Hostname: page-component-cd9895bd7-jkksz Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2024-12-29T00:57:57.912Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

Reproduction management in dairy cattle: a prospective study using progesterone and oestrone sulphate for monitoring pregnancy

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

S. Kourletaki-Belibasaki ,
A. Stefanakis ,
D. Vafiadis ,
G. Hatzidakis  and
E. Krambovitis
S. Kourletaki-Belibasaki
Affiliation:
Institute of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination of Thessaloniki, Salonica, Macedonia, Greece
A. Stefanakis
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
D. Vafiadis
Affiliation:
Institute of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination of Thessaloniki, Salonica, Macedonia, Greece
G. Hatzidakis
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
E. Krambovitis
Affiliation:
Department of Applied Biochemistry and Immunology, Institute of Molecular Biology and Biotechnology, Heraklion, Crete, Greece
Get access

Abstract

In a prospective 2-year study, milk progesterone and oestrone sulphate determinations were used to monitor and assess pregnancy in lactating cows. The testing was done centrally at a government regional veterinary establishment which was responsible for providing semen to the farms of the area and also had available specialist expertise in animal reproduction. Sample collection and dissemination of test results were achieved through the network of the artificial insemination service. This approach was preferred because it was considered ergonomic, cost-effective and reliable. Comparison of oestrus behavioural signs and progesterone on the day of insemination revealed that 7·8% (89/1133) of the animals tested had high progesterone levels. Single progesterone testing on day 21 post insemination was not satisfactory for pregnancy diagnosis as the positive predictive value was 83·0% (147/177). The combination of low progesterone on day 0 and high progesterone on day 21 improved the positive predictive value to 87·4% (235/269). Results from 400 samples taken 110 to 130 days post insemination from 53 animals revealed that cows with oestrone sulphate concentrations greater than 0·1 μg/l actually calved. This assay appears to be particularly suitable as a pregnancy confirmation test. A pilot field study implementing a programme of testing on days 0, 21 and 42 for progesterone and between days 110 to 130 for oestrone sulphate not only achieved almost absolute pregnancy predictive values but careful result analysis strongly indicated that the approach of systematic testing can also reveal the fertility profile of a given herd and help to identify potential causes of pregnancy failure from the period of the reproduction cycle in which they occur.

Keywords

dairy cowsoestrone sulphatepregnancy diagnosisprogesterone
Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Science , Volume 60 , Issue 2 , April 1995 , pp. 177 - 183
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1995

