146 Association Between Gilts and Sows Body Condition and Reproductive Performance

Abstract Our objective was to determine the association between gilts and sows body condition (BC) with reproductive performance. Data from 4,543 gilts (PIC Landrace, Hendersonville TN) was collected from January 2017 and July 2019 in a 5,000-sow farm located in Spain. The sow caliper was used to assess BC and was measured in units. Measurements were taken pre-farrowing at d 110 to 113 of gestation and at the day of weaning. Caliper units were used to classify gilt BC at farrowing as thin (< 12), ideal (12–15) and fat (>15). Caliper loss was determined as the caliper units at weaning minus the caliper units pre-farrowing. Response variables included total born, retention rate up to parity 3, total pigs born and total pigs weaned up to parity 3 per gilt served. Tested predictors included BC at farrowing, caliper loss during lactation, number of weaned pigs, lactation length, age at first breeding, wean-to-estrus interval. Data were analyzed with the lm and glm functions from the stats package in R, and final models were selected based on backwards elimination. There was a significant interaction between gilt BC at farrowing and caliper loss in the first lactation. Gilts in ideal condition at farrowing had greater (P < 0.05) retention rate and number of total pigs born and total pigs weaned per gilt served up to parity 3 compared to thin and fat gilts. Fat gilts that lost more than 3 caliper units during lactation had further reduction in retention rate and productivity up to parity 3 compared to fat gilts that lost up to 3 caliper units. For every unit of caliper lost during the first, second, and third lactation, subsequent total born was reduced (P < 0.05) by 0.27, 0.12, and 0.19 pigs, respectively. Results indicated that over-conditioned females are negatively associated with retention and productivity up to parity 3.

Download Full-text

Management strategies to improve reproductive performance of Brahman cross cattle (Bos indicus) in East Java, Indonesia

Jurnal Ilmu Ternak dan Veteriner ◽

10.14334/jitv.v21i4.1512 ◽

2018 ◽

Vol 21 (4) ◽

pp. 231 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Dian Ratnawati ◽

D. A. Indrakusuma ◽

Lukman Affandhy ◽

F. Cowley ◽

D. Mayberry ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Condition ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Smallholder Farmers ◽

Average Daily Gain ◽

Management Strategies ◽

Average Birth Weight ◽

Lactation Length ◽

Wide Range ◽

Condition Score

The demand for meat in Indonesia cannot be supplied by domestic cattle production, and so breeder cattle stock are imported from abroad overseas to increase domestic production. A commonly imported breed is Brahman cross bred (Bx). Smallholder farmers have reported a wide range of problems associated with Bx cow reproductive performance. The purpose of this study was to identify changes in the reproductive performance of Bx cows by providing advice to farmers on improved management strategies, such as: maintaining body condition score (BCS) of cow> 3, appropriate estrous detection and weaning at 5- 6 months. This study was conducted from October 2011 – December 2013 by using 189 Bx cows and 151 farmers. The research was conducted in two sub districts of Lamongan district (East Java), Modo and Sambeng. Cattle were fed diets based on crop residues and were supplemented with green feeds, by-products (rice bran) and concentrate during the last 2 months of pregnancy and early lactation. The reproductive performance of cows improved during the study, there were a shorter lactation length/early weaning (reduced from 188 days to 153 days) and improved BCS (from 3.0 to 3.3). The length of postpartum anestrous interval (PPAI) decreased from 198 days to 98 days. Cycling to conception decreased from 75 days to 64 days and days open decreased from 217 days to 118 days over the length of the study. This was associated with improvement in BCS of cows at calving (from 3.0 to 3.3) and a shorter lactation length (reduced from 188 days to 153 days). There was no change in the average birth weight of calves (31.8 kg). There was no change in average weaning weight of calves over the year and average daily gain of calves while suckling 0.7 kg/day. The pre weaning calf mortality rate was decreased during this study (from 13% to 6%). This project demonstrated that Brahman cross cows can successfully be kept by smallholder farmers in Indonesia if appropiate management is used. It can be concluded that improving management, such as maintaining body condition score of cow >3, estrous detection, appropiate mating and weaning at 5-6 months can improve reproduction performance of Brahman cross.Key Words: Reproduction, Cattle, Brahman Cross

