Raising beef females in drylots is gaining popularity because a more intensive management style facilitates adequate feeding for growth. However, drylots increase stocking density which has previously been shown to be stressful and impair reproductive development, whereas exercise has been shown to alleviate stress. Therefore, the objective was to determine if providing access to an exercise area would improve reproductive development of replacement beef heifers reared in drylots. Body weight, pedometer readings, and blood samples for plasma cortisol were collected weekly. Additional blood samples for genes associated with welfare, hair cortisol samples, and heifer temperament was assessed periodically throughout the trial. The results illustrate that providing heifers reared in drylots with high stocking density does not result in similar physiological or reproductive responses as heifers reared on traditional pasture. Thus, research is warranted investigating the impact of scheduled exercise on the reproductive development and welfare of drylot raised heifers.

<p dir="ltr">Nulliparous replacement beef heifers represent an opportunity to improve both genetic potential and lifetime production within the herd. However, advances in reproductive efficiency and synchrony in the herd require heifers to conceive earlier than multiparous cows in order to account for the extended postpartum interval following first-time parturition. Further, those heifers that achieve early calving dates continue to calve early throughout their lifetime. This early calving results in increased weaning weights and better synchrony in subsequent years. One obstacle producers face when breeding nulliparous heifers is the ability to identify which animals have reached puberty at the initiation of the breeding season. This results in the variation observed in synchronization success within a group of heifers. In Chapter 2 our laboratory formulated a study to analyze the efficacy of the 7-d CO-synch + CIDR protocol when utilizing short-term exposure to a progestin (melengestrol acetate, MGA) as a pre-synchronization protocol. Our hypothesis was that the heifers may respond more efficiently to an orally fed progestin as the increase in serum progesterone is less pronounced, when compared to the CIDR. This first study resulted in a protocol application error, in which MGA was fed an extra day (8 vs. 7). This additional day of treatment with MGA following the administration of a prostaglandin eliminated our laboratory’s opportunity to collect meaningful data from this first attempt. Thus, it was pertinent to restart the experiment in an attempt to obtain data for analysis. In order to avoid confounding data, half of the heifers in each treatment received a new treatment, while the other half remained on the treatment assigned during the first attempt. After completing the second round of experiments it was observed that at the first pregnancy check (study day 30), the heifers that were originally assigned to MGA, but were switched to a CIDR for the second attempt numerically outperformed their counterparts in the other three formulated treatment groups. In an attempt to replicate these results, a second study was formulated (Chapter 3), to mimic the timeline from the preliminary study. This resulted in a pre-synchronization treatment protocol prior to the initiation of the breeding season synchronization protocol. Previous studies that have been conducted with similar protocols were designed to provide heifers with a pre-synchronization period that would aid in the attainment of puberty prior to their first attempt at breeding through exposure to progesterone. The purpose of the Chapter 3 experiment was to evaluate the effects of feeding melengestrol acetate (MGA®) as a pre-synchronization for 10 days immediately prior to estrous synchronization and fixed-timed artificial insemination (FTAI). The ten days were chosen as this was a novel protocol that was the result of the preliminary study and the subsequent restart. Ninety-three crossbred heifers (395.67 ± 5.37 kg) were blocked by BW, genetics, and reproductive tract scores and allotted to 3 treatments. The 3 treatment groups were: 7-day CO-synch + CIDR without pre-synchronization (CON, n=31); 25 mg PGF2α (Lutalyse®) followed immediately by MGA feeding for 7 d prior to the start of the 7-day CO-synch + CIDR program (PRE, n=31); and 25 mg PGF2α followed immediately by MGA feeding for 7d followed 10 d later by the start of the 7-day CO-synch + CIDR program (PRE+10, n=31). The 7-day Co-synch + CIDR protocol in all three treatments was initiated on d 0 by administering a 2 cc IM injection of GnRH (Cystorelin®) and placing a CIDR into the vagina. The CIDRs were removed 7 days later and accompanied by 25 mg IM injection of PGF2α. An injection of GnRH occurred 60-66 hours following PGF2α at FTAI with frozen semen from a single bull. Ten days after FTAI, heifers were exposed to a bull. Estrotect® patches were applied throughout the study to assess estrous behavior. Ovaries were