The effect of hCG administration five days after insemination on the first service conception rate of anestrous dairy cows

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of treating anovulatory anestrous (AA) dairy cows with 1500 IU of hCG IM, 5 d after insemination, on their first service conception rate. A clinical trial was conducted during the 2003/2004 breeding season involving 442 AA dairy cows in six herds. On Day −8, all cows were treated with a progesterone-containing intravaginal device (Cue-Mate®). The devices were removed on Day −2, and on Day −1 all cows received an IM injection of 1 mg of estradiol benzoate. Cows in the control group (n = 220) received no further treatments. Cows in the treatment group (n = 222) which had been inseminated on Days 0 or 1 were treated with 1500 IU of hCG IM 5 d after insemination. Blood was collected from 30 cows (15 in each group) on Days 5 and 12 after AI for analysis of plasma P4 concentration. There was no difference in first service conception rates between the control and treatment groups (46.3% versus 43.6%, respectively; P = 0.68), despite the fact that plasma P4 concentrations were higher in the treatment group on Day 12 (4.9 ± 1.3 ng/mL versus 6.2 ± 2.7 ng/mL for control and treatment groups, respectively; P < 0.01). In conclusion, 1500 IU of hCG 5 d after insemination did not improve first service conception rate in AA dairy cows.