Effect of heifer source on reproductive performance, culling, marketing and profitability for a commercial heifer development program

A commercial heifer development operation purchased 483 weanling Angus × Hereford heifers from 11 sources. Heifers were fed a common silage-based diet through an initial developmental period and retained or culled based on average daily gain, pelvic area, and disposition . The percentage of heifers culled from each source ranged from 18.1% to 94.7% and were either sold directly through a local sale barn or sent to a feedlot with retained ownership . Estrus was synchronized, and heifers were artificially inseminated (AI) for 30 days followed by 15 days of natural mating. First service conception rates for each source ranged from 0% to 92.3%, whereas overall pregnancy rates for the 45-day breeding season ranged from 81.3% to 100%. When expressed as a percentage of the original heifers purchased from each source, overall pregnancy rates ranged from 5.3% to 80%. Heifers that lost their fetuses were sold for a net loss of $213 per head. Heifers sold as first service AI bred, second service AI bred, and naturally mated netted$160, $129, and$89 per head, respectively. With accurate records, stringent culling practices, and evaluation of cost and performance, producers can optimize profit potential of replacement heifers. Early culling and pregnancy diagnosis also will decrease costs while increasing opportunities to minimize the financial risks

Doppler-Free Spectroscopy of Weak Transitions: An Analytical Model Applied to Formaldehyde

Experimental observation of Doppler-free signals for weak transitions can be greatly facilitated by an estimate for their expected amplitudes. We derive an analytical model which allows the Doppler-free amplitude to be estimated for small Doppler-free signals. Application of this model to formaldehyde allows the amplitude of experimentally observed Doppler-free signals to be reproduced to within the experimental error.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures, 1 table, v2: many small improvements + corrected line assignmen

Presynchronizing PGF2α and GnRH injections before timed artificial insemination CO-Synch + CIDR program

Fixed-time artificial insemination is an effective management tool that reduces the labor associated with more conventional artificial insemination programs requiring detection of estrus. The 7-day CO-Synch + controlled internal drug release (CIDR) insert protocol has been shown to effectively initiate estrus and ovulation in cycling and non-cycling suckled beef cows, producing pregnancy rates at or greater than 50% in beef cows. The gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) injection that begins the CO-Synch + CIDR program initiates ovulation in a large proportion of cows, particularly anestrous cows. The CIDR, which releases progesterone intravaginally, prevents short estrous cycles that usually follow the first postpartum ovulation in beef cows. Our hypothesis was that inducing estrus with a prostaglandin injection followed 3 days later with a GnRH injection, 7 days before applying the 7-day CO-Synch + CIDR protocol, might increase the percentage of cycling cows that would exhibit synchronous follicular waves after the onset of the CO-Synch + CIDR protocol. We also hypothesized that the additional GnRH injection would increase the percentage of anestrous cows that would ovulate, thereby increasing pregnancy outcomes

A novel estrus-synchronization program for anestrous and cycling, suckled, beef cows

We used four herds at three Kansas ranches to evaluate the potential of two new estrus synchronization strategies to increase estrus expression and fertility of 911 crossbred suckled beef cows. The treatments included: 1) 100 μg of GnRH and a 6-mg norgestomet ear implant on day -7 and 25 mg of PG F2" and implant removal on day 0 (GnRH+NORG+PG F2"); 2) 100 μg of GnRH on day - 7 and 25 mg of PGF 2" on day 0 (GnRH+PG F2"); and 3 ) (control) 25- mg injections of PG F2" on days -14 and 0; (2×PGF2" control) . The GnRH+NORG+ PGF 2" and GnRH+PGF treatments increased (P<.01) 2" the overall percentages of cows detected in estrus by 49% and 27% and pregnancy rates by 46% and 37%, respectively, over the control group, without altering conception rate. Both treatments increase d the estrus, conception, and pregnancy rates of noncycling cows, compared to controls

Evaluation of human chorionic gonadotropin as a replacement for GnRH in an ovulation synchronization protocol before fixed-time insemination

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the difference between gonadotropinreleasing hormone (GnRH) and human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) given at the beginning of a timed AI protocol and their effects on fertility. In Experiment 1, beef cows (n = 672) at six different locations were assigned randomly to treatments based on age, body condition, and days postpartum. On day −10, cattle were treated with GnRH or hCG and a progesterone-releasing controlled internal drug release (CIDR) insert was placed in the vagina. An injection of PGF2α was given and CIDR inserts were removed on day −3. Cows were inseminated at one fixed timed at 62 hr (day 0) after CIDR insert removal. Pregnancy was diagnosed at 33 days (range of 32 to 35) after insemination to determine pregnancy rates. For cows that were pregnant after the first insemination, a second pregnancy diagnosis was conducted 35 days (range of 33 to 37) after the first diagnosis to determine pregnancy survival. Pregnancy rates were reduced by the hCG injection compared with the GnRH injection (39.1 vs. 53.5%). In Experiment 2, cattle were assigned randomly to three treatments, balanced evenly across the two treatments (GnRH vs. hCG) applied in Experiment 1. Cows were injected with GnRH, hCG, or saline seven days before the first pregnancy diagnosis of cows inseminated in Experiment 1. At the time of pregnancy diagnosis, cattle found not pregnant (n = 328) were given PGF2α and inseminated 56 hours later. A second pregnancy diagnosis was conducted 35 days (range of 33 to 37) after the second insemination to determine pregnancy rate at the second AI. Injections of GnRH, hCG, or saline had no effect on pregnancy rates of cows already pregnant to the first insemination. Pregnancy rates after second insemination in cows given an injection of hCG or GnRH, however, tended to be reduced. Percentage of cows pregnant after two timed inseminations exceeded 60% without any need to detect estrus

