Altered insemination timing improves pregnancy rates after a CO-Synch + progesterone insert protocol

Abstract

Our objective was to determine the optimal time to inseminate artificially cows following the standard CO-Synch protocol that also included a progesterone-releasing intravaginal controlled internal drug release (CIDR) insert. Lactating females from 3 Kansas locations were utilized. Crossbred Angus cows (n = 212) from the Agriculture Research Center in Hays (ARCH; location 1); Angus-Hereford crossbred cows (n = 249) from the Kansas State University Cow-Calf Unit (location 2); and purebred Angus, Hereford, and Simmental cows (n = 144) from the Kansas State University Purebred Beef Unit (location 3) were used in this study. Cows within each location were blocked by parity and assigned randomly within blocks to be artificially inseminated (AI) at 4 different times after the PGF2[Alpha] injection of the protocol: 48, 56, 64, or 72 h. Pregnancy diagnosis occurred at 32 and 63 d after insemination. Blood samples were collected 9 to 10 d and just before the first GnRH injection. Radioimmunoassays were performed on the blood sera samples to determine progesterone concentrations. Progesterone concentrations determined that approximately 60% of cows were cycling at the initiation of the study. A difference in cyclicity was observed with regards to age as well as body condition score. Pregnancies per AI (P/AI) at d 32 varied according to location and cycling status. Pregnancy loss between d 32 and 63 also was greatest for cows inseminated at 48 and 72 h. As pregnancy rates at d 63 increased with the 56- and 64-h treatments, pregnancy loss decreased. A significant difference in calving interval was detected among treatments, the shortest calving interval at 56 h. Results indicated that in most situations, the 56- and 64-h treatments presented the most desirable outcomes. The 56-h treatment presented the greatest number of P/AI for younger cows (≤ 3 yr), but for older cows, inseminations anytime 56 h or later produced the most P/AI. Overall pregnancy rates at d 63 were greatest for the 56-h treatment, with the fewest pregnancy losses. Given the interactions that seem to exist among location, cycling status, and age, further work is necessary to better define these relationships with the applied protocol.