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ARS Home » Southeast Area » Stoneville, Mississippi » Warmwater Aquaculture Research Unit » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #342825
Title: The effect of follicular wave on fertility characteristics in beef cattle

Author
item MUTH-SPURLOCK, ASHLEIGH - Mississippi State University
item DIX, JACOB - Mississippi State University
item COLESON, MEGAN P - Mississippi State University
item HART, CATILIN - Mississippi State University
item LEMLEY, CALEB - Mississippi State University
item SCHULMEISTER, T - University Of Florida
item LAMB, CLIFF - University Of Florida
item LARSON, JAMIE - Mississippi State University

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science
Publication Type: Peer Reviewed Journal
Publication Acceptance Date: 12/19/2016
Publication Date: 3/3/2017
Citation: Muth-Spurlock, A.M., Dix, J.A., Coleson, M.T., Hart, C.G., Lemley, C.O., Schulmeister, T.M., Lamb, C.G., Larson, J.E. 2017. The effect of follicular wave on fertility characteristics in beef cattle. Journal of Animal Science. 95(2):886-874.

Interpretive Summary: The dominant follicle of the first follicular wave develops when progesterone concentrations are increasing whereas the dominant follicle of the second follicular wave develops under peak concentrations of progesterone. Improved fertility has been previously observed for cows bred after ovulating the dominant follicle of the second follicular wave versus the dominant follicle of the first follicular wave. Therefore, we examined fertility characteristics of beef heifers and cows assigned to ovulate the follicle of the first follicular wave versus the follicle of the second follicular wave. In conclusions we observed a greater pregnancy rate in beef heifers assigned to ovulate the follicle of the second follicular wave versus the first follicular wave, while pregnancy rates were not different in beef cows. Furthermore, these observations were not associated with the metabolism of steroids between first and second follicular wave cattle.

Technical Abstract: Adequate fertility of beef cattle in the US is a major economic concern. The use of luminogenic substrates to ascertain steroid metabolism in beef females bred to the dominant follicle of the first follicular wave versus the dominant follicle of the second follicular wave in this study further provides evidence of the pathways associated with these changes in fertility characteristics.