Article ID | Journal | Published Year | Pages | File Type |
---|---|---|---|---|
2465233 | The Veterinary Journal | 2009 | 5 Pages |
The incidence of low day 5 milk progesterone in dairy cows has been investigated and the efficacy of treating the problem assessed. The incidence of inadequate milk progesterone (empirically defined as <3 ng/mL) in repeat breeder cows was 34% compared with 11.4% in first insemination cows. Treatment with an intravaginal progesterone device for 7 days starting from day 5 or 6 did not improve pregnancy rate. Treatment with 1500 iu human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) on day 5 gave an increase in pregnancy rate that was dependent on initial progesterone concentration and significant (P < 0.05) in multiparous but not primiparous cows. While the incidence of inadequate day 5 progesterone was high in repeat breeder cows, it was responsive to hCG treatment, although only in multiparous and not primiparous animals.