title: An economic evaluation of estrous synchronization and timed artificial insemination in suckled beef cows.
abstract: Partial budget analysis was used to determine the economic outcome of estrus synchronization (ES) and timed artificial insemination (TAI) in commercial cow-calf production. Suckled beef cows (n = 1,197) from 8 locations were assigned randomly within each location to 1 of 2 treatment groups: 1) cows were inseminated artificially after synchronization of ovulation using the CO-Synch + CIDR protocol, which includes a 100-μg injection of GnRH (OvaCyst; TevaAnimal Health, St. Joseph, MO) when a controlled internal drug-releasing device (CIDR; Pfizer Animal Health, New York, NY) containing 1.38 g of progesterone was inserted. The CIDR was removed 7 d later, and cows received a 25-mg injection of PGF(2α) (PGF; Lutalyse; Pfizer Animal Health), followed in 66 h with TAI and a second 100-μg injection of GnRH (TAI; n = 582), and 2) cows were exposed to natural service (NS) without estrous synchronization (Control; n = 615). Within each herd, cows from both treatments were maintained together in similar pastures and were exposed to bulls 12 h after the last cow in the TAI treatment was inseminated. Overall, the percentage of cows exposed to treatments that subsequently weaned a calf was greater (P < 0.05) for TAI (84%) than Control (78%) cows. In addition, survival analysis demonstrated that cumulative calving distribution differed (P < 0.05) between the TAI and Control treatments. Weaning weights per cow exposed to treatments were greater (P < 0.01) for cows in the TAI treatment (193.4 ± 4.3 kg) than those cows in the Control treatment (175.9 ± 4.3 kg). Overall, increased returns plus decreased costs ($82.32) minus decreased returns plus increased costs ($33.18) resulted in a $49.14 advantage per exposed cow in the TAI treatment compared with the Control treatment. Location greatly influenced weaned calf weights, which may have been a result of differing management, nutrition, genetic selection, production goals, and environments. We concluded that ES and TAI had a positive economic impact on subsequent weaning weights of exposed cows.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, Minnesota 55108, USA.
authors.forename: J C
authors.initials: JC
authors.lastname: Rodgers
authors.forename: S L
authors.initials: SL
authors.lastname: Bird
authors.forename: J E
authors.initials: JE
authors.lastname: Larson
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Dilorenzo
authors.forename: C R
authors.initials: CR
authors.lastname: Dahlen
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Dicostanzo
authors.forename: G C
authors.initials: GC
authors.lastname: Lamb
mesh_terms: D000383:Agriculture / Q000191:economics*; D000818:Animals; D000833:Animals, Suckling; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology; D004973:Estrus Synchronization / Q000379:methods*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000187:drug effects; D005299:Fertility Agents / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary*; D008297:Male; D011247:Pregnancy; D018873:Pregnancy Rate; D011374:Progesterone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000191:economics / Q000494:pharmacology
chemical_list: D005299:Fertility Agents; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011374:Progesterone; D015237:Dinoprost