Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-gb8f7 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T06:55:08.319Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A population study of apparent embryonic mortality in cattle, with special reference to genetic factors

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

W. V. S. Wijeratne
W. V. S. Wijeratne
Affiliation:
Central Veterinary Laboratory, Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, New Haw, Weybridge, Surrey
Get access

Summary

Apparent mortality among 280 215 embryos from the 4th to 16th week of gestation was studied from returns to service records following first inseminations with fresh semen from 100 bulls of five dairy and three beef breeds of cattle over a period of 8 years.

The average incidence of apparent mortality was 20·3% for embryos conceived by fresh semen first inseminations. Differences in rates of apparent embryonic mortality between breeds of sire and also between sires within the Guernsey, Ayrshire and Dairy Shorthorn were statistically significant although confounded with the breed of dam. The highest incidence was from matings by bulls of the Channel Island breeds. These results suggest that hereditary factors influenced embryonic mortality in cattle.

The rate of apparent mortality was higher among embryos conceived by frozen semen than by fresh semen. Ageing of fresh semen extra-corporeally also increased the rate of apparent embryonic mortality but to a lesser extent than frozen semen.

The rate of apparent embryonic mortality increased with the greater number of inseminations required for conception possibly because of a deteriorating maternal environment.

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 16 , Issue 3 , June 1973 , pp. 251 - 259
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1973

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

References

REFERENCES

Bearden, H. J., Hansel, W. M. and Bratton, R. W. 1956. Fertilization and embryonic mortality rates of bulls with histories of either low or high fertility in artificial breeding. J. Dairy Sci. 39: 312–318.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Bishop, M. W. H. 1964. Review: Paternal contribution to embryonic death. J. Reprod. Fert. 7: 383–396.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Boyd, H., Bacsich, P., Young, A. and McCraken, J. A. 1969. Fertilization and embryonic survival in dairy cattle. Br. vet. J. 125: 87–97.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Dawson, P. L. L. 1970. Deep freezing of bovine semen. In Fertility and Infertility in the Domestic Animals (ed. Laing, J. A.), pp. 185–191. Bailliere, Tindall and Cassell, London.Google Scholar
Erb, R. E. and Holtz, E. W. 1958. Factors associated with estimated fertilization and service efficiency of cows. J. Dairy Sci. 41: 1541–1552.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hawk, H. W., Tyler, W. J. and Casida, L. E. 1955. Effect of sire and system of mating on estimated embryonic loss. J. Dairy Sci. 38: 420–427.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Kidder, H. E., Black, W. G., Wiltbank, J. N., Ulberg, L. C. and Casida, L. E. 1954. Fertilization rates and embryonic death rates in cows bred to bulls of different levels of fertility. J. Dairy Sci. 37: 691–697.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Madden, D. H. L. 1960. The relationship between aged semen and fertility. Vet. Rec. 72: 273.Google Scholar
Robertson, Alan and Lerner, I. M. 1949. The heritability of all-or-none traits: viability of poultry. Genetics, Princeton 34: 395–411.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Salisbury, G. W., Bratton, R. W. and Foote, R. H. 1952a. The bull as one cause of delayed returns to service in artificial breeding. J. Dairy Sci. 35: 250–255.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salisbury, G. W., Bratton, R. W. and Foote, R. H. 1952b. The effect of time and other factors on the non-returns to service estimate of fertility level in artificial insemination of cattle. J. Dairy Sci. 35: 256–260.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Salisbury, G. W. and Flerchinger, F. H. 1961. In vitro ageing of spermatozoa and evidence for embryonic or early foetal mortality in cattle. Proc. Int. Congr. Anim. Reprod. 3: 601–606.Google Scholar
Snedecor, G. W. and Cochran, W. G. 1967. Statistical Methods. 6th ed. Iowa State Univ. Press, Ames, Iowa.Google Scholar
Tanabe, T. Y. and Casida, L. E. 1949. The nature of reproductive failures in cows of low fertility. J. Dairy. Sci. 32: 237–246.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wderatne, W. V. S. and Stewart, D. L. 1970. Stillbirths in cattle. Br. vet. J. 126: 238–253.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wueratne, W. V. S. and Stewart, D. L. 1971. Population study of abortion in cattle with special reference to genetic factors. Anim. Prod. 13: 229–235.Google Scholar