Beef Bull Semen Research Articles

Supplementation with MitoTEMPO before cryopreservation improves sperm quality and fertility potential of Piedmontese beef bull semen.

The purpose of this study was to improve the quality of frozen-thawed Piedmontese bull semen by incorporating MitoTEMPO (MT) in extended semen before cryopreservation. Semen was collected from 4 fertile bulls, using an artificial vagina, once weekly for 6 consecutive weeks. Semen samples were pooled, diluted with Bullxcell® extender, and supplemented with different concentrations of MT (0 as control, 5, 10, 20, 40, and 80 μM) before cooling, equilibration, and freezing procedures. The frozen-thawed semen was assessed for motility, vitality, acrosome intactness, plasma membrane integrity, DNA integrity, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, intracellular ROS level and in vitro fertilizing capability. The results showed that MT at concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 μM improved the total, progressive, and rapid motility directly after thawing while, at the highest tested concentration (80 μM), it decreased the progressive and rapid motility after 1, 2, and 3 h of incubation. The sperm kinetics including STR and LIN were noticeably increased at concentrations of 10, 20, and 40 μM directly after thawing (0 h), whereas the MT effect was variable on the other sperm kinetics during the different incubation periods. MitoTEMPO improved the sperm vitality at all tested concentrations, while the acrosomal and DNA integrity were improved at 20 μM and the mitochondrial membrane potentials was increased at 80 μM. The cleavage and blastocyst formation rates were significantly increased by using semen treated with 20 μM MT compared with controls. These findings suggest a potential use of MT mainly at a concentration of 20 μM as an additive in the cryopreservation media of bull semen to improve sperm quality.

Effect of Epidermal Growth Factor (EGF) on Cryopreserved Piedmontese Bull Semen Characteristics.

The purpose of this study was to determine the effect on fresh and post-thaw beef bull semen quality of the supplementation of epidermal growth factor (EGF) to the semen extender at various concentrations (0-control, 50, 100, 200, and 400 ng/mL). For 8 weeks, sperm was collected from four fertile bulls, yielding a total of 32 ejaculates. Semen samples were pooled, diluted with Bullxcell® extender, and then cooled, equilibrated, and frozen. After thawing, semen was tested for motility and velocity parameters. Furthermore, semen was evaluated for vitality, integrity, mitochondrial and antioxidant (SOD) activities, mucus penetration distance, and in vitro fertilizing capability. The supplementation with EGF prior to cryopreservation improved the total sperm motility at various concentrations over long incubation periods (from 1 to 4 h). Interestingly, EGF addition improved both progressive and rapid motility, particularly at 50, 200, and 400 ng/mL. In addition, EGF, primarily at 200 and 400 ng/mL, significantly increased several velocity parameters after different incubation periods. We can conclude that adding EGF to bull sperm extender before cryopreservation has a positive stimulatory effect on sperm motility without affecting vitality, integrity, or in vitro fertilizing capability.

Genome-wide association study of beef bull semen attributes

BackgroundCattle production is dependent upon fertility because it results in producing offspring to offset production costs. A number of semen attributes are believed to affect fertility and are frequently measured as part of routine breeding soundness exams or semen collection procedures. The objective of this study was to perform a single-step genome-wide association study (ssGWAS) for beef bull semen attributes. Beef bull fertility phenotypes including volume (VOL), concentration (CONC), number of spermatozoa (NSP), initial motility (IMot), post-thaw motility (PTMot), three-hour post-thaw motility (3HRPTMot), percentage of normal spermatozoa (%NORM), primary abnormalities (PRIM), and secondary abnormalities (SEC) were obtained from two artificial insemination (AI) centers. A total of 1819 Angus bulls with 50,624 collection records were used for ssGWAS. A five-generation pedigree was obtained from the American Angus Association and consisted of 6521 sires and 17,136 dams. Genotypes on 1163 bulls were also obtained from the American Angus Association and utilized in ssGWAS.ResultsA multi-trait animal model was used for the estimation of single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) effects. Significant SNP were those with a -log10P-value threshold greater than 4.0. Volume, CONC, NSP, IMot, PTMot, 3HRPTMot, %NORM, PRIM, and SEC have five, three, six, seven, two, six, six, and two genome-wide significant SNP, respectively.ConclusionsSeveral significant SNP were determined to be near or within quantitative trait loci (QTL) associated with beef bull semen attributes. In addition, genes associated with fertility were found to contain or be near the significant SNP found in the study. The results indicate there are regions of the genome that impact fertility, proving inclusion of genomic information into genetic evaluation should be advantageous for genetic improvement of male fertility traits.

