Hostname: page-component-7dd5485656-k8lnt Total loading time: 0 Render date: 2025-10-30T12:46:59.461Z Has data issue: false hasContentIssue false
  • English
  • Français

A note on the effects of pattern of food intake and body condition on the duration of the post-partum anoestrous period and LH profiles in beef cows

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 September 2010

I. A. Wright ,
S. M. Rhind  and
T. K. Whyte
I. A. Wright
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Pentlandfield, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RF
S. M. Rhind
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Pentlandfield, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RF
T. K. Whyte
Affiliation:
Macaulay Land Use Research Institute, Pentlandfield, Roslin, Midlothian EH25 9RF
Get access

Abstract

An experiment was conducted to determine the effect of level and pattern of food intake in post-partum beef cows on the length of the post-partum anoestrous period and associated luteinizing hormone profiles. Forty-six multiparous cows were allocated at calving to one of three feeding regimes: 55 MJ metabolizable energy (ME) per day throughout (LL), 145 M] ME per day throughout (HH), or 55 M] ME per day until 6 weeks post partum and then 145 M] ME per day thereafter (LH). The duration of the post-partum anoestrous period was assessed from plasma progesterone profiles. Luteinizing hormone profiles in the peripheral circulation were determined at weeks 3, 6, 8 and 11 post partum from samples collected every 20 min for 10 h.

Feeding regime had no effect on either the length of the post-partum anoestrous period, being 99, 89 and 91 (s.e.d. 12·2) days for the LL, LH and HH cows respectively, or on any aspect of luteinizing hormone pulsatility. Body condition at calving was negatively correlated with the duration of the post-partum anoestrous period, each unit increase in body condition at calving being associated with a decrease in the post-partum anoestrous period of 86 (s.e. 21·8) days. Luteinizing hormone pulse frequency at 6 weeks post partum was positively correlated with body condition at calving.

This experiment confirms the importance of body condition at calving in influencing the duration of the post-partum anoestrous period and indicates that level and pattern of feeding post partum has little effect when cows calve at a body condition of approximately 2·25.

Keywords

anoestrusbeef cowsfood intakeLH

Information

Type
Research Article
Information
Animal Production , Volume 54 , Issue 1 , February 1992 , pp. 143 - 146
Copyright
Copyright © British Society of Animal Science 1992

Access options

Get access to the full version of this content by using one of the access options below. (Log in options will check for institutional or personal access. Content may require purchase if you do not have access.)

Article purchase

Temporarily unavailable

References

Baird, D. T., Swanston, I. A. and McNeilly, A. S. 1981. Relationship between LH, FSH and prolactin concentration and the secretion of androgens and estrogens by the preovulatory follicle in the ewe. Biology of Reproduction 24: 1013–1025.Google Scholar
Connor, H. C., Houghton, P. L., Lemanager, R. P., Malven, P. V., Parfet, J. R. and Moss, G. E. 1990. Effect of dietary energy, body condition and calf removal on pituitary gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and hypothalmic opioids in beef cows. Domestic Animal Endocrinology 7: 403–411.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Hodgson, J., Peart, J. N., Russel, A. J. F., Whitelaw, A. and Macdonald, A. J. 1980. The influence of nutrition in early lactation on the performance of spring-calving suckler cows and their calves. Animal Production 30: 315–325.Google Scholar
Lowman, B. G., Scott, N. A. and Somerville, S. H. 1976. Condition scoring of cattle. Rev. ed. Bulletin, East of Scotland College of Agriculture, no. 6.Google Scholar
Malven, P. V., Parfet, J. R., Gregg, D. W., Allrich, R. D. and Moss, G. E. 1986. Relationships among concentrations of four opioid neuropeptides and luteinizing hormone- releasing hormone in neural tissue of beef cows following early weaning. Journal of Animal Science 62: 723–733.CrossRefGoogle ScholarPubMed
McNeilly, A. S., Jonassen, J. A. and Fraser, H. M. 1986. Suppression of follicular development after chronic LHRH immunoneutralization in the ewe. Journal of Reproduction and Fertility 76: 481–490.Google Scholar
Peters, A. R. and Riley, G. M. 1982. Milk progesterone profiles and factors affecting post partum ovarian activity in beef cows. Animal Production 34:145–153.Google Scholar
Prado, R., Rhind, S. M., Wright, I. A., Russel, A. J. F., McMillen, S. R., Smith, A. J. and McNeilly, A. S. 1990. Ovarian follicle populations, steroidogenicity and micromorphology at 5 and 9 weeks post partum in beef cows in two levels of body condition. Animal Production 51: 103–108.Google Scholar
Richards, M. W., Spitzer, J. C. and Warner, M. B. 1986. Effect of varying levels of postpartum nutrition and body condition at calving on subsequent reproductive performance in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 62: 300–306.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Rutter, L. M. and Randel, R. D. 1984. Postpartum nutrient intake and body condition: effect on pituitary function and onset of estrus in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science 58: 265–274.Google Scholar
Short, R. E. and Adams, D. C. 1988. Nutritional and hormonal inter-relationships in beef cattle reproduction. Canadian Journal of Animal Science 68:29–39.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wetteman, R. P., Hill, G. M., Boyd, M. E., Spitzer, J. C., Forrest, D. W. and Beal, W. E. 1986. Reproductive performance of post partum beef cows after short-term calf separation and dietary energy and protein supplementation. Theriogenology 26: 433–443.Google Scholar
Wiltbank, J. N., Rowden, W. W., Ingalls, J. E., Gregory, K. E. and Koch, R. M. 1962. Effect of energy level on reproductive phenomena of mature Hereford cows. Journal of Animal Science 21: 219–225.CrossRefGoogle Scholar
Wright, I. A., Rhind, S. M., Russel, A. J. F., Whyte, T. K., McBean, A. J. and McMillen, S. R. 1987. Effects of body condition, food intake and temporary calf separation on the duration of the post-partum anoestrous period and associated LH, FSH and prolactin concentrations in beef cows. Animal Production 45: 395–402.Google Scholar
Wright, I. A., Rhind, S. M., Whyte, T. K., Smith, A. J., McMillen, S. R. and Prado, R. 1990. Circulating concentrations of LH, FSH and pituitary responsiveness to GnRH in intact and ovariectomized suckled beef cows in two levels of body condition. Animal Production 51: 93–101.Google Scholar