The objectives of this study were to determine whether conception, ovulation rates, presynchronization rates, or follicle and CL characteristics were altered after modifying the Double-Ovsynch (DO) protocol to include human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) compared to the conventional DO protocol in dairy heifers and lactating dairy cows. We hypothesized that replacing the first injection of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) in the DO protocol with hCG would increase the proportion of females that ovulate, thus improving the presynchronization rate leading to increased conception rates. Ovulation rates were increased in cows administered hCG compared to GnRH, but subsequent synchronization, and conception rates did not differ between treatments. A greater proportion of hCG-treated cows tended to fail to have undergone luteolysis compared to those treated with GnRH. In conclusion, no improvement in overall fertility was achieved by replacing the first injection of GnRH in the DO protocol with hCG.

The objective of this study was to examine the effects of presynchronization and recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) on conception rates following a timed insemination (TAI) protocol in lactating dairy cows. A further objective included the evaluation of the efficacy of the Early Conception Factor (ECF) test kit. Recombinant bST may offer some benefit when used in conjunction with estrus synchronization and TAI. Presynchronization treatment consisted of two injections of PGF2α given 14 d apart, with the second dose administered 14 d prior to the initiation of a TAI protocol. A total of 216 lactating Holstein cows were presynchronized with PGF2α and then received GnRH (100μg) at 67 ± 7 d post partum (PP), administration of PGF2α (25 mg) 7 d later, another GnRH (100μg) administration 2 d after PGF2α, and were inseminated 8-18h later (OvSynch). First service conception rate (CR) was determined by rectal palpation at 42 ± 7 d after artificial insemination (AI). Treated cows (n=113) received rbST 67 ± 7 d PP whereas control cows (n = 113) were presynchronized without rbST. The cycling status of all cows was determined by paired milk P4 levels at 53 and 67 ± 7 d PP. No differences (P > 0.10) in conception rate were observed between control and rbST treated cows (44.7 and 40.7% respectively), nor was there any interaction of cyclicity and rbST. Milk samples were collected 7 d following AI for use in ECF test kit evaluation. Samples were stored at -20ºC (n=216) and at 5ºC (n=113) until assayed. Test results for frozen and refrigerated samples were compared to conception rates determined by rectal palpation at 42 ± 7 d after AI. The rate of false positive and negative results for frozen milk samples were 36.1 and 14.8% respectively, and 40.7 and 7.1% for refrigerated milk samples. Treatment with rbST at the time of the first GnRH injection of an OvSynch protocol did not significantly alter first service conception rates. Additionally, an acceptable 92.9% accuracy of the ECF test for the detection of open cows 7 d after AI using milk samples stored at 5ºC was obtained. / Master of Science

Master of Science / Department of Animal Sciences and Industry / Jeffrey S. Stevenson / We hypothesized that pregnancy outcomes may be improved by inducing luteal regression, ovulation, or both before a control CO-Synch + CIDR program (100 mcg GnRH i.m. [GnRH-1] and insertion of a progesterone-impregnated intravaginal controlled internal drug release [CIDR] insert on d -10, 25 mg PGF2alpha (PG) i.m. and CIDR insert removal on d -3, and 100 mcg GnRH i.m. [GnRH-2] and timed AI [TAI] on d 0) in suckled beef cows. This hypothesis was tested in 2 experiments, in which cows were treated with either PG or PG + GnRH before initiating a control CO-Synch + CIDR program to increase the proportion of cows starting the program in a low (< 1 ng/mL; Exp. 1) or high (≥ 1 ng/mL; Exp. 2) progesterone status, respectively. Blood was collected before each injection for later progesterone analyses. In Exp. 1, cows at 9 locations (n = 1,537) were assigned to either: (1) control or (2) PrePG (same as control with a PG injection on d -13). The PrePG cows had larger (P < 0.05) follicles on d -10 and more (P < 0.05) ovulated after GnRH-1 than controls (60.6 vs. 36.5%). Incidence of estrus between d -3 and 0 was greater (P < 0.05) for treated multiparous cows than multiparous controls and treated and control primiparous cows (74.1 vs. 64.3, 58.6, and 59.1%, respectively). In Exp. 2, cows at 4 locations (n = 803) were assigned to: (1) control (same as Exp. 1) or (2) PrePGG (same as control with PG injection on d -20 and GnRH injection on d -17. Cows with BCS > 5.0 or ≥ 70 d postpartum at TAI were more (P < 0.05) likely to become pregnant than thinner cows or those with fewer days postpartum. Treated cows in both experiments were more (P < 0.05) likely than controls to have luteolysis after initial PG injections and reduced (P < 0.05) serum progesterone. In both experiments, pregnancy rates at d 35 did not differ between treatment and control; however, cows classified as anestrous before d -10, but with elevated progesterone on d -10, had increased (P < 0.05) pregnancy outcomes than remaining anestrous cows with low progesterone concentrations. In summary, luteal regression and ovulation were enhanced by treatments before the 7 d CO-Synch + CIDR program; however, pregnancy per TAI was not improved.