Assessment of Sensitivity and Profitability of an Intravaginal Sensor for Remote Calving Prediction in Dairy Cattle.

One critical point of dairy farm management is calving and neonatal first care. Timely calving assistance is associated with the reduction of calf mortality and postpartum uterine disease, and with improved fertility in dairy cattle. This study aimed to evaluate the performance and profitability of an intravaginal sensor for the prediction of stage II of labor in dairy farms, thus allowing proper calving assistance. Seventy-three late-gestating Italian Holstein cows were submitted to the insertion of an intravaginal device, equipped with light and temperature sensors, connected with a Central Unit for the commutation of a radio-signal into a cell phone alert. The remote calving alarm correctly identified the beginning of the expulsive phase of labor in 86.3% of the monitored cows. The mean interval from alarm to complete expulsion of the fetus was 71.56 ± 52.98 min, with a greater range in cows with dystocia (p = 0.012). The sensor worked correctly in both cold and warm weather conditions, and during day- or night-time. The intravaginal probe was well tolerated, as any cow showed lesions to the vaginal mucosa after calving. Using sex-sorted semen in heifers and beef bull semen in cows at their last lactation, the economic estimation performed through PrecisionTree™ software led to an income improvement of 119 € and 123 €/monitored delivery in primiparous and pluriparous cows, respectively. Remote calving alarm devices are key components of “precision farming” management and proven to improve animal welfare, to reduce calf losses and to increase farm incomes.

Genetic parameter estimation for beef bull semen attributes.

Improvements in bull reproductive performance are necessary to optimize the efficiency of cattle production. Female fertility has been enhanced through assisted reproductive technologies as well as genetic selection; however, improving beef bull fertility has been largely ignored. Phenotypes routinely collected at bull semen collection facilities are believed to affect fertility and provide the phenotypes necessary for a genetic evaluation. The first objective of this study was to determine the significant fixed effects for modeling beef bull fertility using data from bull semen collection facilities. The second objective was to estimate variance components, heritabilities, repeatabilities, and correlations between beef bull semen attributes. Beef bull fertility phenotypes including volume (VOL), concentration (CONC), number of spermatozoa (NSP), initial motility (IMot), post-thaw motility (PTMot), 3-h post-thaw motility (3HRPTMot), percentage of normal spermatozoa (%NORM), primary abnormalities (PRIM), and secondary abnormalities (SEC) were obtained from two bull semen collection facilities. A total of 1,819 Angus bulls with 50,624 collection records were analyzed. Of the fixed class and covariate effects tested, the significant class effects were collection location and collection day within year and the significant covariate effects included age at collection, days since previous collection, and cumulative comprehensive climate index (CCI). For this study, the CCI was calculated for a 75-d period including the 61-d spermatogenesis cycle and 14-d epididymal transit time. The 75 d prior to collection accounted for the environmental stress a bull may have experienced over the course of development of the spermatozoa, which was more significant than the CCI calculated for collection day or spermatogenesis start date. Pre-thaw beef bull semen traits had low heritability estimates of 0.11 ± 0.02 (VOL), 0.09 ± 0.02 (CONC), 0.08 ± 0.02 (NSP), and 0.12 ± 0.03 (IMot). Heritabilities of post-thaw beef bull semen attributes were more variable at 0.10 ± 0.02 (PTMot), 0.05 ± 0.04 (3HRPTMot), 0.10 ± 0.04 (%NORM), 0.03 ± 0.03 (PRIM), and 0.18 ± 0.04 (SEC). Correlations of breeding values for these traits with scrotal circumference (SC) expected progeny difference (EPD) are low. The low to moderate heritability estimates indicate that genetic improvement can be made in beef bull semen quality traits if new tools are developed to augment the scrotal circumference EPD that are currently available within the industry.

