Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-p9bg8 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-27T19:02:43.703Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Female-female influences on the duration of the post-partum anoestrous period in beef cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

I. A. Wright ,
S. M. Rhind ,
A. J. Smith  and
T. K. Whyte
I. A. Wright
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
S. M. Rhind
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
A. J. Smith
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
T. K. Whyte
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Craigiebuckler, Aberdeen AB9 2QJ
Get access

Abstract

Two experiments were conducted to determine whether female to female influences could reduce the duration of the post-partum anoestrous period in beef cows. In experiment 1, cows were housed from calving, either in individual stalls, which precluded physical contact with other cows (treatment I; no. = 19) or as a group, with a cow in oestrus introduced to the group twice per week (treatment G; no. = 18). The percentage of cows cycling by day 50 post partum was similar for both treatments, but at 91 days post partum was significantly higher (P <0·05) in the G than in the I cows (89% v. 58%).

In experiment 2, cows were housed in individual stalls from calving and exposed twice per week to either cervical mucus collected from cows in oestrus (treatment M; no. = 21) or distilled water (treatment W; no. = 24). The percentage of cows cycling by 70 days post partum was similar in both treatments but by 130 days there were significantly more (P <0·05) M cows cycling (86% v. 58%). In neither experiment were LH profiles at 22,43 or 64 days influenced by treatment.

The results indicate that cervical mucus of cows in oestrus contains pheromone(s) which can reduce the postpartum anoestrous period in beef cows with extended anoestrous periods.

Keywords

anoestrusbeef cowspheromones
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 59 , Issue 1 , August 1994 , pp. 49 - 53
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1994

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

Albiero, R. H., Schiersmann, G., Caron, N. and Mestie, J. 1987. Effect of a teaser bull on ovarian and behavioural activity of suckling beef cows. Animal Reproduction Science 14: 263–272.Google Scholar
Baird, D. T., Swanston, I. A. and McNeilly, A. S. 1981. Relationship between LH, FSH and prolactin concentration and the secretion of androgens and estrogens by the preovulatory follicle in the ewe. Biology of Reproduction 24: 1013–1025.Google Scholar
Carruthers, T. D. and Hafs, H. D. 1980. Suckling and four times daily milking: influence on ovulation, estrus and serum luteinizing hormone, glucocorticoids and prolactin in post-partum Holsteins. Journal of Animal Science 50: 919–925.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Custer, E. E., Beradinelli, J. G., Short, R. E., Wehrman, M. and Adair, R. 1990. Postpartum interval to estrus and patterns of LH and progesterone in first-calf suckled beef cows exposed to mature bulls. Journal of Animal Science 68: 1370–1377.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Handelmann, G., Razziva, R. and Ray, W. J. 1980. Social dominance determines estrus entrainment among female hamsters. Hormones and Behaviour 14: 107–115.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Izard, M. K. and Vandenbergh, J. G. 1982. Priming pheromones from oestrous cows increase synchronisation of oestrus in dairy heifers after PGF–2 injection. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 66: 189–196.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Klemm, W. R., Hawkins, G. N. and de los Santos, E. 1987. Identification of compounds in bovine cervico-vaginal mucus extracts that evoke male sexual behaviour. Chemical Senses 12: 77–87.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
McClintock, M. K. 1971. Menstrual synchrony and suppression. Nature, London 229: 244–245.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Macmillan, K. L., Allison, A. J. and Struthers, G. A. 1979. Some effects of running bulls with suckling cows or heifers during the premating period. New Zealand Journal of Experimental Agriculture 7: 121–124.Google Scholar
McNeilly, A. S., Jonassen, J. A. and Fraser, H. M. 1986. Suppression of follicular development after chronic LHRH immunoneutralization in the ewe. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 76: 481–490.Google Scholar
Martin, G. B., Oldham, C. M. and Lindsay, D. R. 1980. Increased plasma LH levels in seasonally anovular Merino ewes following the introduction of rams. Animal Reproduction Science 3: 125–132.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Nishimura, K., Utsumi, K., Okano, T. and Iritani, A. 1991. Separation of mounting-inducing pheromones of vaginal mucus from estral heifers. Journal of Animal Science 69: 3343–3347.Google Scholar
Scott, I. C. and Montgomery, G. W. 1987. Introduction of bulls induces return of cyclic ovarian function in post-partum beef cows. New Zealand Journal of Agricultural Research 30: 189–194.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Vandenbergh, J. G. 1988. Pheromones and mammalian reproduction. In The physiology of reproduction (ed. Knobil, E. and Neill, J.). Raven Press Ltd, New York.Google Scholar
Wright, I. A., Rhind, S. M., Whyte, T. K. and Smith, A. J. 1992. A note on the effects of pattern of food intake and body condition on the duration of the post-partum anoestrous period and LH profiles in beef cows. Animal Production 54: 143–146.Google Scholar
Zalesky, D. D., May, M. L., Garcia-Winder, M., Imakawa, K., Kittock, R. J., D'Occhio, M. J. and Kinder, J. E. 1984. Influence of exposure to bulls on resumption of estrus cycles following parturition in beef cows. Journal of Animal Science 59: 1135–1139.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed