3 Flashcards
is probably the single most important factor affecting the economics and
profitability of beef cattle breeding operations. For bulls, reproduction is all about the capacity and ability
to sire a large number of viable offspring in each mating year.
Reproduction
one generation to the next and can greatly influence genetic gainforms the basis of livestock improvement as it allows the transfer of genetic
material from
Reproduction
Improved management of
reproduction can increase economic returns to cattle producers. In severe environments where nutrition
is a major stress factor, improvements of 5–10% in weaning rates are possible through improving
nutrition and management.
Notes
/ Measuring reproductive performance
/
Reproductive performance is influenced by a number of independent traits.
Measures for the bulls
Measures for the cow
Measures for the breeder herd
Measures for the bulls include:
• physical and structural soundness
• scrotal size and sperm production capacity
• semen quality, including morphology
• serving ability/serving capacity.
Measures for the cow include:
• weight and age at first estrous cycle
• the inter-calving interval
• lactation status at subsequent pregnancy diagnosis.
Measures for the breeder herd include:
• branding and/or weaning rates
• kilograms of calf weaned per 100 kg of cow mated.
• conception rates determined by pregnancy diagnosis (PD)
Limitations to the above measures include:
- fertility cannot be assessed directly for bulls.
- pregnancy status for cows requires skills in pregnancy diagnosis, which should be coupled with an
assessment of lactation status. - branding and weaning rates (in isolation) do not provide indications of when or where reproductive
losses may be occurring. - unless birth dates are known and a restricted joining period used, a slight ‘creep’ in inter-calving
interval can often be overlooked. - it is important to consider that these rates must be calculated for a standard or specific period of time
(e.g., 12 months) to allow accurate analysis and comparison.
- This is difficult in a herd where controlled mating is not carried out, as distinctions between
calving periods become blurred.
Calculating a number of reproductive rates can
help to identify areas of loss.
A combination of
pregnancy diagnosis, lactation status, branding rates and weaning rates will help to determine stages and
possible causes of low herd fertility and assist in the following:
- identifying the importance of age, weight, body condition and lactation status impacts on herd fertility.
- identifying how management, nutrition and breeding practices can be modified to optimize fertility.
- making an assessment of whether disease status of both cows and bulls may be interfering with herd
fertility.
Bull costs per calf weaned will depend on:
1.) purchase price
5.) number of cows per bull
2.) bull salvage value at ultimate sale
6.) weaning percentage achieved;
3.) number of breeding seasons that involve the bull
7.) bull mortality rates;
4.) whether bulls are checked annually for soundness and fertility.
can be used to distinguish infertile or sub-fertile
bulls from those that meet satisfactory fertility standards.
bull breeding soundness evaluation (BBSE)
Key components of bull fertility:
- Bull breeding soundness evaluation (BBSE)
- Physical (structural) soundness
- Sheath, prepuce and penis.
- Semen and spermatozoa.
- Libido and serving ability.
involves assessing four key components—(i) physical
(structural) soundness, (ii) scrotal size (functional testicles), (iii) semen assessment (including
morphology where appropriate) and (iv) serving ability—to provide an indication of likely fertility.
Bull breeding soundness evaluation (BBSE)
Bull breeding soundness evaluation (BBSE) involves assessing four key components:
i) physical
(structural) soundness,
(ii) scrotal size (functional testicles), (iii) semen assessment (including
morphology where appropriate) and (iv) serving ability—to provide an indication of likely fertility
Assessing a bull’s structural soundness should include a systematic
examination of eyes and surrounding areas, jaws, mouth and teeth, limb structure, joints, stance, gait (at
trot), hoof and claw structure. Common problems (Figure 3.1) include post legs (excessively straight),
sickle hocks (standing under), swollen and puffy hocks, bow legs and cow hocks.
Physical (structural) soundness
structures are moderately
heritable. Likewise, any structural defects are passed
on to offspring.
Leg and foot
The penis is housed
within the
Prepuce and sheath
is the inner
lining of the sheath and is the pink mucosa, seen at the
end of the sheath. Figure 3.2 shows some structural
problems that can occur.
Prepuce
Scrotal size (Table 3.2) is a useful criterion for assessing bull fertility for the
following reasons:
1.) It is easily measured and is repeatable, and can take place at a younger age than most other male traits;
2.) It is related to a bull’s own fertility, and is a highly heritable trait that influences the scrotal size of
male offspring.
3.) Finally, it is genetically correlated—scrotal size in a sire is positively related to scrotal size of his
male progeny, and also earlier puberty and enhanced fertility of his female progeny.
The major factors influencing scrotal size include:
(i) genotype, (ii) age, (iii) liveweight, (iv) nutrition,
and (v) timing of nutritional stress
Common conditions that interfere with fertility and can be diagnosed by palpation of testicles include:
- unequal size of testicles
- hardness of one or both testicles
- thickened scrotal skin.
- softness and flabbiness of testicles and tail of epididymis
sample is often
collected as part of a routine BBSE conducted by a
veterinarian and examined crush-side under a
microscope to assess factors such as volume, color,
density and motility.
Semen
is the sexual
desire of a male to serve a receptive female. Number of mounts, mounts plus serves and libido score of
bulls that had passed a reproductive examination were found to be positively related to calf output in
multiple sire mating.
Libido
The incorporation of serving-capacity testing as part of the breeding soundness examination
enables the farmers to first identify bulls that are able to serve while reducing the risk of bull failure in
single sire mating.
