Estrus synchronization of suckled beef cows by using GnRH, prostaglandin F2α (PGF), and progesterone (CIDR): a multi-location study

Our objectives were to determine whether a fixed-time artificial insemination (TAI) protocol could yield pregnancy rates similar to a protocol requiring detection of estrus and whether inclusion of a CIDR (a vaginal insert containing progesterone) in protocols using gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF) would enhance fertility. Postpartum suckled beef cows (n = 2,630) from 14 locations were assigned randomly to each of five estrus-synchronization protocols using PGF with GnRH and(or) a CIDR. Protocols were Control, CO-Synch, COSynch+ CIDR, Hybrid-Synch, and Hybrid-Synch+CIDR. The percentage of cows cycling at the initiation of estrus synchronization was 66.8%, the percentage of cycling cows ranging from 38 to 90% among locations. Overall pregnancy among locations ranged from 39% to 67%. Pregnancy rates were greatest for the Hybrid-Synch+CIDR (57.9%) treatment, although not significantly different from the CO-Synch+CIDR (53.6%) and Hybrid-Synch (53.0%) treatments, but greater than the Control (52.3%) and CO-Synch (43.4%), which yielded the poorest pregnancy rates. Overall, the Hybrid-Synch+CIDR protocol (AI after detected estrus for 3 days, and then a clean-up TAI) achieved the greatest pregnancy rates, but CO-Synch+CIDR is a reliable, fixed-time AI protocol that gives producers the option to eliminat

Relação entre comprimento craniocaudal e diâmetro da vesícula embrionária/fetal com idade de gestação por meio de avaliação ultra-sonográfica em ovino da raça Bergamácia Relationship between crown-rump length and embryonic/fetal vesicle diameter with gestational age in ovine of Bergamácia breed by ultrasonography

Este trabalho objetivou relacionar o diâmetro da vesícula embrionária/fetal (DVE) e comprimento craniocaudal do embrião/feto (CCC) do 15º ao 45º dia de gestação com a idade de gestação em ovelhas. Utilizaram-se 19 ovelhas adultas da raça Bergamácia, com cio sincronizado e cobertas por um mesmo reprodutor. A avaliação ultra-sonográfica foi realizada diariamente do 15º ao 30º dia após a cobrição e a cada cinco dias do 30º ao 45º dia, utilizando-se aparelho com transdutor linear de 5,0 e 7,5MHZ. O crescimento diário médio do DVE e CCC foi de 1,40mm e 1,33mm, respectivamente. A calibragem inversa obtida para DVE foi: Dias = -11 + 50(0,1 + 0,04log DVE)½, com R² = 0,85 e para CCC foi: Dias = 13,63 + 12,5(-0,71 + 0,16CCC)½, com R² = 0,93. Tanto o DVE como o CCC obtidos por ultra-sonografia são medidas pelas quais se pode prever a idade de gestação em ovelhas da raça Bergamácia.<br>This study aimed to relate embryonic/fetal vesicle diameter (EVD) and crown-rump length (CRL) to gestational age in ewes from the 15th to the 45th day of pregnancy. Nineteen adult Bergamácia ewes with synchronized estrus were mated by the same male. Ultrasonographic evaluations were performed every 24 hours from the 15th to the 30th day after mating and every five days from the 30th to the 45th day using 5.0 and 7.5MHZ linear transducers. Average daily growth of EVD and CRL were 1.40mm and 1.33mm, respectively. The inverse calibration obtained for EVD was: Days = -11 + 50(0.1 + 0.04log EVD)½ with R² = 0.85, and for CRL was: Days = 13.63 + 12.5(- 0.71 + 0.16CRL)½ with R² = 0.93. Both EVD and CRL obtained by ultrasonography are useful measurements that allow the prediction of gestational age in Bergamácia ewes