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

Appleyard, W. T. and Cook, B. 1976. The detection of oestrus in dairy cattle. Veterinary Record 99: 253–256.Google Scholar
Ball, P. J. H. 1982. Milk progesterone profiles in relation to dairy herd fertility. British Veterinary journal 138: 546–551.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Booth, J. M. and Holdsworth, R. J. 1976. The establishment and operation of a central laboratory for pregnancy testing in cows. British Veterinary Journal 132: 518–528.Google Scholar
Boskos, C. 1993. Effects of oestrus detection failure on fertility of high yielding dairy cattle. Bulletin of the Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society 43: 243–249.Google Scholar
Bulman, D. C. and Lamming, G. E. 1978. Milk progesterone in relation to conception, repeat breeding and factors influencing acyclicity in dairy cows. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 54: 447–458.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Cleere, W. F., Gosling, J. P., Morris, M. C., Charleton, M. F., Moloney, B. T. and Fottrell, P. F. 1985. A high performance enzymeimmunoassay for the analysis of progesterone in plasma or milk. Irish Veterinary Journal 39: 6–14.Google Scholar
Dobson, H. and Fitzpatrick, R. J. 1976. Clinical application of the progesterone-in-milk test. British Veterinary Journal 132: 538–542.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Esslemont, R. J. and Peeler, E. J. 1993. The scope for raising margins in dairy herds by improving fertility and health. British Veterinary journal 149: 537–547.Google Scholar
Hatzidakis, G., Katrakili, K. and Krambovitis, E. 1993a. Development of a direct and specific enzyme-immunoassay for the measurement of oestrone sulphate in bovine milk. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 98: 235–240.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Hatzidakis, G., Stefanakis, A. and Krambovitis, E. 1993b. Comparison of different antibody-conjugate derivatives for the development of a sensitive and specific progesterone assay. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 97: 557–561.Google Scholar
Heap, R. B., Gwyn, M., Laing, J. A. and Walters, D. E. 1973. Pregnancy diagnosis in cows: changes in milk progesterone concentration during the oestrus cycle and pregnancy measured by a rapid radioimmunoassay. Journal of Agricultural Science, Cambridge 81: 151–157.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Heap, R. B. and Hamon, M. 1979. Oestrone sulphate in milk as an indicator of a viable conceptus in cows. British Veterinary Journal 135: 355–363.Google Scholar
Hoffmann, B., Gunzler, O., Hamburger, R. and Schmidt, W. 1976. Milk progesterone for fertility control in cattle; methodological approaches and present status of application in Germany. British Veterinary Journal 132: 469–476.Google Scholar
Laing, J. A. and Heap, R. B. 1971. The concentration of progesterone in the milk of cows during the reproductive cycle. British Veterinary Journal 127: 19–22.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Marcus, G. J. and Hackett, A. J. 1986. Use of enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay for measurement of bovine serum and milk progesterone without extraction. Journal of Dairy Science 69: 818–824.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Markusfeld, O., Adler, H., Nahari, N. and Kastner, D. 1990. A routine 20-22 days postservice milk progesterone monitoring in dairy cows. Economic evaluation. British Veterinary Journal 146: 504–508.Google Scholar
Nebel, R. L. and McGilliard, M. L. 1993. Interactions of high milk yield and reproductive performance in dairy cows. Journal of Dairy Science 76: 3257–3268.Google Scholar
Pennington, J. A., Spahr, S. L. and Lodge, J. R. 1976. Factors affecting progesterone in milk for pregnancy diagnosis in dairy cattle. British Veterinary Journal 132: 487–496.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Pitcher, P. M. and Galligan, D. T. 1990. Decision analysis and economic evaluation of the use of the rapid milk progesterone assay for early detection of pregnancy status of cows. Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association 197: 1586–1590.Google Scholar
Pope, G. S., Majzlik, I., Ball, D. S. H. and Leaver, J. D. 1976. Use of progesterone concentrations in plasma and milk in the diagnosis of pregnancy in domestic cattle. British Veterinary journal 132: 497–506.Google Scholar
Power, M. J., Cleere, W. F., Gosling, J. P., Fottrell, P. F., Langley, O. H. and Sreenan, J. M. 1985. A direct, high throughput, enzyme immunoassay for oestrone sulphate in the milk of cows. Irish Veterinary journal 39: 18–24.Google Scholar
Robertson, H. A. and King, G. J. 1975. Estrogens and placental attachment in the cow. Journal of Animal Sciences 41: 133–141.Google Scholar
Robertson, H. A. and Sarda, I. R. 1971. A very early pregnancy test for mammals: its application to the cow, ewe and sow. Journal of Endocrinology 49: 407–419.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Sauer, M. J., Foulkes, J. A. and Cookson, A. D. 1981. Direct enzymeimmunoassay of progesterone in bovine milk. Steroids 38: 45–53.Google Scholar
Sauer, M. J., Foulkes, J. A., Worsford, A. and Morris, B. A. 1986. Use of progesterone 11-glucuronide-alkaline phosphatase conjugate in a sensitive microtitre-plate enzymeimmunoassay of progesterone in milk and its application to pregnancy testing in dairy cattle. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 76: 375–391.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Saiz Cidoncha, F. and Perez Garcia, T. 1982. Pregnancy diagnosis from milk: results from Spain. British Veterinary Journal 138: 538–542.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
Stefanakis, A., Hatzidakis, G. and Krambovitis, E. 1994. Development of a simple and reliable immunoenzymatic assay for the estimation of the progesterone concentration in cows milk and sows serum. Bulletin of the Hellenic Veterinary Medical Society 45: 37–43.Google Scholar
Stott, A. W. and DeLorenzo, M. A. 1988. Factors influencing profitability of Jersey and Holstein lactations. Journal of Dairy Science 71: 2753–2766.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wiel, D. F. M. van de and Koops, W. 1986. Development and validation of an enzyme immunoassay for progesterone in bovine milk or blood plasma. Animal Reproduction Science 10: 201–213.CrossRefGoogle Scholar