Essential guides on cattle farming. Reproduction Techniques

PRESENTATION

BROCHURE

ESSENTIAL G IDES ON CATTLE FARMING

Reprod ction Techniques J. Richard Pursley

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ESSENTIAL GUIDES ON CATTLE FARMING

Reproduction Techniques

ESSENTIAL G IDES ON CATTLE FARMING

Reprod ction Techniques J. Richard Pursley

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This handbook presents the latest information to maximize reproduction efficiency in dairy cows with carefully designed fertility programs.

The most important management risk factors for a timely pregnancy are discussed, and the new concept “high fertility cycle” is introduced.

This handbook helps to achieve an optimal calving interval to boost the profitability and sustainability of dairy farms.

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TARGET AUDIENCE:

✱ Production animal vets. Cattle ✱ Animal production technicians ✱ Veterinary students FORMAT: 17×11 cm RETAIL PRICE NUMBER OF PAGES: 84 NUMBER OF IMAGES: 20 BINDING: Softcover, wire-o ISBN: 9788418020742

€35

Author J. RICHARD PURSLEY Professor of Animal Science at Michigan State University, USA. Reproductive management of dairy cattle specialist,

KEY FEATURES:

➜ Concise and useful information on how Ovsynch should be applied to enhance artificial insemination success and fertility in dairy cows. ➜ Practical format for consultation on the farm. ➜ Very useful, up-to-date and thorough information.

Presentation of the book In dairy cattle, the chance of becoming pregnant from a single artificial insemination (AI) decreases by 50% after the first parturition. This problem can be overcome by developing fertility programs, which have been proven to regulate the development of ovarian follicles and to ensure the best chance of pregnancy following AI. This handbook presents state-of-the-art information and technology to maximize reproduction efficiency in dairy cows and provides new and compelling reasons to follow a thorough and carefully designed blueprint from calving to pregnancy. This blueprint guides the reader step-by-step to ensure that every cow will ovulate a fertile egg at the ideal time following sperm deposition and will have a full gestation period. The most important management risk factors for a timely pregnancy in dairy cows are discussed throughout this handbook, including how to manage cows with cystic follicles, the ideal time for the first AI, technologies in pregnancy diagnosis, and how to manage cows diagnosed not pregnant. Moreover, a completely new and very exciting concept called the “high fertility cycle” is introduced. The information contained in this handbook is essential to achieve an optimal calving interval to maximize the profitability and sustainability of dairy farms.

Reproduction Techniques

The author J. Richard Pursley

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Dr. Pursley is a professor at the Department of Animal Science at Michigan State University (MSU). He completed his PhD in dairy science at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He co-developed what is now the world’s most widely used ovulation synchronization protocol, called Ovsynch. Dr. Pursley’s research and outreach programs were recognized as one of four projects (selected from 400) with the greatest impact in USA agriculture and featured on a United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) website. Dr. Pursley’s research has been cited over 5000 times according to Google Scholar. His seminal 1995 paper on Ovsynch was recently listed as one of the 100 most influential science papers of all time (no. 7 in all of reproductive biology). The Ovsynch technology revolution has indeed caused a paradigm shift in applied reproductive research in dairy cattle. Dr. Pursley has long been dedicated to not only improving the industry’s understanding of Ovsynch synchronization protocols, but to explaining to industry professionals how this technology should be used to enhance artificial insemination (AI) success and fertility in dairy cows.

Proof of Dr. Pursley’s local, national and international reputation and commitment to improve AI outcomes in the dairy industry is the over 350 invited and outreach presentations given to veterinarians, producers and academic societies during his career at MSU.

Table of contents 1. Economic benefit 2. The high fertility cycle Body condition Calving interval Parity

3. Ovsynch Controlling ovarian development How Ovsynch works

4. Anovulation and cystic follicles Treating cows diagnosed anovular

5. Voluntary waiting period 6. First artificial insemination Incorporating estrus detection Pregnancy diagnosis Ultrasound technologies Pregnancy-associated glycoproteins First pregnancy diagnosis Second and third pregnancy diagnoses

7. Resynchronization-cows Two weeks prior to pregnancy diagnosis One week prior to pregnancy diagnosis Post-pregnancy diagnosis resynchronization programs

8. Sire fertility 9. Goals 10. Troubleshooting Eight areas to consider

11. References

Plaza Antonio Beltrán Martínez, 1 Centro Empresarial El Trovador planta 8, oficina 50002 Zaragoza, Spain

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+34 976 461 480

ESSENTIAL G IDES ON CATTLE FARMING

Reprod ction Techniques J. Richard Pursley

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The high fertility cycle

Reproduction Techniques

Dairy herd health is critical for maintaining high fertility. Cows that become too fat due to prolonged calving intervals have greater loss of body condition following calving. This loss in body condition leads to a greater chance of having periparturient health problems, reduced fertility at first service and a greater chance of pregnancy loss during the first 60 days after artificial insemination (AI). The key time to achieve pregnancy is before 130 DIM. Cows that can achieve this have a greater chance of repeating this in the next lactation. This is called the “high fertility cycle.” Herds that can get a majority of their herd in this cycle will have high herd fertility.

