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Four studies are described involving 2573 Friesian heifers treated with norgestomet and oestradiol valerate to control the ovarian cycle. All treated animals were inseminated at fixed times following treatment. In study 1 insemination 48 and/or 60 hours after treatment resulted in a non-significant greater proportion of heifers becoming pregnant than at 48 X 72 hours. Large variations in fertility among farms were recorded in field trials of norgestomet (Searle) and oestradiol valerate. In study III the effect on fertility of nutrition, weight and body condition was studied. In section IV a pregnancy rate to fixed time insemination of 66-8 per cent of 500 heifers inseminated at 48 and 60 or at 48 and 72 hours after norgestomet/oestradiol valerate treatment was obtained. Heifers in study IV were fed a balanced ration designed to provide a predicted daily liveweight gain of 0-7 kg for a 12-week period starting six weeks prior to the date of insemination. The range of fertility was from 59-0 per cent to 85-7 per cent.

Four studies are described involving 3050 single suckled mainly Hereford-Friesian cross beef cows treated with norgestomet and oestradiol valerate to control the ovarian cycle. In study 1 the effect of insemination timing on pregnancy rate was studied. A greater proportion of cows inseminated 48 and 72 hours after treatment became pregnant than after a single insemination at 48 hours. In study 2 large variations in fertility among farms were recorded in field trials of norgestomet and oestradiol valerate. In study 3 the effect on fertility of nutrition, weight and body condition was examined. In study 4 57.9 per cent of 1113 treated cows became pregnant to insemination at 48 and 72 hours. Cows were fed a balanced ration designed to provide for a predicted daily milk yield of 9.0 kg for a 12-week period starting six weeks before insemination. The range of fertility was from 36.7 per cent to 94.9 per cent.

Progesterone concentrations in peripheral plasma and in milk were determined by competitive protein-binding assay each day throughout the oestrous cycle of heifers and a dairy cow and also in animals after insemination. The accuracy of detecting and forecasting pregnancy and non-pregnancy was assessed in studies involving blood-sampling of heifers on the 20th and 23rd day after artificial insemination, and milk sampling of cows on the 21st and 24th day after mating. The high degree of accuracy obtained using this procedure for an early pregnancy diagnosis would be particularly useful in herds involved in a controlled breeding programme.