Abstract

In the study, a total of 30 clinically healthy fertile Holstein cows (aged 3-8 years old; with 500-700 kg average live weight and 28 litres average daily milk) were used in a private dairy farm in Milas district of Muğla province. Randomly selected cows were divided into two groups (control and treatment) (n=15 cows/group) with almost similar body condition scores (BCS) (as all having approximately BCS of 2.75±0.25 units, 1-5 scale). Cows were monitored for natural oestrus, especially during the 2 months postpartum. Control cows (n=15) showing oestrus were inseminated (throughout the 3 consecutive occasions at maximum) by routine AI via recto-vaginal intrauterine route using frozen bull semen (0.25 ml dose; 7.5 x 106 total motile sperm) and thawing at 37 °C for 30 seconds. Inseminations were carried out for 7 months (from December 2021 to June 2022). For the treatment group, the cows were given the antimicrobial agent (UB20 O8®) intrauterine 30 minutes after each AI. The disinfectant dose, given to the corpus uteri region after the AI, was used as a total of 50 ml mixture (40 ml warm saline and 10 ml disinfectant). Throughout the study, animals were routinely given a farm-specific "dairy cow" diet (with 23% protein/concentrated feed). In addition, cows were provided regularly with clean drinking water, shade, and free movement in paddocks. Total pregnancy rates of cows and the 'pregnancy index' (the number of inseminations per pregnancy) of 35-60-day post-insemination as checked via ultrasound examination were analysed statistically by using Chi-Square and Wilcoxon tests. The possible difference between the groups based on pregnancy rate and pregnancy index data was considered significant at the P<0.05 level. According to the results obtained, numerical differences observed due to local treatment after all insemination periods were not statistically significant (P>0.05). Pregnancy rates following the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd inseminations in the treatment and control groups were 60.00% vs. 46.66%, 86.66% vs. 66.66%, and 93.33% vs. 80.00%, respectively. The total pregnancy indexes in the groups were 1.57 (14 pregnancies/22 inseminations; treatment) and 2.25 (12 pregnancies/27 inseminations; control). Briefly, it was observed that the pregnancy rate and pregnancy index in the treatment group were consistently but only numerically higher than those in the control group, indicating that anionic oxygen could be an effective alternative for intrauterine treatment leading to high fertility early postpartum.

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