Influence of Ovarian Status and Steroid Hormone Concentration on Day of Timed Artificial Insemination (TAI) on the Reproductive Performance of Dairy Cows Inseminated with Sexed Semen

Abstract

This study aimed to evaluate the effect of the ovarian status and steroid hormone concentration on the day of TAI on the reproductive performance of dairy cows subjected to estrus synchronization treatment and timed artificial insemination with sexed semen. Seventy-eight cyclic Holstein cows pre-treated with PGF2α-GnRH were divided in two groups—I (Preselect-OvSynch, n = 38) and II (OvSynch+PRID-7-day+eCG, n = 40)—and inseminated with sexed semen. The presence of preovulatory follicle (PF) with or without corpus luteum (CL), the PF diameter, the estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) concentrations on the day of TAI, the pregnancy rate (PR) and embryo loss were determined. On the day of TAI, 78.4% of all the pregnant cows presented a PF (mean size 1.80 ± 0.12 cm) without CL, low P4 (0.59 ± 0.28 ng/mL) and high E2 (12.35 ± 2.62 pg/mg) concentrations. The positive correlation between the size of the PF and the level of E2 in the pregnant cows from group II was stronger than that of group I (R = 0.82 vs. R = 0.52, p < 0.05). The pregnancy rate on day 30 (57.5% vs. 36.8%) and day 60 (50% vs. 26.3%; p < 0.05) and the embryo losses (13% vs. 28.5%) showed better effects of treatment in group II. In conclusion, the ovarian status and the steroid hormone concentration on the day of TAI influence the pregnancy rates of dairy cows subjected to estrus synchronization and timed artificial insemination with sexed semen.

Intelligent Animal Husbandry: Present and Future

“…An innovative way to achieve accelerated genetic progress in cattle breeding is the use of sexed semen from bulls with high genetic potential, the development of effective estrus synchronization protocols, and the application of innovative systems for artificial insemination. This, in turn, leads to the production of animals with very good productive traits and can reduce herd sizes [ 5 , 6 ]. Animal welfare requires strict control of the environment on the farm level by using automated sensor systems and up-to date diagnostic methods for the early detection of possible diseases.…”

“…This Special Issue presents experimental and review material for discussing a wide spectrum of questions related to “Intelligent Animal Husbandry”, from the use of modern technologies for genetic progress in animals, to the application of information and communications technologies (ICT) to control the behavior and breeding conditions of animals, to intelligent waste management in animal husbandry ( Figure 1 ). The publications included in the collection reflect an opportunity for intelligent approaches and smart solutions for raising different species of farm animals: dairy animals, such as cows and buffaloes [ 6 , 12 ]; pigs [ 4 , 13 ]; silkworms [ 14 ]; rabbits [ 8 ]; and chickens [ 11 ].…”

“…The research by Yotov et al published in this SI [ 6 ] contributes to solving this problem through economic and reproductive success by using sexed sperm. The authors proved that the application of a number of intelligent approaches as the presynchronization treatment of cows with the Ovsynch+PRID+eCG protocol, and the preliminary selection of candidates for insemination through ultrasound examination of their ovarian status, for example, can ensure higher efficiency of the artificial insemination of dairy cows with sexed sperm [ 6 ]. Accurate identification of the species and sex of pupae is also essential for silkworm sericulture, particularly for silk quality.…”