96 Estimation of the genetic parameters of beef bull semen attributes

Abstract Fertility is a critical factor in cattle production because it directly relates to producing offspring to offset production costs. A number of semen attributes are believed to affect fertility and are frequently measured as part of routine breeding soundness exams or semen collection procedures. The objective of this study was to estimate the variance components for different semen quantity and quality traits that may influence fertility using phenotypes collected on 369 Simmental bulls. A total of 7,436 bull collection records including volume and concentration were obtained from two bull studs and evaluated utilizing a linear univariate animal model with repeated records. The five-generation pedigree used in the analysis consisted of 3,336 sires and 7,225 dams. Volume is the total amount of ejaculate and measured as milliliters of total ejaculate. Volume measurements ranged from 0.100 to 41.30 milliliters, with an average of 7.599 milliliters. Concentration is a measurement of millions of spermatozoa per milliliter. Concentration measurements ranged from 10 to 3,651 with an average of 1,053 million spermatozoa per milliliter. Fixed effects were included in the model if the effect was significant (P ≤ 0.05) for either backward or forward selection. Fixed effects included bull owner, collection center, location within center, collection day within year as a Julian day, collection year fit as class variables. Fixed effects fit as covariates included age of bull at collection (linear and quadratic), days since previous collection (linear and quadratic), and scrotal circumference (quadratic). Heritability estimates of volume and concentration were 0.43 ± 0.14 and 0.40 ± 0.15. These moderate heritability estimates indicate genetic improvement can be made in beef bull semen quality traits through selection.

Effect of relaxin on cryopreserved beef bull semen characteristics

This study aimed to improve the quality of cryopreserved beef bull (Piedmontese) semen by incorporation of relaxin in diluted semen before cryopreservation procedures. Semen samples were collected from 4 proven fertile bulls, using artificial vagina, once per week for 8 consecutive weeks and pooled together then diluted with Bullxcell® extender, and supplemented with different concentrations of relaxin (0 (control), 25, 50 and 100 ng/ml) before cooling, equilibration and freezing procedures. Frozen semen was thawed and assessed for motility by Computer-Assisted Sperm Analysis and vitality parameters such as acrosome, plasma membrane and DNA integrities, apoptosis, mitochondrial membrane potential, mucus penetration and SOD activity. The developmental potential of bovine embryos produced in vitro by using relaxin-treated was also investigated. In the present study, 50 and 100 ng/ml relaxin incorporation in extended bull semen before cryopreservation induced a reduction of sperm motility immediately after thawing (0h), whereas, during long incubation periods (1–2 h), relaxin showed a significant positive effect on sperm quality by improving the sperm motility and velocity parameters. Interestingly, sperm vitality was improved by 25 and 100 ng/ml relaxin and the blastocyst developmental rate was significantly increased in the 25 ng/ml relaxin group compared with controls (52/118, 44.0% vs. 32/116, 27.6%, respectively). These findings suggest a potential use of relaxin at the doses tested in the present study as an additive in the cryopreservation media of bull semen to improve sperm quality.

Different beef breed sires used for crossbreeding with Swedish dairy cows - effects on calving performance and carcass traits