Administration of human chorionic gonadotropin at embryo transfer induced ovulation of a first-wave dominant follicle and increased progesterone and transfer pregnancy rates

Beef Cattle Research, 2011 is known as Cattlemen’s Day, 2011Embryo transfer (ET) has become more widespread in recent years as a way to improve cattle genetics. According to the annual statistical survey of the American Embryo Transfer Association, more than 200,000 fresh and frozen bovine embryos were transferred in 2008. But despite advancements in reproductive technologies that have occurred since ET was commercialized in the 1970s, industrywide pregnancy rates are only 62.4 and 56.9% for fresh and frozen-thawed ET, respectively. Using ET helps avoid problems from failed fertilization; however, fertilization failure has been characterized as a relatively unimportant factor of pregnancy loss. Approximately 10% of pregnancy failures resulted from fertilization failure and another 10% from failed embryo development. Approximately 20 to 25% of the pregnancy loss in an ET program could be characterized as early embryonic loss

Ad libitum suckling by a foster calf in the presence or absence of the cow\u27s own calf prolongs postpartum anestrus to first ovarian cycle

Five treatments were initiated approximately 15 days after calving: 1) calf was weaned from its dam (CW); 2) calf was present continually with its own dam (CP-O); 3) calf was present continually with its own dam but contact with the udder was restricted (CR); 4) foster calf was pre sent continually but the cow\u27s own calf was absent (CP-F); and 5) foster calf was present continually, and the dam\u27s own calf was present but restricted (CR+F). Cows weaned at 15 days (CW) cycled in about 2 weeks, whereas cows in the CR treatment cycled 1 week later, and cows in the CP-O treatment did not cycle for about 5 weeks. Cows fostering calves in the presence (CR+F) or absence (CP-F) of their own calves had extended anestrus periods similar to those in cows nursing their own calve s (CP-O). If a cow bonds with a foster calf (as in the CP-F treatment), then the duration of anestrus is lengthened. We conclude that anestrus is prolonged only when milk is removed by a calf (her own or a foster calf) to which the cow is bonded

A three-year economic evaluation of a commercial heifer development program

In 1994, 1995, and 1996, a commercial heifer development operation purchased a total of 1542 potential replacement heifers. Heifers were purchased in the fall proceeding the spring breeding season and fed a silage-based diet during the developmental period. Before the breeding season began, heifers that failed to meet minimum requirements for pelvic area, average daily gain, body weight, disposition, or structural soundness were culled. During the first year, 42% of 483 heifers were culled, 17% of 468 heifers were culled in the second year, and 14% of 591 heifers in the third year. Estrus was synchronized and heifers were inseminated artificially (AI) for 30 days followed by 30 days of natural mating by cleanup bulls. First-service AI conception rates averaged 68% and overall pregnancy rates (AI + natural mating) averaged 95.1% over the 3-year period. Heifers culled prior to the breeding season realized a net profit of $9 per head, whereas heifers diagnosed nonpregnant after the breeding season lost$86, and heifers that aborted lost $133. Profits for pregnant heifers sold were$163 for first-service AI, $138 for second-service AI, and$83 for bull bred

Asteroseismology of red giants & galactic archaeology

Red-giant stars are low- to intermediate-mass ($M \lesssim 10$~M$_{\odot}$) stars that have exhausted hydrogen in the core. These extended, cool and hence red stars are key targets for stellar evolution studies as well as galactic studies for several reasons: a) many stars go through a red-giant phase; b) red giants are intrinsically bright; c) large stellar internal structure changes as well as changes in surface chemical abundances take place over relatively short time; d) red-giant stars exhibit global intrinsic oscillations. Due to their large number and intrinsic brightness it is possible to observe many of these stars up to large distances. Furthermore, the global intrinsic oscillations provide a means to discern red-giant stars in the pre-helium core burning from the ones in the helium core burning phase and provide an estimate of stellar ages, a key ingredient for galactic studies. In this lecture I will first discuss some physical phenomena that play a role in red-giant stars and several phases of red-giant evolution. Then, I will provide some details about asteroseismology -- the study of the internal structure of stars through their intrinsic oscillations -- of red-giant stars. I will conclude by discussing galactic archaeology -- the study of the formation and evolution of the Milky Way by reconstructing its past from its current constituents -- and the role red-giant stars can play in that.Comment: Lecture presented at the IVth Azores International Advanced School in Space Sciences on "Asteroseismology and Exoplanets: Listening to the Stars and Searching for New Worlds" (arXiv:1709.00645), which took place in Horta, Azores Islands, Portugal in July 201

Fixed-time inseminaton of suckled beef cows. 2. Cosynch and progesterone

The Cosynch protocol (GnRH 7 days before and again 48 h after PGF2 with AI at the second GnRH injection) produced pregnancy rates in suckled beef cows that exceeded 50% without heat detection and with only three handlings of all cows. The addition of an intravaginal progesterone insert to the Cosynch protocol improved pregnancy rates in two of the three breeds of cows studied