Abstract

The administration of progesterone (P4) within 3 days following insemination can reduce pregnancy rates. In contrast, an injection of gonadotrophin releasing hormone (GnRH) at about 12 or 13 days after insemination can increase them by around 10%. This field trial tested the hypothesis that the negative effects reported for the P4 treatment on fertility could be eliminated by strategically injecting GnRH to convert the two ovarian follicle waves per cycle created by using P4, into three wave ones, with increased fertility. A total of 830 cows in 13 dairy herds received comparative treatments involving: (i) the insertion of a P4 intravaginal device 2 or 3 days after first insemination (1st insem.) for 10 days, with an injection of 10 mg of GnRH at device removal (P4 + GnRH); (ii) the same GnRH treatment but without P4 pre-treatment (GnRH); and, (iii) no post-insemination intervention (Control). Pregnancy status and conception date were confirmed by rectal palpation of uterine contents Calving data were recovered from 10 herds to monitor gestation length, dystocia and calf birth weight. The conception rates to 1st insem. were highest for the 255 cows treated with GnRH (64%; p = 0.05), but similar in the other two groups of 273 and 302 cows (57%). Second insemination results were not affected by the treatments; neither were final pregnancy rates. Birth weights were higher for bull than heifer calves (36.9 vs 33.0kg; p<0.01), but were not affected by treatment. The results of this trial showed that the P4 + GnRH treatment did have normal fertility and that GnRH injected 12 or 13 days after first insemination could increase conception rates.

VK, Taufa, KL Macmillan, AM Day, MJ Ashcroft, and S Morgan

Proceedings of the New Zealand Society of Animal Production, Volume 58, , 92-94, 1998