Improved potential for weight gain and carcass classification traits in calves aimed at slaughter from dairy herds would increase the calves’ economic value, and enable an increased beef production. At present, relatively low economic weights are placed on beef traits in the comprehensive Nordic dairy cattle breeding goal. An effective way to improve beef production from dairy herds is therefore to inseminate a larger proportion of dairy heifers and cows with beef bull semen. In the choice of beef bull breed, both effects on calving traits, carcass weight gain and carcass traits need to be considered. The aim of this study was therefore to compare different beef x dairy crosses regarding calving performance and carcass traits. Field data comprising in total close to 1.6 million calving records from Swedish herds, and more than 1.1 million carcass records from commercial slaughter houses, were analyzed using linear models. Differences in least-square means between different breed combinations were estimated for percentage of calving difficulty, stillbirth, daily carcass gain, carcass weight, EUROP conformation and fat classification. The dams were purebred Swedish Red (SR) or Swedish Holstein (SH), and the sires were either of purebred dairy (SR or SH) or of the beef breeds Angus, Hereford, Limousin, Simmental or Charolais. The results showed that crossbreeding dairy cows with beef bulls, especially of late maturing breeds, has potential to considerably improve beef production from dairy herds. Improvement of carcass characteristics and carcass gain were most noticeable in young crossbred bulls, where the highest increase for single breed combinations was 67% for conformation and 17% for carcass gain. Offspring of different beef x dairy combinations displayed varying average carcass gain and characteristics in terms of fatness and conformation in heifers, steers and young bulls, and would fit different types of production systems. Whereas crossbreeding had small or favorable effects on stillbirth, the use of late maturing beef breed sires negatively influenced the calving performance, especially in primiparous dairy cows. By choosing individual beef bulls with high estimated breeding values for calving ease, the percentage of calving difficulty could be reduced, even when using late maturing beef breed sires for crossbreeding.

Sperm quality in frozen beef and dairy bull semen

BackgroundThere is speculation that beef bull semen quality is inferior to that of dairy bulls although few scientific studies are available in the literature. The aim of this study was to evaluate sperm quality in beef bull semen and to determine which parameters could be indicative of fertility after insemination. Sperm quality, assessed by computer assisted sperm motility analysis and flow cytometric evaluation of membrane integrity, levels of reactive oxygen species, mitochondrial membrane potential, acrosome status and DNA fragmentation index, was evaluated in beef and dairy bull semen.ResultsFor beef bulls, normal morphology (r = 0.62, P < 0.05) and WOBBLE (r = 0.57, P < 0.05) were significantly correlated with 56-day non-return rate, whereas sperm quality was not significantly correlated with the fertility index score for dairy bulls. Membrane integrity (46 ± 8.0% versus 40 ± 11%, P < 0.05), normal morphology (87 ± 6% versus 76 ± 8%; P < 0.05), and high respiratory activity (52 ± 13 versus 12 ± 4%; P < 0.001) were higher for dairy bulls than for beef bulls. The DNA fragmentation index was lower for dairy bull spermatozoa than beef (3.8 ± 1.1% versus 6.1 ± 2.9%; P < 0.01), whereas some sperm kinematics were higher. Multivariate analysis indicated that type of bull (beef versus dairy) had an impact on sperm quality.ConclusionsDifferent assays of sperm quality may be needed for appropriate analysis of beef and dairy bull semen. These finding could be important for cattle breeding stations when evaluating semen quality.

Co-administration of meloxicam and gabapentin does not compromise beef bull semen quality

Feet and leg soundness are of critical importance for breeding bulls, and lameness is a common problem affecting bulls. Lameness pain in the bovine typically has both inflammatory and neuropathic components, and often coincides with a decline in fertility. As neuropathic pain is refractory to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs), y-aminobutyric acid (GABA) analogues are commonly used in conjunction with NSAIDs to treat lameness in cattle. Meloxicam, an NSAID, and gabapentin, a GABA analogue, are frequently used extra-label under the supervision of a veterinarian to mitigate pain associated with lameness. Though neither of these compounds is currently labeled for use in bovines in the United States, previous research has indicated that the pharmokinetic profiles of these drugs support further evaluation for clinical use as analgesics in bovines. A decline in fertility is often observed in lame bulls; however, the pathogenesis of this transient subfertility is unknown. Currently, no controlled studies have been conducted to evaluate the effects of meloxicam and gabapentin analgesics on bull fertility. Thus, the objective of the present study was to evaluate the effects of meloxicam and gabapentin combination therapy on beef bull semen quality. It was hypothesized that treatment with meloxicam and gabapentin might have deleterious effects on semen quality.

