Commercial Application And Cost Analysis Of A 5 Day Co-Synch Synchronization Protocol

Abstract

Artificial insemination (AI) is a tool available to progressive cattle producers to assist them in reaching reproductive, genetic and financial goals. Fixed-time AI programs decrease labor costs for estrus detection and ensure every cow is inseminated. Co-Synch + CIDR (controlled internal drug release) is a widely used ovulation synchronization protocol within the beef industry. The objective of the experiment within this technical report was to determine if the shortened 5 Day Co-Synch + CIDR sufficiently increased pregnancy rates to compensate for the added expense and increased labor of an additional injection and additional chute processing. Mature, multiparous Angus and Angus-cross cows ranging in age from 3-15 years averaging 500 kg bodyweight were synchronized using the 5 Day Co- Synch + CIDR protocol. (Day 0: administer 100 μg gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and insert CIDR, Day 5: remove CIDR and administer 25 mg prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α), Day 5 + 8 hours: second injection of 25 mg PGF2α, Day 8 (72 hours after CIDR removal): administer 100 μg GnRH and fixedtime artificially inseminate). The pregnancy rate achieved using the 5 Day Co-Synch protocol was 53.7%, which was comparable to pregnancy rate (51.3%) achieved within the same herd using a modified OvSynch protocol (Day 0: 100 μg GnRH, Day 7: 25 mg PGF2α, Day 9: 100 μg GnRH, Day 9 +12 hours: fixed-time AI) the previous year. Although comparable to other AI systems in efficiency (pregnancy rates) the success of this approach did not compensate for the additional financial and labor input. However, dependent upon management system, this program can sufficiently decrease estrus detection cost and labor associated with an estrus synchronization program to make this fixed-timed AI protocol economically feasible.