—Lancaster Fanning, Saturday, November 11,1978
36
New hormone
COLLEGE PARK, Md. -
Scientists at the Mainland
Agricultural Experiment
Station are beginning to
examine the effect of
nutrition on estrus syn
chronization of beef cows.
Estrus synchronization
inducing reproductive heat
in a group of female animals
at the same time is a rel
atively new concept in
American dairy and beef
cattle management.
Researchers have used the
hormone prostaglandin to
synchronize cattle during
practical trials across the
country for the past five
years.
Dr. Edgar P. Young,
Wool breed titles
taken to Ohio
HARRISBURG - Ohio and
Virginia exhibitors captured
all titles in the Columbia
breeding sheep division at
the Keystone International
Livestock Exposition,
Harrisburg, November 7.
Joan Hess & Sons of Cable,
Ohio, premier exhibitor, won
the champion ram class with
Lancaster Co, places fifth
in horse judging
HARRISBURG - Lan
caster County 4-H members,
representing Pennsylvania,
placed fifth in the National 4-
H Horse Judging Contest
held at the Keystone In
ternational Livestock Ex
position, November 4.
Team members were
Cindy Wenger of Leola,
Lashon Bussel of Manheun,
Daphne Immel of Lititz and
Jennifer Weber of MUler
sville.
Jennifer also placed fifth
in individual scoring.
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professor of animal science
at the University of
Maryland in College Park,
heads the project slated to
begin in December at the
university’s beef cattle
research farm near
Sykesville. Drs. Jerry V.
Deßarthe, William E.
Kunkle, Donald L. Camp
bell, and Walter F. Williams
of the animal, veterinary,
and dairy science depart
ments, respectively, will
also participate in the ex
periment. This is the first
time that Maryland scien
tists have studied this ap
proach to estrus synchroni
zation in beef cattle.
Young and his colleagues
a yaarling entry. They also
showed the champion ewe, a
Fall lamb.
Columbias,
K-J
Williamsville, Va., captured
the reserve champion ram
title with a Spring lamb
entry. They also won reserve
champion ewe with their
second place Spring lamb.
The 4-H’ers were coached
by Dr. Earl Weber,
Millersville, and Nancy
Meyers, Lancaster County
assistant 4-H agent.
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for estrus control to be studied
will inject prostaglandin into
each test cow’s muscle. This
synchronizes the cow’s
estrus, or reproductive
cycle. The cow comes into
heat after the injection if she
is already five or more days
past her last heat period.
The over-all potential of
estrus synchronization is to
increase the artificial
breeding of beef animals,
says project coordinator
Kunkle. Artificial in
semination decreases
disease transference by
bulls and can hopefully help
cattlemen' to better plan
calving times.
Maryland scientists
already have conducted a
preliminary trial involving
two groups of 40 and 39
animals. They compared
conventional A.I. methods
with estrus synchroniza
tion. For 31 days, the 40 cows
in the first group were ob
served and bred by con
ventional A.I.
The 39 cows in the second
group were estrus-synchrbn
ized and then inseminated.
Young and his colleagues
observed the cows for the
first five days and bred those
in heat. They administered
protaglandin to the
remaining cows. For the
next two days, observation
and the breeding of cows in
heat continued. At 72 hours,
every cow not serviced
previously was then in
seminated.
Kunkle stressed that all
cows used in the trials were
at least 60 days post-calving.
“They weren’t cows that just
calved one month before,”
he explained.
The Maryland team also
observed cow body condition
during the trials. They found
cows with higher body
condition, fleshier, had a
higher pregnancy rate than
cows with lower body con
dition. Cows on the fat side
achieved an 82 per cent
conception rate. Thinner
cows had a 56 per cent
conception rate.
Nutrition plays an im
portant role in the upcoming
411 So 40th St
Harrisburg, PA 17111
Attn JohnC Wright
Ph 717-569-3318
project. The Maryland
scientists will use controlled
pastures and monitor cow
weight changes more closely
than during the preliminary
trials. Half the cows will be
maintained on high nutrition
levels those recommended
by the National Research
Council. The other half will
be maintained on lower
nutrition levels for com
parison.
Results of the preliminary
trials showed two-thirds of
both the conventional A.I.
group and the estrus syn
chronization group were
pregnant in 31 days. “That’s
what we set out to find,” said
Kunkle. “Estrus synchroni
zation is comparable to
conventional A.I. methods of
breeding, ” he added.
However, estrus synchron
ization is a lot less expensive
in the long run. “It takes a
lot less time since you don’t
have to observe cows for
heat two or three times a
day. And it’s a system people
can learn,” Kunkle ex
plained.
Conventional A.I.
programs require
tremendous amounts of
labor. With estrus synchron
ization, cattlemen - , will not
only cut down on labor, “but
they’ll increase their
chances of successful cow
conception. And most im
portantly they’ll be able to
use top sires for nominal
cost,” said Kunkle.
Estrus synchronization is
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not a substitute for good
management cows must
be cycling for it to work.
Says Kunkle, “this whole
thing will take a lot of effort,
but I believe it has real
potential.”
With the preliminary trial
finished and providing
promising results, it is now
possible to proceed with
more extensive studies
covering several breeding
seasons. These experiments
will provide the basis for
practical recommendations
to beef cattle producers.
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