Unit 6 - Pre-breeding Management

Question 1

What is the focus?

Answer 1

Recovery from calving and preparing for breeding season

Question 2

What are the 7 key activities?

Answer 2

1) nutritional support for peak lactation and ensuing breeding season
2) evaluation of udder quality
3) vaccination against leptospirosis and vibriosis
4) verification of breeding soundness
5) physical conditioning for breeding season
6) Turnout on breeding pastures plus parasite control
7) ovulation synchronization

Question 3

What are the 4 major functions?

Answer 3

1) preserve cow body condition
2) get bulls ready to breed
3) support health
4) synchronize cow estrus cycles

Question 4

When does nutrition peak for lactation and breeding?

Answer 4

The first 80 days of lactation

Question 5

Why should nutrient intake keep pace with demand?

Answer 5

To support peak lactation and uterine involution

Question 6

What can result from body condition loss before breeding?

Answer 6

Delayed conception

Question 7

What are the scoring guidelines when evaluating udder quality?

Answer 7

1) observe and score within 24 hours after calving
2) Assign scores based on the appearance of the weakest quarter
3) cow age should not be factored into udder scores
4) one person should assign udder scores for consistency

Question 8

What is the scoring for udder quality?

Answer 8

1 (bad) - 5(moderate is good) -9 (bad)

Question 9

What is vibriosis?

Answer 9

It’s a venereal disease caused by Camphylobacter fetus ssp. Venerealis.

Can be passed from bull to cow and vice versa. Infected bulls can be chronic carries.

Question 10

What are symptoms of vibriosis?

Answer 10

1) slow return to estrus
2) poor pregnancy rates
3) abortions at 5-7 months of pregnancy

Question 11

When should vibriosis vaccine be given to cows, bulls, heifers?

Answer 11

Cows: 30 days pre-breeding annually
Bulls: 75 days pre-breeding annually
Heifers: 75 days pre-breeding

Question 12

What is leptospirosis?

Answer 12

A contagious bacterial disease, is ubiquitous in cattle and wildlife and is transmissible to humans.

Organism localize in kidneys and are voided in urine (acute, subacute, subclinical)

Question 13

What are symptoms of leptospirosis?

Answer 13

Fever and abortion

Question 14

What type of vaccine and when should vaccine be given for leptospirosis?

Answer 14

-vaccine should be a multivalent product and include “L. Hardjo-bovis and L. Pomona”

-cows: 30 days pre-breeding annually
Bulls: 75 days pre-breeding annually
Heifers: 75 days pre-breeding

Question 15

When should bull breeding capabilities be assessed?

Answer 15

60-90 days before breeding season

Question 16

Where are breeding capability assessments conducted the most?

Answer 16

Seedstock operations

Question 17

What does a breeding soundness exam (BSE) consist of?

Answer 17

1) physical exam
2) eval of repro. Organs
3) eval of semen quality
4) eval of libido (not standard)

Question 18

How long is the spermatogenesis cycle?

Answer 18

61 days

Question 19

What anatomical parts are assessed during the physical exam?

Answer 19

Eyes
Teeth
Feet and legs
Body condition

Question 20

What is included in the evaluation of reproductive organs?

Answer 20

1) rectal palpation: of vesicular glands, ampullae, and prostate for evidence of inflammation, adhesions and fibrosis

2) palpation + visual evaluation: of spermatic cord, scrotum, testes, and epididymis for symmetry and evidence of abscesses, injury, frostbite, and tumors

3) Visual evaluation: of penis and sheath for injury, scars and adhesions; verification of full extension of the penis

4) measurement of scrotal circumference as a proxy for semen volume

Question 21

What are the 3 elements of semen quality evaluation?

Answer 21

1) sperm cell concentration (#/cm^3) - sometimes
2) Motility (% progressively motile) - always
3) morphology (% abnormal cells) - always

Question 22

How is semen collected and observed for quality evaluation?

Answer 22

It is collected via electro-ejaculation and examined visually.

Question 23

What is the requirement for passing sperm motility evaluation?

Answer 23

• greater than or equal to 30% progressively motile cells
  -rapid swirling = very good
  Slow swirling = good
  Oscillation = fair
  Sporadic oscillation = poor

Question 24

What is required for sperm morphology to pass evaluation?

Answer 24

-greater than or equal to 70% normal cells.

Question 25

How is sperm morphology examined and what are their classifications?

Answer 25

• greater than 10 slide fields are examined under 10x magnification
• total cells and abnormal cells are counted in each field
  -the location of the abnormality is recorded
  -classified as either primary or secondary

Question 26

Primary defects

Answer 26

-occur during cell maturation!
-common in young sires (less than 12 months) and old sires (greater than 6 years)
-generally result in a bull being culled

Question 27

Secondary defects

Answer 27

Occur during storage!
-occur during long periods of sexual inactivity
-generally result in a bull being re-tested

Question 28

What are environmental factors important for physical conditioning?

Answer 28

-should minimize fighting and promote exercise
-spacious pastures preferred
-avoid fence-line contact with females
-avoid placement with larger, more mature bulls
-consider providing bedding for 60-75 days prior to service

Question 29

What are diet and feeding management factors for physical conditioning?

Answer 29

-bulls are usually over-conditioned at the time of purchase
-unnecessary body condition reduces the ability of the animal to travel and can predispose it to injury
- highly-conditioned bulls have normal fertility and libido when allowed to gradually return to moderate fleshiness before breeding season

Question 30

What are exercise factors for physical conditioning?

Answer 30

-bulls in service must travel several miles daily over varied terrain to seek estrual females
-maintain bulls in large, topographical rugged pastures; vary placement of water, feed, and mineral to encourage movement
-minimizes fighting and riding behaviors
-critical to managing post-sale body condition and general fitness

Question 31

When can pastures be considered clean?

Answer 31

Not grazed upon for 30-60 days

Question 32

When should cows, bulls, and calves be treated for parasites?

Answer 32

As they are moved to “clean” breeding pastures

Question 33

What are benefits of synchronized ovulation?

Answer 33

-shorter breeding seasons
-shorter calving seasons
-greater weaning weights and calf uniformity in the subsequent year
-improved AI success and efficient
-improved time management

Question 34

What are the requirements for successful synchronization?

Answer 34

-plan and execute according to a tightly managed schedule
-females must be adequately conditioned and at least 45 days post partum to respond
-reliable, experienced laborers and adequate facilities
-For AI breeding, high quality semen that is carefully warmed and applied
-for natural service breeding, aggressive, and fertile bulls

Question 35

For the health of the bulls, how should they be handled during natural service breeding?

Answer 35

-be rested or rotated every 24 hours and paired with no more than 15-20 cows each in a small pasture

Question 36

How do synchronization protocols vary?

Answer 36

-time requirement (1-30 days)
-cow age (mature vs. heifer)
-level of sophistication desired (heat detection vs. timed insemination)
-expense
-AI strategy ( AI vs. natural)