11 Conception rate of high-producing dairy cows at first service using prostaglandin F_2α and oestradiol benzoate

Abstract

We have shown that a simplified oestrus synchronization protocol using prostaglandin F_2α (PG) and oestradiol benzoate (EB) resulted in a satisfactory conception rate, similar to that obtained in high-producing dairy cows with natural oestrus (Yamaguchi et al. 2018 Reprod. Fertil. Dev. 30, 147 abstr). However, we found no significant effect of PG + EB protocols on the first-service conception rates (CR) of dairy cows. This study investigated the effect of the first-service CR by using PG + EB protocols in the high-producing dairy cows that had not exhibited oestrus expression after calving. Data concerning the first-service CR were obtained for 481 Holstein cows from 4 commercial dairy herds in Hokkaido and Ibaraki, Japan, from 2014 to 2017. The average number of parity, average interval between calving and the first service, and average milk yield (at 305 days) of the cows were 2.2 ± 1.3, 89.7 ± 26.1 days, and 10314 ± 1994 kg, respectively. We carried out the PG + EB protocols on cows not showing evident standing heat from Days 50 to 150 postpartum regardless of the presence of a corpus luteum in the ovary. The statuses of ovaries of cows were confirmed using ultrasonography before starting the treatment. Prostaglandin F_2α (25 mg; Lutalyse, Pfizer, New York, NY, USA) was injected into cows with a >20 mm cutoff for functional corpus luteum diameter at a random stage of oestrus, and EB (1 mg; Ovahormon®, Aska Animal Health Co., Tokyo, Japan) was injected 24 h later, and AI was carried out 24 to 48 h after EB injection. Cows with a natural oestrus service from Days 50 to 150 postpartum were used as control. All the cows were inseminated after the onset of standing heat or removal of the tail chalk. Pregnancy diagnoses were performed using ultrasonography 30 to 45 days after AI. The CR and intervals of partum to conception were analysed using a chi-square test and ANOVA. The first-service CR (i.e. the number of pregnant cows/total number of cows in the treatment group) of the natural oestrus (n = 330) and PG + EB (n = 151) groups were 42.7 and 41.1%, respectively, and there were no significant differences between these 2 groups (P = 0.7). The average interval between calving and the first service of the PG + EB groups was significantly longer than that of the natural oestrus groups (86.4 ± 1.5 days v. 96.9 ± 1.9 days; P < 0.01). The average days open of the natural oestrus and PG + EB groups were 88.5 ± 3.2 days and 98.1 ± 2.3 days, respectively (P < 0.05). These results confirmed that the first-service CR in the PG + EB and natural oestrus groups of high-producing dairy cows were similar. We suggest that conducting PG + EB protocols was effective in the high-producing dairy cows that had not exhibited oestrus expression after calving. Moreover, using PG + EB protocols could prevent the further increase in the number of days open.