Implementing Reproductive Programs Jeffrey S. Stevenson, Ph.D. Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners Reproductive Symposium Department of Animal Sciences and Industry

Heat Detection

Challenges of detecting estrus Short duration of estrus Detection errors Lack of expressed estrus Active AI-Breeding Period

Heat Detection is a Lost Art Cow problems Poor footing; sore and wet feet; hairy warts Inadequate space for sexual behavior People problems Limited visual detection in large herds! Chalking tail heads = heat detection Occasional visual heat is detected Inaccurate and inefficient! A.I.-breeding pregnant or luteal phase cows

Characteristics of Various Heat Detection Aids Nebel, Virginia Tech

Heat Detection Errors Means

Timing of Insemination

0 +30 Normal fertile sperm life Hours Cell Death Capacitation

Fertile egg life Ovulation Standing heat 0 27 h  20 4040 Secondary heat signs Timing of Estrus and Ovulation

Fertile egg life Ovulation Standing heat 0 27 h  20 4040 Secondary heat signs Normal fertile sperm life AI Correct Timing of AI

Fertile egg life Ovulation Standing heat 0 27 h  20 4040 Secondary heat signs Decreased fertile sperm life AI Correct Timing of AI - Careless semen handling

Semen Placement by Professional AI Technicians Increasing conception rates...

Protocol Compliance PGF PGF PGF GnRHTAI GnRH Presynch + Ovsynch Program 12 days 0.95 × 0.95 × 0.95 × 0.95 × 0.95 × 0.95 = 77.4% Compliance

PGF GnRH TAI PGF ECP TAIGnRH PGF Experimental Protocol Experimental Protocol* PGF Ovsynch Heatsynch Detect estrus + tail chalking Insemination *Conducted on 2 of the 5 Foster Dairy Farms, Hickman, CA DIM

Conception Rates AI Scenario AI after EstrusTimed AI DIM at AI % (no. of cows) 1  PGF* 2  PGF** 2  PGF + GnRH  PGF** Heatsynch Ovsynch 23 (145) 33 (727) 32 ( 96) 45 (212) 49 ( 43) 21 (154) 24 (271) *Noncompliance (7.9% of 1,846 inseminations ). **( ) = 823/1846 – 145 = 48.8% inseminated.

Compliance to Protocol 1,503 of 1,846 inseminations were performed according to protocol (81.4%; CR = 32%) Noncompliant AI during 14 d after 1 st Presynch injection (n= 145; 7.9% of total; CR = 23%) All other noncompliant AI (n = 198; 10.7% of total; CR = 22.2%) Noncompliant AI at estrus (n = 130; CR = 26%) Noncompliant TAI (n = 68; CR = 15%)

Protocol Application Feedline Clothespin Technology Pink = Prostaglandin Green = GnRH Blue = Breed

Protocol Application RFID Technology Record-keeping packages integrated ability to read RFID tags using Bluetooth wand that transmits to a Pocket PC. Pocket PC (Dell Axim® or Palm OS) contains entire herd database and accesses each individual cow record—provides audible commands through headphones (“pass”, “GnRH”, “prostaglandin”, “bST”, “wrong pen”, etc.) $600-$700 $1120-$ RFID tags/$56.25

Practical Tips Needle sizes: –No larger than a 18 to 20-g needle for injection solutions in saline single-use –Preferably a 1.5 inch single-use needle Injection sites: –Neck vs. upper hind leg Syringe sizes: –6 cc for Lutalyse, Prostamate, and In-Synch –3 cc for Estrumate and for administering GnRH products

Pregnancy Survival

Clinical Mastitis and Abortion Cows having mastitis during the first 45 d of pregnancy are 2.7  at greater risk for abortion during the next 90 days. Abortions are related to gram (  ) and gram (+) pathogens isolated from udder Mechanism: –Increase in prostaglandins, thromboxane B 2, and cortisol –Resulting decrease in progesterone output

Embryonic Losses in Dairy Cows Producing >11,000 kg of Milk Vasconcelos et al., 1999

Pregnancy Losses in Dairy Cows 30 to 58 days of Pregnancy StatusPregnancy lossAdjusted ORP value Cyclic Anovular 14.5 (249/1716) 18.6 (63/339) Referent 1.3 (0.95,1.79) 0.09 Q1: 34.5 kg/d Q2: 41.4 kg/d Q3: 45.7 kg/d Q4: 51.6 kg/d 14.9 (73/491) 13.7 (73/533) 14.4 (79/550) 18.1 (87/481) Referent 0.91 (1.64, 1.30) 0.94 (0.66, 1.35) 1.20 ( ) NS Lost ≥1 BCS Lost <1 BCS No change 22.5 (29/129) 16.8 (176/1047) 12.2 (107/879) Referent 0.66 (0.41, 1.04) 0.50 (0.30, 0.81) 0.01 Timed AI Estrus 15.2 (227/1493) 15.1 (85/562) Referent 1.00 (0.75, 1.33) 0.99 Santos, 2006

Pregnancy Tests

Early Pregnancy Factor (EPF) EDP/ECF  (Biotech Corp., Knoxville, TN) –Foremilk or blood serum 7-8 days after AI –Claim 94-95% accurate detection of open cows and 1-4% of pregnant cows test open (false negatives) Non-AI controls: 96% false positives (open cows called pregnant) at day 6 samples 18 with viable embryos: 14% false negatives Fricke et al., 2001

Interferon-tau Directed Uterine Protein Synthesis Bovine trophoblast cells produce bIFN-  days after conception bIFN-  is not luteotropic like eCG or hCG bIFN-  interferes with endometrial production of PGF 2  - no luteolysis bIFN-  stimulates uterine production of a protein Protein appears in blood stream of pregnant cow SurBred on day 18 after AI (AspenBio Pharma Inc., Castle Rock, CO)

Pregnancy-Specific Protein B or Pregnancy-Associated Glycoprotein BioPRYN™ (BioTracking, LLC, Moscow, ID) Pregnant Ruminant Yes/No Product of binucleate giant cells of placenta that is detectable about days Collect blood 30 after AI (no sooner than 90 DIM) Claim 99% accuracy with 27-hr turnaround ($2.25 per cow).

Thank you! Department of Animal Sciences and Industry Ontario Association of Bovine Practitioners Reproductive Symposium