Factors associated with fertility outcomes in cows treated with protocols to synchronize estrus and ovulation in seasonal-calving, pasture-based dairy production systems.

Logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with fertility outcomes in cows treated with protocols to synchronize estrus and ovulation. Lactating dairy cows (n=1,538) were enrolled in a completely randomized block design study to evaluate synchronization treatments. Within each herd (n=8), cows were divided into 3 calving groups: early [≥ 42 d in milk (DIM) at mating start date (MSD); n=1,244], mid (21 to 41 DIM at MSD; n=179), and late (0 to 20 DIM at MSD; n=115), based on DIM at MSD. Cows in the early-, mid-, and late-calving groups were synchronized to facilitate estrus or timed artificial insemination (TAI) at MSD (planned breeding 1; PB1), 21 d (PB2), and 42 d (PB3) after MSD, respectively. For each PB, cows in the relevant calving group were stratified by parity and calving date and randomly assigned to (1) d -10 GnRH (10 μg i.m. of buserelin) and CIDR [controlled internal drug release insert, 1.38 g of progesterone (P4)]; d -3 PGF(2α) (25mg i.m. of dinoprost); d -2 CIDR out and AI at observed estrus (CIDR&#95;OBS); (2) same as CIDR&#95;OBS, but GnRH 36 h after CIDR out and TAI 18 h later (CIDR&#95;TAI); (3) same as CIDR&#95;TAI, but no CIDR (i.e., Ovsynch); or (4) untreated controls (CTRL). Use of a CIDR-based ovulation synchronization protocol (i.e., CIDR&#95;TAI) increased synchronization rates in anovular cows. Both CIDR&#95;OBS and CIDR&#95;TAI animals without a corpus luteum (CL) had increased likelihood of conception at first service compared with Ovsynch animals without a CL. Animals with low body condition score (BCS) treated with CIDR&#95;OBS had an increased likelihood of conceiving at first service compared with low-BCS animals treated with CIDR&#95;TAI, Ovsynch, or CTRL. Animals <60 d in milk (DIM) treated with CIDR&#95;OBS and CIDR&#95;TAI had increased likelihood of conceiving at first service compared with animals treated with Ovsynch. Treatment with CIDR&#95;TAI increased synchronization rate in cows categorized as low BCS, anovulatory, and <60 DIM compared with both CIDR&#95;OBS and Ovsynch, and increased submission rate compared with CIDR&#95;OBS. Conception rate in cows within these categories, however, was greatest for CIDR&#95;OBS, resulting in minimal differences in actual pregnancy rates between CIDR&#95;OBS and CIDR&#95;TAI treatments, both of which were superior to Ovsynch. Treatment differences in the response variables investigated were minimal in cows categorized as medium or high BCS, ovulatory, and >60 DIM, indicating that CIDR-based protocols could be targeted at particular cows, and all other cows could be synchronized using Ovsynch.
(Copyright © 2013 American Dairy Science Association. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.)