Reproductive performance and herd exit dynamics of lactating dairy cows managed for first service with the Presynch-Ovsynch or Double-Ovsynch protocol and different duration of the voluntary waiting period

The objective of this experiment was to evaluate the reproductive performance and herd exit dynamics of dairy cows managed for first service with programs varying in method of submission for insemination and voluntary waiting period (VWP) duration. Holstein cows from a commercial farm in New York were randomly allocated to receive timed artificial insemination (TAI) after the Double-Ovsynch protocol (GnRH, 7 d later PGF(2 alpha), 3 d later GnRH, 7 d later GnRH, 7 d later PGF(2 alpha), 56 h later GnRH, and 16 to 18 h later TAI) at 60 +/- 3 d in milk (DIM) (DO60 = 458), TAI after Double-Ovsynch at 88 +/- 3 DIM (DO88 = 462), or a combination of AI at detected estrus (starting at 50 +/- 3 d in milk) and TAI with the Presynch-Ovsynch protocol (PGF(2 alpha), 14 d later PGF(2 alpha), 12 d later GnRH, 7 d later PGF(2 alpha), 56 h later GnRH, and 16 to 18 h later TAI; PSOv = 450). Subsequent artificial insemination (AI) services were conducted at detected estrus or the Ovsynch protocol (32 +/- 3 d after AI GnRH, 7 d later PGF(2 alpha), 56 h later GnRH, and 16 to 18 h later TAI) for cows not reinseminated at detected estrus. In a subgroup of cows, cyclicity (based on progesterone concentration), uterine health (vaginal discharge and uterine cytology), and BCS were evaluated at baseline (DO60 and DO88 = 33 +/- 3 DIM; PSOv = 34 +/- 3 DIM), beginning of the synchronization protocol (DO60 = 33 +/- 3 DIM; DO88 = 61 +/- 3 DIM; PSOv = 34 +/- 3 DIM), and within -5 (PSOv) or -10 d (DO) of the VWP end (DO60 = 50 +/- 3 DIM; DO88 = 78 +/- 3 DIM; PSOv = 45 +/- 3 DIM). Effects of treatments were assessed with multivariable statistical methods relevant for each outcome variable. Cows in the DO88 treatment had delayed time to pregnancy during lactation (DO60 vs. DO88 hazard ratio = 1.53, 95% confidence interval = 1.32 to 1.78; PSOv vs. DO88 hazard ratio = 1.37, 95% confidence interval = 1.19 to 1.61) and, within multiparous cows, the DO88 and PSOv treatments had greater risk of leaving the herd than cows in the DO60 treatment (DO88 vs. DO60 hazard ratio = 1.49, 95% confidence interval = 1.11 to 2.00; PSOv vs. DO60 hazard ratio = 1.39, 95% confidence interval = 1.03 to 1.85). Cows in the DO88 treatment had improved uterine health, greater BCS, and reduced incidence of anovulation than cows in DO60 and PSOv; however, overall pregnancy per AI 39 +/- 3 d after AI was similar for the 3 treatment groups. In summary, reproductive management strategies that led to similar average DIM to the first service (similar to 60 d) through a combination of AI at estrus with TAI (PSOv) or all TAI (DO60) resulted in reduced time to pregnancy after calving when compared with an all TAI program (DO88) with a VWP of 88 d. Within the multiparous cow group, those that received all TAI with a VWP duration of 60 d were less likely to leave the herd than cows in the other treatments.