Download Full-text

Effects of breed, age, parity, body weight and body condition on productive and reproductive performance of buffalo cows at Rajshahi district of Bangladesh

Asian Journal of Medical and Biological Research ◽

10.3329/ajmbr.v6i3.49806 ◽

2020 ◽

Vol 6 (3) ◽

pp. 536-547

Author(s):

Rashida Khaton ◽

Md Zakir Hossain ◽

Md Reazul Islam ◽

Md Jalal Uddin Sarder

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Body Condition ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Post Partum ◽

The Body ◽

Gestation Length ◽

Productive Performance ◽

Lactation Length ◽

Good Body Condition ◽

Heat Period

The present study was to evaluate the reproductive and productive performance (RPP) of Indigenous (n=145) and Nili-Ravi cross-bred (n=55) dairy buffalo in relation to age, parity, body weight and body condition. A total of 200 buffalo cows were randomly selected and interviewed to collect data on reproductive and productive performance of buffalo cows of Rajshahi district by using pre-tested questionnaire during the period from January 2015 to December 2015. The average mean ± SD value of reproductive and productive performances were as age at puberty (AP), age at first calving (AFC), gestation length (GL), post-partum heat period (PPHP), milk yield per day (MYPD), lactation length (LL), birth weight of calf (BWC) and calving interval (CI) were recorded as 25.05±4.00 months, 35.26±4.14 months, 308.28±12.46 days, 84.00±25.95 days, 3.59±0.56 litre, 202.76±33.54 days, 28.79±4.23 kilogram and 461.36±15.41 days, respectively. Nili-Ravi cross-bred buffalo cow had shown better RPP than Indigenous. The genotype of buffalo cows had significant effect (p<0.05) on most of the RPP except AP, AFC and CI. Age of buffalo had also significant effect (p<0.05) on GL, PPHP and BWC and middle age (4 to < 7yrs) observed good RPP. The best RPP were recorded in 2nd parity than others and also significant effect (p<0.05) on GL, MYPD and BWC. Body weight and body condition of buffalo had significant effect (p<0.05) on PPHP, BWC and MYPD. The body weight of >350 kg and very good body condition groups were observed better reproductive performance. It could be concluded that the buffalo owners of these areas do not follow any scientific method of buffalo husbandry; they just follow traditional rearing systems. Very recently, a few farmers started farming of the mostly Indigenous buffalo cows for dairy purpose at Rajshahi region of Bangladesh. Asian J. Med. Biol. Res. September 2020, 6(3): 536-547

Download Full-text

Effects of body condition score at initiation of the breeding season on reproductive performance and overall productivity of Bos taurus and B. indicus beef cows

Animal Reproduction Science ◽

10.1016/j.anireprosci.2021.106820 ◽

2021 ◽

pp. 106820

Author(s):

R.F. Cooke ◽

G.C. Lamb ◽

J.L.M. Vasconcelos ◽

K.G. Pohler

Keyword(s):

Breeding Season ◽

Body Condition ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Bos Taurus ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Beef Cows ◽

Condition Score

Download Full-text

Effect of active or passive immunization against steroids on reproductive performance of ewes in different levels of body condition at mating

Animal Science ◽

10.1017/s0003356100002476 ◽

1986 ◽

Vol 43 (2) ◽

pp. 285-292 ◽

Cited By ~ 9

Author(s):

S. M. Rhind ◽

B. A. Morris ◽

Jill Clayton ◽

J. M. Doney ◽

R. G. Gunn ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Condition ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Passive Immunization ◽

