Journal
ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE
Volume 51, Issue 2, Pages 111-114Publisher
CSIRO PUBLISHING
DOI: 10.1071/AN10108
Keywords
early weaning; nose plates; temporary weaning
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Funding
- International Foundation for Science, Stockholm, Sweden [B/3088-1]
- CSIC-UdelaR, Uruguay
- SNI-ANII (National Researchers System)
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The aims of this experiment were to study suckling manipulation strategies, such as early weaning, suckling inhibition with nose plates or temporary weaning for 5 days, on resumption of ovarian cyclicity in anoestrous beef cows. Seventy-four primiparous Aberdeen Angus and Hereford cows with a mean body condition score of 3.8 +/- 0.1 (mean +/- s.e.m, 1-8 scale) grazing together on rangeland were used. At 71 days postpartum (Day 0) animals were assigned to one of four groups as follows: (1) suckling group (S, n = 14): cows were suckled throughout all the experiment; (2) nose plates group (NP, n = 20): nose plates were placed to calves for 14 days; (3) temporary weaning group (TW5d, n = 20): calves were isolated from their dams for 5 days; (4) early weaning group (EW, n = 20): calves were definitely weaned. After treatments, weekly serum progesterone concentrations were measured for 9 weeks. EW and NP cows had shorter intervals between treatments and resumption of ovarian cyclicity (19.6 +/- 1.7 and 24.5 +/- 3.3 days versus 40.6 +/- 3.5 and 37.5 +/- 4.0 days for EW, NP, TW5d and S, respectively, P < 0.01). A higher proportion of the EW group showed luteal progesterone concentrations the first week after treatments (20 versus 5, 0 and 0% for EW, NP, TW5d and S, respectively, P < 0.05), then proportions of EW and NP cows resuming postpartum cyclicity were similar throughout the remainder of the study. Temporary weaning for 5 days showed no effects on ovarian cyclicity resumption. When body condition score is not very limiting, restricting suckling over 14 days with nose plates is a useful strategy to induce postpartum cyclicity in range cow herds with effects similar to early weaning.
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