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Body condition Cows that become pregnant prior to 130 DIM have much greater chances of either maintaining or gaining body condition during the first 30 DIM of the next lactation. In these cows, body condition scores at calving cows are generally about 2.8 on a 5-point scale (Fig. 2).

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THE HIGH FERTILITY CYCLE

2.2

2.5

2.8*

9

3.3

4.3

Figure 2. Differences in body condition in dairy cows from 2.2 to 4.3 on a 5-point scale.

2.8*: Ideal at calving.

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The high fertility cycle

Reproduction Techniques

Cows becoming pregnant prior to 130 DIM will have fewer problems with retained placenta, ketosis, displaced abomasum, and pyometra or metritis, and much greater fertility when they are inseminated for the first time.

Reproductive management is not just ensuring that a cow becomes pregnant and starts a new lactation. It is about controlling the time the cow becomes pregnant to ensure healthier and more productive cows year after year.

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Multiple studies demonstrated that low or loss of body condition creates fewer pregnancies per AI (PR/AI) at first service (Domecq et al., 1997; Moreira et al., 2000; Santos et al., 2009). The Britt Hypothesis from 1992 stated that cows with significant body condition loss in early lactation will have low progesterone and reduced fertility compared to cows that maintained or gained body condition.

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THE HIGH FERTILITY CYCLE

Carvalho et al., (2014) reported a significant increase in PR/AI if cows gained or maintained body condition during the first 3 weeks postpartum.

It has been shown that cows that lost body condition (LBC) during the first 30 DIM experienced greater pregnancy loss between 35 and 60 days after first AI compared to cows that maintained or gained body (MGBC) condition during that period. Out of 64 MGBC cows, none had experienced pregnancy loss between 35 and 60 days after first AI, while 15 LBC cows out of 183 (8.2 %) experienced pregnancy losses in the same period. Cows with health events that could have caused loss of body condition were not included in these outcomes (Middleton et al., 2019).

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The high fertility cycle

Reproduction Techniques

P < 0.001

480 460 440 420

12

360

n = 112

380

n = 90

400

n = 112

Calving interval (d)

Body condition at calving is related to the previous calving interval. The longer the interval, the greater the body condition at calving and subsequent weight loss, which increases the chance for health problems and poor fertility (Fig. 3)

500

n = 122

Calving interval

n = 118

2

340 ≤ 2.6 2.7 2.8 2.9-3.0 ≥ 3.1 Body condition score at parturition

Figure 3. Body condition score at parturition in relation to previous calving interval.

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THE HIGH FERTILITY CYCLE

500

P < 0.001

480 460 440

13

420

n = 53

n = 67

≤ -0.5 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 Body condition score change

≥0

n = 89

360

n = 100

380

n = 103

400

n = 110

Calving interval (d)

The amount of body condition loss following parturition is clearly related to the length of the previous calving interval (Fig. 4). The longer the calving interval, the greater the loss of body condition. This is associated with greater chances of health problems and poor fertility.

340 Figure 4. Body condition score change during the 1st 30 DIM in relation to previous calving interval.

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The high fertility cycle

Reproduction Techniques

Parity

MGBC

50

LBC

40 30

14

n = 94

10

n = 306

20

n = 155

Cows pregnant after first AI (%)

Older cows (second lactation or more) that maintained or gained body condition during early lactation had greater precnancy rates/AI when inseminated for the first time around 80 DIM compared to cows that lost body condition during that period (Fig. 5).

60

n = 40

2

0 Primiparous

Figure 5. Pregnancy rate in relation to parity and body condition changes during the 1st 30 DIM. MGBC: Maintained or gained body; LBC: Lost body condition.

Multiparous Parity

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THE HIGH FERTILITY CYCLE

35

25 20

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15

n = 136

n = 158 ≥0

n = 150

n = 125

≤ -0.5 -0.4 -0.3 -0.2 -0.1 Body condition change

n = 95

10

n = 123

15

5 Figure 6. Health events in relation to body condition changes during the 1st 30 DIM.

P < 0.001

30 % Health events (%)

Health events Body condition change during the 1st month of lactation was highly associated with twinning and the following health problems after calving: retained placenta, ketosis, metritis, displaced abomasum.

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