Abstract
Background: The use of artificial insemination (AI) has great potential to improve smallholder dairy herds in Africa, however high costs and often poor success rates have been discouraging. Effective AI requires accurate oestrus detection and the measurement of progesterone (P4) can be used to indicate oestrus as well as non-pregnancy. A cow-side progesterone lateral flow test, P4 Rapid, was evaluated as an aid to detect oestrus and non-pregnancy in Kenyan dairy cows, and assessed for association with AI efficiency. Methods: A total of 527 cows were enrolled in the study, from two counties in central and southern Kenya. Cattle in the test group (n = 308) were presented when suspected to be in oestrus and tested with the P4 Rapid (low P4 = oestrus, medium P4 = inconclusive, high P4 = not in oestrus/pregnant). Cattle with low P4 were inseminated. Cattle in the control group (n = 219) were inseminated when oestrus behaviour was detected i.e. standard practice. Results: Of the total P4 Rapid tests performed (n = 745), 1.5% were inconclusive, with the true accuracy of the test between 87-97%. Conception rates were not significantly higher in the test group (83.9%) compared to the control group (77.9%). Abortion rates were not significantly different between the control (9.5%) and test groups (8.2%). In the test group, 6.2% (19/308) cows showed a medium or high P4 level on day 0 and 9 of these were subsequently found to have been already pregnant. Conclusions: The data indicated that the P4 Rapid test can be a useful tool to assist farmer decision-making in the confirmation of correct timing for AI, and importantly may avoid unnecessary inseminations in pregnant animals, thus reducing the risk of AI-induced abortion.
Highlights
In Kenya, as in many lower- and middle-income countries, the use of artificial insemination (AI) has the potential to improve cattle genetics and reproductive performance in smallholder dairy herds (Gicheha et al, 2019)
A total of 174 cattle remained in the test group (134 removed) and 149 remained in the control group (70 removed)
Nine were already pregnant, six were not pregnant and assumed as not being in oestrus, and four cows were lost to follow up
Summary
In Kenya, as in many lower- and middle-income countries, the use of artificial insemination (AI) has the potential to improve cattle genetics and reproductive performance in smallholder dairy herds (Gicheha et al, 2019). A major contributing factor to poor reproductive performance in smallholder dairy farms in Kenya has been poor oestrus detection rates (Mwai et al, 2020; Owen, 2005), with mistiming of AI leading to poor conception rates and increased calving intervals (Mungube et al, 2014). An inability to detect oestrus, coupled with poor expression of behavioural signs of oestrus by the cow can hinder insemination at the correct time (Walsh et al, 2011). The use of artificial insemination (AI) has great potential to improve smallholder dairy herds in Africa, high costs and often poor success rates have been discouraging. Cattle in the control group (n = 219) were inseminated when oestrus behaviour was detected i.e. standard practice. Conclusions: The data indicated that the P4 Rapid test can be a useful tool to assist farmer decision-making in the confirmation of correct timing for AI, and importantly may avoid unnecessary inseminations version 2
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