, continued to increase throughout the 30 months after intervention. Reproductive performance, as indicated by first-service conception rate, did not begin to improve until the final 6 months of the monitoring period. Overall, in addition to assisting in diagnostic efforts. Dairy Herd Improvement monthly herd summary data may be used to establish goals, provide comparisons, and maintain producer interest after practitioner intervention in herd management.

Animal Feed↗
PubMed1980

Influence of dietary protein during the pre-breeder period on subsequent reproductive performance of large white turkeys. 2. Growth, feed consumption, and male sex-limited reproductive traits.

the effect of low dietary protein during the rearing and breeding periods on the reproductive performance of Large White turkey males was examined. At 12 weeks of age 251 males were randomly divided into two groups and fed either 12 or 17% protein through 56 weeks of age. Body weight gains from 12 to 20 weeks and 20 to 28 weeks of age were significantly reduced for the males receiving the 12% dietary protein. However, after 28 weeks of age, weight differences decreased and by 56 weeks of age body weights of both groups were approximately the same. In addition, a significant reduction in feed consumption was noted for the males fed 12% protein. Males on the high protein diet experienced a higher mortality than those on the low protein diet. Low dietary protein reduced semen volume and spermatozoa concentration at 33 weeks of age, but there were no significant differences thereafter. The percentages of normal, abnormal, or dead spermatozoa were unaffected by dietary protein levels. Feeding 12% protein from 12 to 56 weeks of age to Large White turkey breeder males was adequate for high quality semen production.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Prepartum and peripartum reproductive performance of dairy heifers freshening at young ages.

Reproductive performance of five breeds (81% Holstein or Jersey) in the Florida Agricultural Experiment Station herd was evaluated from data collected over 20 yr. Data represented 1144 parturitions after gestations greater than 250 d with all twin births excluded. Number of services per conception was not affected by age at first insemination. Mean age of exposure to first service was 414 d; mean age at first parturition was 25.8 mo. Overall, 39.7% of heifers calved at 23 mo or less. Intermediate ages, 24 to 27 mo, comprised 33.9% of heifers, whereas 26.4% of heifers calved at greater than or equal to 28 mo. Overall incidences of problems at parturition were retained fetal membranes, 3.6%; dystocia, 3.8%; metritis, 10.5%; and stillbirth, 11.5%. Frequencies of stillbirth and retained fetal membranes apparently were not affected by age, but metritis increased linearly with age at first parturition. Holsteins experience higher incidences of all problems than did Jerseys. Heritability (from paternal half-sib correlation) of birth weights and gestation lengths were .31 and .24; genetic correlation was .14. Heritabilities of occurrence of stillbirth, retained fetal membranes, metritis, and dystocia were negative and considered to be 0. Heritabilities of age at first service, days from first service to conception, number of services, and age at first parturition were .22, .11, .05, and .43. Dairy producers can consider reducing age at first parturition to at least 22 mo, under environmental and management conditions of this study, without increased frequencies of problems at parturition.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1984

Influence of protein intake, energy intake and stage of gestation on growth, reproductive performance, nitrogen balance and carcass composition in gestating gilts.

Thirty-six crossbred gilts were fed three levels of protein (146, 255 and 364 g/d) and two levels of energy (6,200 and 7,440 kcal of digestible energy/d) throughout gestation in a 3 x 2 factorial arrangement of treatments. Five-day N balance studies were conducted in early (0 to 30 d), mid- (30 to 60 d) and late (60 to 90 d) gestation. At slaughter (90 d of gestation), reproductive tracts were weighed and evaluated for reproductive performance and samples of the reproductive tract, liver and semimembranosus muscle (SM) were analyzed for crude protein. The right half of the carcass was subjected to a physical separation of fat, lean and bone. Neither dietary protein nor energy level significantly affected weight gain or reproductive performance. Nitrogen retention increased as dietary protein level increased and stage of gestation progressed (linear effect, P less than .01), but efficiency of N utilization and dry matter digestibility decreased with increasing protein intakes (quadratic effect, P less than .05 and linear effect, P less than .01, respectively). Nitrogen retention (P less than .01), efficiency of N retention (P less than .05) and dry matter digestibility (P less than .01) were higher in gilts fed high (H) energy compared with gilts receiving moderate (M) energy diets. Increasing dietary protein increased total carcass separable lean tissue (quadratic effect, P less than .01), liver weight (linear effect P less than .01) SM weight (quadratic effect, P less than .05) and SM percentage M (linear effect P less than .10). Similarly, total carcass N and carcass lean N increased as protein level increased (quadratic effect, P less than .10, P less than .05, respectively). In contrast to the increase in muscle N, N in uterine tissue and fluids was not affected by dietary protein level. The results of this experiment suggest that 146 g of crude protein/d during gestation is just as effective as higher levels of crude protein for litter size or storage of N in reproductive tissue, but 255 to 364 g of protein/d are required to maximize muscle N.

Animals↗
PubMed1981

Reproductive performance of DES-exposed female progeny.

The reproductive performance of 106 patients exposed in utero to diethylstilbestrol by maternal ingestion is described. Fetal wastage is high, apparently because of spontaneous abortion during the first and second trimesters. Recommendations are made for preconception counseling of exposed progeny to increase fetal salvage.

Abortion, Spontaneous↗