The use of crossbreeding with beef bulls in dairy herds: effects on calving difficulty and gestation length

This study was designed to analyse the evolution in the use of beef bull semen for dairy cattle insemination and, mainly, to assess calving difficulty, gestation length and proportion of stillbirths after breeding pure Holsteins or crossbreeding. Data were collected during 2004 to 2011 for 552 571 Holstein calvings (457 070 Holstein × Holstein, 43 384 Holstein × Limousine, 32 174 Holstein × Belgian Blue and 19 943 Holstein × Galician Blonde). The highest calving difficulty, compared with pure Holsteins was for crosses with Belgian Blue followed by Limousine and Galician Blonde. The Holstein × Limousine and Holstein × Galician Blonde crossbred calves had significantly longer gestation lengths than Holstein × Holstein and Holstein × Belgian Blue calves. Between the latter two, pure Holstein had the shortest gestation length. Calving difficulty and gestation length decreased as the age of the dam advanced. The most difficult calvings were observed in twin calvings, followed by the calvings of male calves and female calves. The gestations leading to the birth of male calves were longer than those leading to female calves and twin calves. Stillbirths were not related to the breed used for mating. Through examining these parameters, sire breed should be considered when selecting a beef breed for the insemination of milk-producing dams.

Use of crossbreeding with beef bulls in dairy herds: Effect on age, body weight, price, and market value of calves sold at livestock auctions1,2

The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of different breeds and breed crosses on age (AC, d), BW (kg), price (PR, $/kg), and market value (MV, $/calf) of purebred and crossbred calves sold for veal and beef production. The Kovieh wholesale cattle organization (Bolzano, Italy) grouped calves from several dairy herds located in the Trentino-Südtirol region in Italy and sold them by public auctions. Data on AC, BW, PR, and MV from 96,458 calves were recorded from January 2003 to December 2007 and consisted of 4 pure breeds [2 dairy, Brown Swiss (BS) and Holstein-Friesian (HF); and 2 dual-purpose, Simmental (SI) and Alpine Grey (AG)], and 8 crossbreds by crosses of Limousin (LI) and Belgian Blue (BB) with the 4 dam breeds. Least squares means for AC, BW, PR, and MV were calculated for breeds and breed crosses with a model that included fixed effects of herd of birth, age (except for AC), sex, and breed of the calf, year and season of auction, and interactions between the main effects. The coefficients of determination of the models were 0.41, 0.51, 0.84, and 0.82 for AC, BW, PR, and MV, respectively. Sex, age, and breed were the most relevant sources of variation for BW (P < 0.001), whereas breed and sex were the most important sources of variation for AC, PR, and MV (P < 0.001). Also, PR and MV were significantly influenced (P < 0.01) by all the effects included in the model, except for season x age interaction in the case of MV. Market value of male was greater (P < 0.001) than that of female calves, with the exception of BS (-$28.76/calf) and HF (-$20.70/calf) purebred males. Dual-purpose purebred calves presented greater (P < 0.001) PR and MV than dairy purebreds (MV of $426.97/calf and $307.96/calf for SI and AG, and $256.24/calf and $275.65/calf for BS and HF, respectively). Calves from SI and AG dams had greater (P < 0.001) BW, PR, and MV than calves from BS and HF dams. Calves from SI cows had greater (P < 0.001) BW, PR, and MV than calves from AG cows. Crossbreeding with beef bulls increased (P < 0.001) BW, PR, and MV of calves from dairy and dual-purpose dams. Crossbreeding with BB bulls increased PR (+$2.58 +/- 0.04/kg; P < 0.001) and MV (+$190.84 +/- 3.62/calf; P < 0.001) of calves much more than LI. The use of beef bull semen on dairy herds resulted in an economic revenue from selling crossbred calves.

