COMPARISON OF CONCEPTION RATES IN BEEF CATTLE INSEMINATED WITH EITHER SEXEDULTRA™ SEX-SORTED SEMEN OR CONVENTIONAL SEMEN IN FIXED-TIME ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION (FTAI) PROTOCOLS

Estrous synchronization and artificial insemination (ESAI) are reproductive technologies that cattlemen can use to improve the reproductive performance of their herds. Controlling the gender ratio of the calf-crop can also improve the opportunity for increased revenue and profit. Producers are able...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Crites, Benjamin R.
Format: Others
Published: UKnowledge 2017
Subjects:
Online Access:https://uknowledge.uky.edu/animalsci_etds/80
https://uknowledge.uky.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1087&context=animalsci_etds
Description
Summary:Estrous synchronization and artificial insemination (ESAI) are reproductive technologies that cattlemen can use to improve the reproductive performance of their herds. Controlling the gender ratio of the calf-crop can also improve the opportunity for increased revenue and profit. Producers are able to shift and/or control the gender ratio of their calf crop by incorporating sex-sorted semen into their AI programs. However, decreased conception rates to AI have been previously observed when sex-sorted semen was used in comparison to conventional semen of the same sires. The objective of the first study was to determine if conception rates will differ in females inseminated with conventional semen or SexedULTRA™ sex-sorted semen when estrus is synchronized using an industry-standard, 7-d CO-Synch + Controlled Internal Drug Release (CIDR) protocol for fixed-time artificial insemination (FTAI). The objective of the second study was to determine if conception rate to FTAI differs between SexedULTRA™ sex-sorted and conventional semen when yearling beef heifers are synchronized using a 14-d controlled internal drug release (CIDR) - PGF2α (PGF) protocol modified to optimize the control of ovulation and timing of insemination.