Notes
provides an indication of the bull’s ability to serve.
serving-capacity test
is a
measure of the sex drive (libido), or eagerness of the male to seek out a female on heat, and provides
information about one of the many traits that influence calf output.
Serving capacity
he presence of pheromones in
the females or estrus leads to the
flehmen response
is defined as the time when a bull is capable of producing 50 million live sperm
per milliliters.
Puberty
The testicles usually grow steadily between about
7-10 months of age
The testicles grow more rapidly after
7-10 months
The testicles grow more rapidly after 7–10 months of age until
18-24 months of age
Puberty in bulls is usually reached by between
14-18 months
Factors influencing when bulls reach puberty include:
1.) genetic effects (later in Bos indicus)
2.) nutritional influences (poor nutrition delays the onset of puberty, conversely over-fatness may also
influence pubertal development).
may be transmitted through sexual intercourse to females, affecting female
fertility, or may indirectly affect male fertility.
Diseases
regime that bulls are subject to throughout their life affects their fertility, and
also their ability and desire to serve females. Bulls fed on grain diets or those having surplus protein and
energy often have fat deposits in the neck of the scrotum.
Nutrition
can increase bull cost per calf, as it decreases the
number of calves produced over the lifetime of the bull.
Bull wastage
Such wastage can be due to a large number of factors, including:
- structural defects resulting in lameness and sometimes inability to serve
- degenerative conditions (such as arthritis) limiting serving ability
- age structure in the bull team, with increased proportion of physically unsound older bulls
- reproductive abnormalities, particularly in the testes, penis and prepuce
- infertility due to testicular degeneration, the incidence of which increases with age
- infertility due to disease effects
- traumatic injuries due to fighting
It is therefore important to keep the age of the bull team as young as possible, not only to gain
benefits from genetically superior sires, but also to ensure the highest level of fertility in the team by
eliminating older and unsound bulls.
Notes
A veterinarian should carry out a BBSE to examine bulls for soundness— prior to sale or
purchase, and annually for existing bulls. Such an examination involves:
- checking that the bull’s overall structure including legs, feet and external reproductive organs are
free from defects - assessing the sheath, scrotum and testicles
- measuring and recording scrotal circumference to ensure it is within the acceptable limits
- palpating of the testicles to check for normal tone, size and function.
- collecting a semen sample and a microscopic examination to assess the quality and percentage of
normal sperm.
Reproduction in the female is hormonally driven and influenced by
Genetics
Nutrition
Management factors
Unlike the bull, the female is born with her lifetime quota of ‘ova’, which she sheds
during estrus cycles throughout her reproductive life.
Notes
Female born with her lifetime quota of ‘ova’, which she sheds
during estrus cycles throughout her reproductive life. The female has limited opportunities to pass on her
genetics to the progeny, with a maximum of
8–12 calves per breeder.
Reproductive events in the female are marked by:
- expression of estrus (heat) in the presence of a fertile male
- ovulation and fertilization of the ovum (egg)
- implantation, growth and survival of the embryo and fetus
- maintenance of pregnancy
- birth and survival of a viable calf
- adequate lactation for calf survival and good calf growth through to weaning
- early return to reproductive activity after calving to achieve the next pregnancy.
is associated with increased longevity,
decreased breakdown, and the production of turnoff cattle and replacements that are less likely to break
down.
Structural soundness.
Successful reproduction involves
cycling (regular heat periods), mating, conception (fertilization
of the ovum), gestation (pregnancy), parturition (birth) and lactation (suckling the calf).
s defined as the age (or weight) at first estrus when ovulation
also occurs. This is the age/weight when reproduction can occur—in other words, the onset of sexual
maturity.
Puberty in female
Signs of estrus include:
- behavioral changes (i.e., chin resting, mounting and being mounted by other animals, congregation
into groups of estrus cows, restlessness) - swelling and reddening of the vulva
- vaginal mucus discharge adhering to tail and legs
- abrasion of skin and rub-marks on tail heads and pin bones
- ruffling of tail hair
- increased tone in the uterus and cervix on palpation.
The average duration of estrus is 6–18 hours; being slightly shorter for heifers. The length of
estrus is affected by:
• breed (shorter in Bos indicus)
• nutrition (higher incidence of short cycles in poorly fed cows which
eventually become anestrus.
• temperature stress
• age (shorter and less variable in heifers)
• transport stress (increase in number of short cycles)
• ovarian abnormalities (either increased or decreased cycle length)
• uterine infections (increased cycle length).
n the progressive stages of pregnancy, the embryo leaves the fallopian tubes (oviduct) and
enters the uterus at about day six or seven, attaching to the uterine wall a few days later.
Pregnancy
examination of the reproductive tract from about 21 days after mating will detect
the presence of fluid in the uterus. Over the next 10–15 days fluid increases and the developing fetus
can be identified.
Ultrasound
Pregnancy testing may be carried out for a number of other reasons, including:
• identification of animals that are not pregnant at a certain time for culling and disposal
• estimating stage of pregnancy for purposes of breeder herd segregation or selling of stock
• assessing nutritional requirements of animals in relation to the season
• estimating future management requirements, stock numbers and times for different classes of stock.
The options for retaining or culling will range from:
• retaining all pregnant females
• retaining only lactating pregnant females
• retaining only those pregnant or lactating females that are expected to wean a calf within a defined period
Depending on the location and climatic variation, the percentage of females categorized as
being
Wet and pregnant
About 35–45 days after calving the reproductive tract and ovaries of a cow should return
to normal and reproductive cycles recommence.
Post calving