Effects of crossbreed pregnancies on the abortion risk of Neospora caninum-infected dairy cows

Previous studies have shown that the use of beef bull semen significantly reduces the rate of abortions due to Neospora caninum in artificially inseminated (AI) seropositive dairy cows. In addition, certain beef breeds could be more resistant to N. caninum infection and abortion than others. The aim of the present study was to determine whether different crossbreed pregnancies, those derived from Limousin, Charolais, Piedmontese or Belgian Blue semen, carry different risks of abortion in Neospora-infected dairy cows. The effects of possible interactions between maternal levels of N. caninum antibodies and the different breed crosses were also evaluated. The study was performed on five commercial Holstein–Friesian dairy herds in Northeast Spain with previously confirmed diagnoses of N. caninum infection in aborted foetuses. The study population was comprised of 1115 pregnancies: 633 pregnancies recorded after AI using Holstein–Friesian semen from 18 bulls and 482 after AI using beef semen from 27 bulls (304 inseminations using semen from Limousin bulls, 191 from Belgian Blue bulls, 89 from Piedmontese bulls and 49 from Charolais bulls). Abortion rates were 32.2% (155/482) and 15.2% (96/633) for seropositive cows inseminated with Holstein–Friesian and beef breed semen, respectively. Logistic regression analysis revealed the herd and the interaction between maternal N. caninum antibody titre and the different crossbreeds as significant factors affecting the abortion rate. Lowest abortion rates, similar to that shown by seronegative animals in the analysed herds (3.2%, 239/7432), were observed in dams AI using Limousin semen that had low (<30 relative index (RI) units) N. caninum antibody titres (2.1% abortion, 3/145) and these cows were used as reference. Compared to the cows used as reference, cows with low N. caninum antibody titres (<30 RI units) showed a similar risk of abortion when inseminated with Piedmontese or Charolais bull semen, but higher risk of abortion when inseminated with Holstein (17.9 times) or Belgian Blue (7.2 times) bull semen. All cows with high N. caninum antibody titres (≥30 RI units) had a higher risk of abortion, ranging from 8.9 times (cows inseminated with Limousine semen) to 37.8 times (cows inseminated with Piedmontese semen), compared to the cows used as reference. In conclusion, different crossbreed pregnancies carried different abortion risks in Neospora-infected dairy cows. The use of beef bull semen dramatically reduced the risk of abortion in dairy cows, especially if Limousin breed semen was used. Moreover, this reduction was found to be dependent on the N. caninum antibody titre such that the lowest incidence of abortions was recorded in Limousin semen inseminated cows with low antibody titres. Insemination of Neospora-seropositive cows with beef bull semen could both reduce the risk of abortion and avoid breeding replacements for infected cattle.

Relationship of prepartum plasma concentrations of estrone sulfate and estradiol‐17β with the weight of the calf and placental parameters in Holstein–Friesian cows

ABSTRACTThe aim was to evaluate the relationship of prepartum plasma estrone sulfate (E1S) and estradiol‐17β (E2β) concentrations with the weight of the calf and the placental parameters. Holstein–Friesian cows (n = 33) inseminated artificially with Japanese Black beef bull semen at Hiroshima University Farm in Japan were used for the experiment. Blood samples were taken every day from day 270 of gestation until the day after calving. The plasma samples were analyzed for E1S and E2β by enzyme immunoassay. The calf birth weight was taken immediately after calving. Complete fetal membranes were collected from 19 cattle and the weights of the placental components and the number of cotyledons were recorded. All 33 cattle delivered singleton normal calves. The prepartum plasma E1S concentration was found to correlate significantly (P &lt; 0.01) with the calf birth weight (r = 0.83), total fetal membrane weight (r = 0.81), cotyledonary weight (r = 0.79) and inter‐cotyledonary membrane weight (r = 0.64), but it did not correlate significantly with the number of cotyledons, whereas prepartum plasma E2β was not found to correlate significantly with the weight of either the calf or any of the placental components except the number of cotyledons. In conclusion, prepartum plasma E1S, not plasma E2β, was found to correlate significantly with the weight of the calf and the placental components.