visualized by transrectal ultrasonography 24 hours post-FTAI to determine whether ovulation occurred. Pregnancy was determined on days 40, 64, and 109 post-FTAI via transrectal ultrasonography. Blood was collected via jugular venipuncture (d -19 and -12, MGA initiation and termination, days 0, 7, and 9) and serum progesterone determined. Performance data were analyzed using the MIXED procedure and conception data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure of SAS. Heifers in the PRE+10 treatment group had higher levels of progesterone (P=0.04) at d 0 compared to PRE heifers. At d 7 (CIDR removal) there was a tendency (P=0.07) for PRE+10 heifers to have higher levels of progesterone than PRE, but did not differ by d 9 (FTAI, P=0.36). FTAI conception rates in heifers in the PRE treatment group (63%) tended (P = 0.09) to be higher compared to the controls (35%), but not different from PRE+10 (43%), with no differences in season-long pregnancy rates (P > 0.15). Pre-synchronization with MGA immediately prior to FTAI synchronization appears to increase conception rates early in the breeding season in beef heifers. In Chapter 4, our laboratory analyzed the efficacy of supplementation strategies post-insemination. Unlike the first two experiments, the third study focused on reproductive failure that occurs after insemination. The overarching goal remained the same, increasing the reproductive efficiency within our nulliparous heifer herd. A common practice for beef producers in the United States is to use estrous synchronization, and immediately turn heifers out to lush spring pasture immediately following FTAI. The fresh forage is high in water content which lowers dry matter intake (DMI) and creates a negative energy balance. Ultimately, this reduced energy intake can result in a reduction in reproductive performance. In the Chapter 4 our laboratory formulated a supplementation strategy utilizing the SmartFeed™ technology to deliver soybean hulls to our treatment group following insemination for 45 days. The utilization of the SmartFeed® technology provided the opportunity to analyze the efficacy of the supplementation strategy using each individual animal as an experimental unit. Sixty-two nulliparous crossbred heifers were fed in drylot to obtain moderate body condition prior to breeding at d 0 via FTAI and trained to utilize the SmartFeed™ system.Heifers were blocked by weight and body condition score to either the soybean hull supplementation group (SOY) or the non-supplemented control group (CON). . Heifers in the treatment group received their supplementation by entering the SmartFeed™ system, allowing for RFID controlled release of 2.27 kg. per head each day for 45 days. Scales located beneath each feed pan sent real time weight data for regulation and analysis on individual animal feeding behavior. On study d 6, a subset of the nulliparous crossbred heifers (n = 12; n = 6/ treatment) were transported by trailer from the Feldun Purdue Agricultural Center to Purdue West Lafayette main campus (approximately 217.74 km.). The subset of heifers had embryos flushed and evaluated for embryo quality and number of live/dead cells. Ultrasonography was utilized to monitor ovarian activity throughout the duration of the study and to determine pregnancy status 30 days after FTAI and 30 days after the 45-day breeding season. Though conception rates were not statistically (P=0.17) different (SOY 16/25; 64% vs. CON 11/25; 44%) when comparing treatment groups, the numerical differences suggest there is potential in pursuing a similar supplementation strategy following breeding in nulliparous beef heifers. The supplementation of SBH resulted in greater weight gain over time (P = 0.04), potentially explaining the numeric improvement in conception rate. The two pre-synchronization studies from Chapters 2 and 3 resulted in numerical improvements in conception rate as a result of exposing replacement heifers to a source of progestin prior to the initiation of their synchronization protocol. The implementation of progesterone priming mitigates the occurrence of short cycles and immature oocyte maturation at the time of ovulation. Based on results from previous studies conducted by our laboratory, the source of progestin greatly determines the timing and concentration of P4 circulating in replacement heifers immediately following treatment. Additionally, the 7 & 7 estrous synchronization protocol has grown in popularity and implementation. This protocol when broken down is very similar to the pre-synchronization protocol our laboratory utilized for the first two studies. Several studies have been conducted to analyze the efficacy of the 7 & 7 and the conception data was comparable to the MGA derived protocol. Thus, one potential direction for the future would be to formulate a research study that compares the two protocols. Since the conception rates were similar, it may be hypothesized that the MGA protocol could be more widely accepted as there is a reduction number of times animals are handled.</p>