Treated Group ◽

Ovulation Rate ◽

Control Group ◽

Absolute Increase ◽

Wide Range ◽

Antibody Titres

ABSTRACTBorder Leicester × Scottish Blackface (Greyface) ewes of three groups, each comprising 118 animals in a wide range of body condition scores, were mated at a synchronized oestrus in mid October. The ewes were passively immunized against testosterone (group P), actively immunized against androstenedione (group F), or not treated (group C). All ewes were slaughtered at return to service or at 35 to 45 days of pregnancy and ovulation rates and numbers of embryos present were determined. Mean ovulation rates of ewes in group P were higher than in those in group C (P < 0·05) and this difference was evident at most levels of body condition. The absolute increase in ovulation rate, compared with the control group, was similar at all condition scores. Mean ovulation rates of ewes in group F were higher than those in group C (P < 0·001) and the magnitude of the increase was greater in ewes in higher condition scores. The incidence of ova wastage was variable but differences between treatments in mean ovulation rate were generally reflected in mean litter size. The conception rates of immunized ewes were depressed compared with those of control animals, particularly in ewes with a body condition score less than 3·0 at mating. Consequently, there was no improvement in the potential lambing rate of immunized ewes following only one cycle of mating. Circulating antibody titres were not related to conception rate or body condition at mating and were related to ovulation rate only in group F ewes. It is concluded that immunization against steroids, using either passive or active techniques, can improve the reproductive performance of individual ewes but improvement in the performance of the flock as a whole may only be achieved under optimal conditions of nutrition and season.

Download Full-text

128 Differences in PRRSV Resilience for Reproductive Performance Between Landrace and Duroc Sows

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.1093/jas/skab054.033 ◽

2021 ◽

Vol 99 (Supplement_1) ◽

pp. 18-19

Author(s):

Felipe Hickmann ◽

José Braccini Neto ◽

Luke M Kramer ◽

Kent A Gray ◽

Yijian Huang ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Reproductive Performance ◽

Mixed Model ◽

Performance Data ◽

The Other ◽

Wild Type ◽

Prrs Virus ◽

The Difference ◽

The Impact

Abstract Studies on differences in resilience to porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome (PRRS) virus (PRRSV) between breeds are scarce in the literature. Thus, the objective of this work was to assess PRRSV resilience in PRRSV wild-type infected sows from two breeds. Farrowing data included 2546 and 2522 litters from 894 Duroc and 813 Landrace sows, respectively, which were housed together and experienced the same PRRSV outbreak. Traits used for this study were number of piglets born alive (NBA), number born dead (NBD), total number born (TNB), and number weaned (NW). The impact of PRRSV infection was evaluated by comparing the reproductive performance of breeds between PRRS phases (pre-PRRS, PRRS, and post-PRRS). PRRS phases were defined based on the reproductive performance data. NBA, NBD, and NW were analyzed as a proportion of TNB using a Poisson mixed model. Pre-defined contrasts were used to evaluate the effect of breed on PRRSV resilience and on return to PRRSV-free performance, representing the differences between breeds for the difference between pre-PRRS and PRRS phases, and pre-PRRS and post-PRRS phases, respectively. There was a significant (P ≤ 0.003) interaction between PRRS phase and breed for all traits, as shown in Table 1. In general, reproductive performance reduced from pre-PRRS to PRRS, and then increased from PRRS to post-PRRS, as expected. The resilience contrast was significant for all traits (P ≤ 0.003). In all cases, the drop in percent reproductive performance from pre-PRRS to PRRS was lower for Duroc than for Landrace, indicating that Duroc sows have greater PRRSV resilience than Landrace sows. The return to PRRSV-free performance contrast had a trending effect for NBD (P = 0.055), and it was not significant for the other traits (P ≥ 0.515). These results indicate that Duroc sows have overall greater phenotypic PRRSV resilience for reproductive performance than Landrace sows.

Download Full-text

Prepartum body condition and weight influences on reproductive performance of first-calf beef cows

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.2527/1994.7251119x ◽

1994 ◽

Vol 72 (5) ◽

pp. 1119-1125 ◽

Cited By ~ 78

Author(s):

S. M. DeRouen ◽

D. E. Franke ◽

D. G. Morrison ◽

W. E. Wyatt ◽

D. F. Coombs ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Body Condition ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Beef Cows

Download Full-text

Effect of growth hormone on milk yield and reproductive performance of subfertile Holstein cows during extended lactations