Chronic Neospora caninum infection and repeat abortion in dairy cows: A 3-year study

The serological status of Neospora was monitored in animals older than 6 months in a dairy herd with a 3-year history of prevalent N. caninum and N. caninum-associated abortions. The numbers of animals in the herd tested each year of the study period were 259, 222 and 231, respectively. A separate analysis was performed on the 122 animals persisting in the herd for the 3 years. The overall seroprevalence of N. caninum in the herd decreased from 31.7% in the first year to 24.8% in the second year and to 19.9% in the third year of the study, while the overall abortion rate decreased from 20.6% in the first year to 5.5% in the second year, and 9.9% in the third. These decreases occurred in response to control measures adopted from the second year onwards, such as culling Neospora-seropositive aborted animals and inseminating Neospora-seropositive dams with beef bull semen. Of the total number of abortions recorded in seropositive animals, 51% were repeat abortions that occurred in 36.8% of the animals with a previous history of abortion. The initial seroprevalence of Neospora in the 122 animals followed for the 3 years was 18%, increasing to 21.3% in the second and third years. Seroconversion only occurred in four animals during the second and third years of the study and abortion occurred only in seropositive individuals. Of the total number of abortions recorded in the 122 animals, 61.5% were repeat abortions that occurred in 26.7% of the animals with a previous history of abortion. These results indicate that Neospora seropositivity can be very stable through time and N. caninum infected cows can show a high rate of repeat abortions. The present data reinforce the idea that annual serological screening for Neospora can be an effective and rapid method of detecting N. caninum infection, such that control measures can be established at the farm level.

Relationship between Rainfall andNeospora caninum‐associated Abortion in Two Dairy Herds in a Dry Environment

The possible direct relationship between climate variations and abortion in Neospora caninum-infected cows has not been studied. The objective of this study was to determine whether climate changes could be a risk factor for abortion in N. caninum-infected cows, and was based on yearly serological screening for neosporosis and on the confirmation of N. caninum infection on aborted fetuses in two high-producing dairy herds with a mean 27% seroprevalence of N. caninum antibodies. The final population study was comprised of 357 pregnancies in seropositive animals. Logistic regression analysis indicated no significant effects of herd, N. caninum antibody titre, climate variables during the first and third trimesters of gestation, mean and maximum temperature-humidity index values during the second trimester of gestation, and previous abortion on the abortion rate. Based on the odds ratio, a 1-unit increase in lactation number yielded a 0.85-fold decrease in the abortion rate. The likelihood of abortion was 1.9 times (1/0.54) lower for pregnant cows inseminated with beef bull semen compared with Holstein-Friesian bull semen. The likelihood of abortion decreased significant and progressively by factors of 0.5, 0.41 and 0.3 for the respective classes 40-49, 30-39 and <30 rainfall mm during the second trimester of gestation (using the class >or=60 rainfall mm as reference). As a general conclusion, it seems that increased rainfall in a dry environment can compromise the success of gestation in N. caninum-infected cows. Attempts should therefore be made to reduce environment effects during the second trimester of gestation, a period in which the immune response of cows is diminished.

The Use of Beef Bull Semen Reduced the Risk of Abortion inNeospora‐seropositive Dairy Cows

There is an evidence that the epidemiology of neosporosis differs in dairy and beef cattle, such that beef cattle carry a lower risk of abortion. The aim of the present study was to establish whether artificial insemination using semen from beef bulls could reduce the risk of abortion in dairy cows seropositive for the Neospora caninum parasite. Our study was based on yearly serological screening for neosporosis and on the confirmation of Neospora infection in aborted fetuses in two high-producing dairy herds with a mean 28% seroprevalence of N. caninum antibodies. The study population comprised of 273 pregnancies in seropositive animals: 156 pregnancies monitored after insemination using Holstein-Friesian semen and 117 after insemination using beef bull semen. Abortion rates for these animals were 28.2% (77 of 273), 34.6% (54 of 156) and 19.7% (23 of 117). Logistic regression analysis indicated no significant effects of lactation number and previous abortion on the abortion rate. Based on the odds ratio, a 1-unit increase in the Neospora antibody titre yielded a 1.01-fold increase in the abortion rate. The likelihood of abortion was two times higher for cows in one of the two herds and 2.8 times lower (one of 0.36) for pregnant cows inseminated with beef bull semen rather than Holstein-Friesian semen. Our results indicate that the use of beef bull semen can reduce the risk of abortion in dairy cows, and suggest that annual screening for neosporosis, specifically the antibody titre to the protozoan, could be an useful predictor of abortion risk in reproductive health programmes.