Treatment of lactating dairy cows with gonadotropin-releasing hormone before first insemination during summer heat stress

The objectives of the experiments were to compare ovarian responses, pregnancy per artificial insemination, and pattern of insemination of 2 estrus detection-based presynchronization protocols before first artificial insemination (AI) during heat stress. In experiment 1, primiparous lactating dairy cows (n = 1,358) from 3 dairies were assigned randomly to 2 treatments at 60 ± 3 (±SD) DIM (study d 0): (1) treatment with 100 µg of GnRH on study d 0 (Gpresynch), or (2) no treatment on study d 0 (control). In experiment 2, multiparous lactating dairy cows (n = 1,971) from 3 dairies were assigned randomly to 2 treatments at 49 ± 3 (±SD) DIM (study d 0), similar to experiment 1. In both experiments, PGF2α injections were administered 14 d apart starting on study d 7 for all cows. Cows not inseminated after detection of estrus were submitted to a timed artificial insemination protocol at study d 35. In a subgroup of cows from 2 dairies, concentrations of progesterone were determined from blood samples collected on study d 0 and 7. Furthermore, ovaries were examined by ultrasonography on study d −14, 0, and 7 to determine cyclic status and ovulation in response to GnRH treatment. In experiment 1, progesterone concentration was not different on d 0, but progesterone was increased for Gpresynch compared with control cows on study d 7 (3.6 ± 0.3 vs. 2.7 ± 0.4 ng/mL), respectively. Ovulation risk from study d 0 to 7 was increased for Gpresynch compared with control (50.6 vs. 15.2%). Control cows were inseminated at a faster rate than Gpresynch cows [adjusted hazard ratio (AHR) = 0.89, 95% confidence interval = 0.80 to 1.00], and the interaction between treatment and dairy affected pregnancy per artificial insemination at 36 and 94 d post-artificial insemination. In experiment 2, concentrations of progesterone did not differ on study d 0 or 7, despite ovulation risk from study d 0 to 7 being greater in Gpresynch than control cows (46.9 vs. 23.8%). The interaction between treatment and dairy affected hazard of insemination with Gpresynch cows from dairy 1 (AHR = 1.21; 1.05 to 1.41) being inseminated faster than control cows. Hazard of pregnancy was affected by treatment because Gpresynch cows became pregnant at a faster rate than control cows (AHR = 1.25; 1.04 to 1.50). In conclusion, GnRH-based presynchronization protocols initiated before the end of the voluntary waiting period may have benefits in reproductive efficiency of estrus detection-based programs during heat stress. In addition, treatment with GnRH decreased the prevalence of anovular cows at the initiation of PGF2α injections.