Spanish Journal of Agricultural Research ◽

10.5424/sjar/2019171-13842 ◽

2019 ◽

Vol 17 (1) ◽

pp. e0403 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

Jessica Flores ◽

José E. García ◽

Jesús Mellado ◽

Leticia Gaytán ◽

Ángeles De Santiago ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Milk Yield ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Bovine Somatotropin ◽

Holstein Cows ◽

Control Group ◽

Recombinant Bovine Somatotropin ◽

Northern Mexico ◽

Lactation Length ◽

Hot Environment ◽

Farm Efficiency

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of the administration of recombinant bovine somatotropin (rbST) throughout lactation to high-yielding subfertile (conception > 270 days postpartum) Holstein cows undergoing extended lactations (≥480 d) on milk production and reproductive performance. The study used two large adjacent commercial herds with similar management in a hot area of northern Mexico (25° N). Cows in one herd (n=2341) received a 500-mg dose of rbST every 14 d until dried off, starting 60 days postpartum. The other herd served as control (n=984). Across parity, rbST-treated cows produced 20% greater milk yield than control cows in 305-d lactations. Across parities, milk yield from 305 d postpartum to the end of lactation was 2734 kg higher in rbST-treated cows than control cows. Across parities rbST-treated cows produced 4777 more kg of milk during the entire lactation (mean 605 d) than the control group (mean 572 d). Conception rates (CR) at first service were only 3.2% and 5.9% (p<0.05) for control and rbST-treated cows, respectively. Overall CR was 43.5% and 61.6% (p<0.05) for control and treated cows, respectively. Control cows required 2.4 more (p<0.01) services per conception than rbST-treated cows. It was concluded that in this hot environment, the use of rbST suits dairy producers because it substantially improves both milk yield and reproductive performance in subfertile high-yielding Holstein cows. By markedly increasing lactation length and lactation persistency farm efficiency is greatly improved due to extended herd life.

Download Full-text

The effect of an organic rumen-protected fat supplement on performance, metabolic status, and health of dairy cows

10.21203/rs.2.12926/v5 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Diego Manriquez ◽

Liang Chen ◽

Pedro Melendez ◽

Pablo Pinedo

Keyword(s):

Milk Yield ◽

Body Condition ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Organic Production ◽

Metabolic Status ◽

Organic Dairy ◽

Milk Components ◽

Certified Organic ◽

Daily Milk Yield ◽

Daily Milk

Abstract Background Negative energy balance during the transition period is a concern for both conventional and certified organic dairy systems. During early lactation, supplemental strategies are used to cope with nutrient deficiencies that are associated with impaired health, production, and reproduction. As organic certified dairies in the United States face restricted access to dietary supplements, the evaluation of products especially formulated for organic production is needed. Our objective was to assess the effect of supplementing 0.45 kg/d of an organic rumen-protected fat (RPF) on health, metabolic status, and productive and reproductive performance of organic certified Holstein cows from 1 to 150 days in milk (DIM). Two-hundred and two cows were enrolled in a randomized blocked controlled trial conducted from January to July, 2017 in a certified organic dairy located in Northern Colorado (USA). Two groups were randomly assigned to be individually supplemented with organic RPF (ORG; n = 100) or control pellets (CON; n = 102) once per day, in addition to the total mixed ration (TMR). Outcomes of interest included disease occurrence, culling, mortality, serum concentration of glucose and non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), milk yield (kg/d) and milk components, resumption of cyclicity, time-to-first artificial insemination (AI), conception at first AI, and conception within 150 DIM. Results A significant effect for the inclusion of RPF was found in daily milk yield; RPF supplemented cows had greater milk yield (1.6 kg/d) compared to CON cows up to 150 DIM (P = 0.03). During grazing, multiparous (MP) ORG cows had greater milk yield compared to MP CON cows, whereas no effect was found in primiparous (PP) cows. Health outcomes, serum metabolite concentrations, and reproductive performance were not affected by the inclusion of RPF. Body condition loss was smaller in the ORG group up to 80 DIM; however, there was no effect on body condition during the grazing season and in the overall study period. Conclusions These results indicate that supplementation of RPF increased daily milk yield and prevented body condition loss during transition. However, RPF supplementation did not affect health, serum metabolite concentration, milk components, and reproductive outcomes.

Download Full-text