Abstract

A mathematical model that describes the dynamics of reproductive hormones was developed to estimate the duration of the postpartum anoestrus interval (PPAI) in cows. The model identified two relatively separate mechanisms: one influenced PPAI through luteinising hormone (LH) release; and it is suggested that another one controlled ovary sensitivity to LH. Examining the role played by these mechanisms in the relationships between nutrition and PPAI involved analysing the data from an experiment that measured the effects of prepartum nutrition on PPAI in which levels of insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I), insulin, glucose, leptin and growth hormone (GH) were recorded. Five months before calving, 30 Holstein-Friesian heifers were randomly allocated to a high (HP) or low plane (LP) of nutrition. Body condition scores at calving were 6.3 and 4.1 for the HP and LP treatments respectively. Both groups were fed ad libitum after calving. Secretion patterns of LH were measured at 2, 5 and 8 weeks after calving. PPAI differed between treatments (HP 62.0 ± 7.95 days; LP 83.1 ± 6.95 days; P < 0.05), as did the level of GH at calving (HP 5.8 ± 1.23 ng/ml; LP 10.3 ± 1.23 ng/ml; P < 0.001). The within treatment variation in PPAI was partitioned into that associated with LH frequency post calving and that orthogonal to LH pulse frequency. Within each treatment, GH was associated with the LH frequency and insulin was associated with the component orthogonal to LH frequency. These results link nutrition to the PPAI through the dynamics of insulin and GH. KEYWORDS: mathematical model; anoestrus; dairy cows; nutrition; metabolites; LH.

AB, Pleasants, LM Chagas, CR Burke, JF Smith, TK Soboleva, and AJ Peterson

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 65, Christchurch, 329-334, 2005