title: Reproductive management strategies to improve the fertility of cows with a suboptimal response to resynchronization of ovulation.
abstract: The objective was to compare the reproductive performance of lactating Holstein cows managed with a strategy that included the Ovsynch protocol with exogenous progesterone (P4) supplementation or presynchronization with GnRH 7d before Ovsynch to treat cows without a corpus luteum (CL), a CL <15 mm, or cystic at the time of the PGF2α injection of Resynch (GnRH-7 d-PGF2α-56 h-GnRH-16 to 20 h-TAI). In a preliminary study, blood collection and transrectal ovarian ultrasonography were conducted (n=555) at the PGF2α of Resynch [coincident with nonpregnancy diagnosis (NPD)] to define a cutoff value for CL size that better predicted fertility after timed artificial insemination (TAI). A CL size of 15 mm was selected based on statistical differences in pregnancies per AI (P/AI) [33.2 vs. 10.3 P/AI for CL ≥15 mm (n=497) vs. no CL ≥15 mm (n=58; no CL, CL <15 mm, or cystic)]. Subsequently, in a completely randomized experiment, cows were enrolled in a management strategy that used Ovsynch with P4 supplementation [Ovsynch+P4; GnRH and controlled internal drug release device (CIDR)-7 d-PGF2α and CIDR removal-56 h-GnRH-16 to 20 h-TAI] or a PreG-Ovsynch protocol [PreG-Ovsynch; GnRH-7 d-GnRH-7 d-PGF2α-56 h-GnRH-16 to 20 h-TAI] to treat cows without a CL, a CL <15 mm, or cystic at NPD and the PGF2α of Resynch. Cows with a CL ≥15 mm at the PGF2α of Resynch completed the protocol and received TAI. Data were available from 212, 192, and 1,797 AI services after Ovsynch+P4, PreG-Ovsynch, and Resynch, respectively. At 39d after AI, P/AI tended to be greater for Ovsynch+P4 and PreG-Ovsynch combined (35.1%) than for Resynch cows (31.1%), whereas P/AI were similar for Ovsynch+P4 (34.4%) and PreG-Ovsynch (35.9%). The hazard of pregnancy for cows that received the experimental treatments at least once was similar for cows in the Ovsynch+P4 (n=124) and the PreG-Ovsynch (n=132) group (hazard ratio 1.15; 95% confidence interval: 0.87 to 1.53). Median days to pregnancy were 52 and 59 for cows in the Ovsynch+P4 and the PreG-Ovsynch groups, respectively. The presynchronizing GnRH injection of PreG-Ovsynch induced ovulation in 86.0% of the cows. At the first GnRH of Ovsynch, the proportion of cows with a CL based on ultrasound (86.6 vs. 15.0%), P4 >1 ng/mL (82.8 vs. 31.8%), a follicle ≥ 10 mm (98.0 vs. 84.4%), and P4 concentrations (3.7 vs. 1.1 ng/mL) was greater in PreG-Ovsynch than in Ovsynch+P4. Conversely, more cows ovulated in response to the first GnRH of Ovsynch in Ovsynch+P4 (71.9%) than PreG-Ovsynch (58.3%). At the PGF2α before TAI, more cows had a CL based on ultrasound (92.1 vs. 77.0%) and P4 concentrations were greater in PreG-Ovsynch than in Ovsynch+P4 (4.1 vs. 2.6 ng/mL); however, a similar proportion of cows had P4 >1 ng/mL (79.1 vs. 82.7%). We conclude that the Ovsynch+P4 and PreG-Ovsynch treatments for cows without a CL, a CL <15 mm, or cystic at the PGF2α injection of Resynch led to P/AI similar to that of cows with a CL ≥15 mm, and that both management strategies resulted in similar time to pregnancy.
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853. Electronic address: jog25@cornell.edu.
authors.forename: J O
authors.initials: JO
authors.lastname: Giordano
authors.affiliation: Dairy Health and Management Services LLC, Lowville, NY 13367.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Thomas
authors.affiliation: Dairy Health and Management Services LLC, Lowville, NY 13367.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Catucuamba
authors.affiliation: Dairy Health and Management Services LLC, Lowville, NY 13367.
authors.forename: M D
authors.initials: MD
authors.lastname: Curler
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Masello
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
authors.forename: M L
authors.initials: ML
authors.lastname: Stangaferro
authors.affiliation: Department of Animal Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Wijma
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D002417:Cattle / Q000502:physiology*; D003338:Corpus Luteum / Q000187:drug effects; D003612:Dairying / Q000379:methods*; D015237:Dinoprost / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D004973:Estrus Synchronization / Q000502:physiology*; D005260:Female; D005298:Fertility / Q000502:physiology*; D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000494:pharmacology; D007267:Injections / Q000662:veterinary; D007315:Insemination, Artificial / Q000662:veterinary; D007774:Lactation / Q000502:physiology; D006080:Ovarian Follicle / Q000187:drug effects; D010060:Ovulation / Q000187:drug effects* / Q000502:physiology; D011247:Pregnancy; D011374:Progesterone / Q000097:blood / Q000494:pharmacology; D011897:Random Allocation
chemical_list: D007987:Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone; D011374:Progesterone; D015237:Dinoprost
keywords: corpus luteum; dairy cow; management strategy; resynchronization