Hostname: page-component-586b7cd67f-vdxz6 Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-11-23T07:00:56.907Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false

Superovulation and non-surgical embryo recovery in the lactating dairy cow

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

A. Brand
Affiliation:
Clinic for Veterinary Obstetrics, Gynaecology and A.I., University of Utrecht, Yalelaan 7, De Uithof, Utrecht, Netherlands
A. O. Trounson
Affiliation:
Clinic for Veterinary Obstetrics, Gynaecology and A.I., University of Utrecht, Yalelaan 7, De Uithof, Utrecht, Netherlands
M. H. Aarts
Affiliation:
Clinic for Veterinary Obstetrics, Gynaecology and A.I., University of Utrecht, Yalelaan 7, De Uithof, Utrecht, Netherlands
M. Drost
Affiliation:
Clinic for Veterinary Obstetrics, Gynaecology and A.I., University of Utrecht, Yalelaan 7, De Uithof, Utrecht, Netherlands
D. Zaayer
Affiliation:
Clinic for Veterinary Obstetrics, Gynaecology and A.I., University of Utrecht, Yalelaan 7, De Uithof, Utrecht, Netherlands
Get access

Abstract

A simple non-surgical technique was used to recover embryos from lactating dairy cattle, given 3000 IU PMSG to induce superovulation and the results obtained were compared with the ovulation rate and recovery of embryos from slaughtered cows.

In the slaughtered cows, which were treated late in lactation, mean ovulation rate was only 8·3 ± 1·24 or 9·8 ± 1·26 excluding cows that failed to ovulate. A mean of 6·1 ± 0·63 eggs was recovered but only 4·2 ± 0·63 were normally developed embryos. In the cows treated in mid-lactation for non-surgical embryo recovery, 25/92 had fewer than three ovulations. A mean of 3·5 ± 0·45 eggs was obtained non-surgically from 58 cows that were flushed, and 3·1 ± 0·44 were normal embryos. The estimated recovery rate of normal embryos non-surgically was 38 % of those ovulated compared with 43 % from slaughtered animals.

It appears that the lactating dairy cow has a rather low ovulatory response to PMSG but by the repeated use of the non-surgical embryo recovery method described, sufficient numbers of embryos may be obtained on a yearly basis to justify the use of the procedure for the improvement and dissemination of dairy breeds.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1978

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

Ayalon, N., Krieger, Y. and Lewis, I. 1976. Non-surgical ova recovery of late blastocysts in cows. VIHth int. Congr. Anim. Reprod. and Artificial Insemination, Krakow, vol. 1, p. 15 (Abstr.).Google Scholar
Church, R. B. and Shea, B. 1976. Some aspects of bovine embryo transfer. In Egg Transfer in Cattle (ed. Rowson, L. E. A.), pp. 7386. Commission of the European Communities, Luxembourg.Google Scholar
Dracy, A. E. and Petersen, W. E. 1950. Isolation of ova from the living bovine. J. Dairy Sci. 33: 797802.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Drost, M., Brand, A. and Aarts, M. H. 1976. A device for nonsurgical recovery of bovine embryos. Theriogenology 6: 503507.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Dziuk, P. J., Donker, J. D., Nichols, J. R. and Petersen, W. E. 1958. Problems associated with the transfer of ova between cattle. Tech. Bull. Minn, agric. Exp. Stn, No. 222.Google Scholar
Elsden, R. P., Hasler, J. F. and Seidel, G. E. 1976. Non-surgical recovery of bovine eggs. Theriogenology 6: 523532.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Land, R. B. and Hill, W. G. 1975. The possible use of super-ovulation and embryo transfer in cattle to increase response to selection. Anim. Prod. 21: 112.Google Scholar
Mariana, J.-C., Mauleon, P., Benoit, M. and Chupin, D. 1970. [Variability and repeatability of the number of ovulations obtained after injection of 16001.U. PMSG and 1500 I.U. HCG] Annls Biol. anim. Biochem. Biophys. 10: (Hors-Sér. 1): 4763.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Moore, N. W. 1975. The control of time of oestrus and ovulation and the induction of superovulation in cattle. Aust. J. agric. Res. 26: 295304.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Newcomb, R. and Rowson, L. E. A. 1976. Multiple ovulation, egg transplantation towards twinning. In Principles of Cattle Production (ed. Swan, H. and Broster, W. H.), pp. 5983. Butterworth, London.Google Scholar
Newcomb, R., Rowson, L. E. A. and Trounson, A. O. 1976. The entry of superovulated eggs into the uterus. In Egg Transfer in Cattle (ed. Rowson, L. E. A.), pp. 115. Commission of the European Communities, Luxembourg.Google ScholarPubMed
Rowson, L. E. A. and Dowling, D. F. 1949. An apparatus for the extraction of fertilised eggs from the living cow. Vet. Rec. 61: 191.Google Scholar
Sugee, T., Soma, T., Fukumitsu, S. and Otsuki, K. 1972. [Studies on ovum transfer in cattle with special reference to collection of ova by means of non-surgical techniques.] Bull, natn Inst. Anim. Ind., Chiba, No. 25, pp. 2733.Google Scholar
Trounson, A. O., Willadsen, S. M. and Rowson, L. E. A. 1976. The influence of in vitro culture and cooling on the survival and development of cow embryos. J. Reprod. Fert. 47: 367370.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed