Strategies for improving fertility in the modern dairy cow

Thatcher, W.W.; Bilby, T.R.; Bartolome, J.A.; Silvestre, F.T.; Staples, C.R.; Santos, J.E.P.

doi:10.1016/j.theriogenology.2005.10.004

Cited by 158 publications

(136 citation statements)

References 34 publications

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“…Polyunsaturated fatty acids play an important role on stimulation and inhibition of prostaglandin production (Staples et al, 1998), affecting ovary function and follicular development (Thatcher et al, 2004), improving the oocyte quality (Fouladi-Nashta et al, 2007), and increasing the first-service conception rate (Thatcher et al, 2006;Lopes et al, 2009). Although there is evidence that feeding fatty acids improved the energy status of lactating dairy cows (Staples et al, 1998), an enhanced reproductive performance may occur apart from an improved energy status of the animals (Sklan et al, 1991).…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of supplementation of calcium salts of polyunsaturated fatty acids on serum concentrations of progesterone and insulin of pregnant dairy cows

et al. 2014

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-Forty-five non-lactating, pregnant Holstein animals (18 heifers and 27 multiparous cows; BW = 561±114 kg; BCS = 2.9±0.3; days pregnant = 110±56 d) were stratified by initial BW and BCS, and randomly assigned to receive daily (as-fed basis) 0.50 kg of ground corn plus 0.22 kg of kaolin (CON), calcium salts of saturated fatty acids (SFA) or polyunsaturated fatty acids (PF) for 14 d. Blood samples were collected on days 0, 7 and 14, immediately prior to (0 h) and 3, 6, 9 and 12 h after feeding, to determine the serum concentrations of P 4 and insulin. No treatment effects were detected for serum concentrations of P 4 (5.52, 6.13 and 5.63±0.41 ng/mL for CON, SFA and PF, respectively). No treatment effects were detected for serum concentrations of insulin (11.5, 10.5 and 10.1±1.43 µIU/mL for CON, SFA and PF, respectively). Heifers had greater serum concentrations of P 4 than multiparous cows (6.35 vs. 5.16±0.42 ng/mL), but lower serum concentrations of insulin (7.0 vs. 14.4±1.49 µIU/mL). Feeding 0.22 kg of calcium salts of polyunsaturated fatty acids is not sufficient to increase the serum concentrations of P 4 and insulin of non-lactating, pregnant dairy cows.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Effects of supplementation of calcium salts of polyunsaturated fatty acids on serum concentrations of progesterone and insulin of pregnant dairy cows

et al. 2014

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“…This problem is the focus of an increasingly intensive research effort to elucidate the mechanisms -E-mail: nicolas.friggens@agroparistech.fr involved and how the different factors in the genotypeproduction-nutrition complex influence reproductive physiology and reproductive performance. There are a number of excellent studies that summarise this research providing both overviews (Thatcher et al, 2006;Chagas et al, 2007;Rodriguez-Martinez et al, 2008) as well as studies of specific areas such as: endocrinology and metabolic status (Butler, 2003;Diskin et al, 2003;Lucy, 2003), metaboliteoocyte interactions (Leroy et al, 2008b), follicular signalling , embryo survival (Diskin et al, 2006), reproductive problems (LeBlanc et al, 2002;Rhodes et al, 2003), body condition and energy balance (Berry et al, 2008;Roche et al, 2009), genetic effects and genomics (Veerkamp et al, 2003;Beerda et al, 2008), and modelling of reproductive performance (Blanc et al, 2001).…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Nutritional sub-fertility in the dairy cow: towards improved reproductive management through a better biological understanding

Friggens

Disenhaus

Petit

2010

Animal

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There has been a significant decline in the reproductive performance of dairy cattle in recent decades. Cows, take longer time to return to the oestrus after calving, have poorer conception rates, and show fewer signs of oestrus. Achieving good reproductive performance is an increasing challenge for the dairy producer. In this study we focus on understanding the overall biological phenomena associated with nutritional sub-fertility rather than the underlying multiplicity of physiological interactions (already described in a number of recent studies). These phenomena are important because they represent the natural adaptations of the animal for dealing with variations in the nutritional environment. They can also be used to monitor and modulate reproductive performance on-farm. There is an underlying trade-off between two aspects of reproduction: investment in the viability of the current calf and investment in future offspring. As the investment in, and viability of, the current calf is related to maternal milk production, we can expect that level of milk production per se has effects on subsequent reproductive performance (investment in future offspring). Lactating cows have a lower proportion of viable embryos, which are of poorer quality, than do non-lactating cows. The same applies to high-compared to medium-genetic merit cows. Another important biological property is the adaptive use of body reserves in support of reproduction. Orchestrated endocrine changes in pregnancy and lactation facilitate the deposition of body lipid during pregnancy and mobilisation in early lactation. When the cow fails to accumulate the reserves she needs to safeguard reproduction she delays committing to further reproductive investment. But how does the cow 'know' that she is failing in energy terms? We argue that the cow does this by 'monitoring' both the body fat mobilisation and body fatness. Excessive body fat mobilisation indicates that current conditions are worse than expected. Body fatness indicates the future ability of the cow to safeguard her reproductive investment is compromised. Both delay further reproductive commitment. The relationship between reproductive performance and; milk production as an index of maternal investment, body fatness as an index of ability to safeguard reproductive investment, and body fat mobilisation as an index of the current nutritional environment -are examined. Nutritional strategies that seek to modulate body mobilisation and the endocrine environment by use of glucogenic and lipogenic diets, and the use of in-line progesterone profiles to monitor reproductive status are then discussed in this biological context.

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“…Intensively producing dairy herds are characterised by increasing milk production accompanied by declining reproductive performance largely due to nutrition-and management-related production diseases developing in the peripartal period (Brydl et al, 2003;Ingvartsen, 2006;Thatcher et al, 2006).…”

mentioning

confidence: 99%

Risk assessment of postpartum uterine disease and consequences of puerperal metritis for subsequent metabolic status, reproduction and milk yield in dairy cows

Könyves

Szenci

Jurkovich

et al. 2009

Acta Veterinaria Hungarica

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The objective of this study was to determine some metabolic and other factors predicting the risk of postpartum uterine disease (PUD), and the effects of puerperal metritis (PM) on metabolic status, reproduction and milk yield were analysed. A total of 105 Holstein-Friesian cows were included, and sampled on day < −14 prepartum and days 4, 10–14, 28–35 and 56–63 postpartum for metabolic tests. From day 4 the development of PUD, and from days 28–35 the ovarian activity was monitored. When grade ≥ 1 + ketonuria was present on day 4 postpartum, this indicated a higher probability of PUD [odds ratio (OR) 2.64; P < 0.05] including PM occurring on days 10–14 (OR: 2.65; P < 0.05). Plasma nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations > 0.200 mmol/l on days < −14 prepartum indicated a higher risk of uterine diseases (OR: 3.44; P < 0.05). The odds of PUD increased, depending on whether a body condition score (BCS) loss of ≥ 1.0 occurred between days < −14 and 28–35 (OR: 2.82; P < 0.05), between days < −14 and 10–14 (OR: 4.79; P < 0.01) or between days 10–14 and 28–35 (OR: 10.81; P < 0.01). PM was more probable (OR: 27.3; P < 0.001) in cows with retained placenta. The risk of uterine diseases was lower in multiparous than in primiparous cows (OR: 0.29; P < 0.01). PM increased the risk of ovarian inactivity between days 28 and 35 (OR: 2.83; P < 0.05). Cows affected with PM (PM+ cows) showed lower milk production on day 4 (kg; P < 0.05) and lower milk production (P < 0.05), milk fat and milk protein production (kg; P < 0.01; P < 0.01) in the first 100 days of lactation than did PM− cows.

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Strategies for improving fertility in the modern dairy cow

Cited by 158 publications

References 34 publications

Effects of supplementation of calcium salts of polyunsaturated fatty acids on serum concentrations of progesterone and insulin of pregnant dairy cows

Effects of supplementation of calcium salts of polyunsaturated fatty acids on serum concentrations of progesterone and insulin of pregnant dairy cows

Nutritional sub-fertility in the dairy cow: towards improved reproductive management through a better biological understanding

Risk assessment of postpartum uterine disease and consequences of puerperal metritis for subsequent metabolic status, reproduction and milk yield in dairy cows

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