Impact of delayed insemination on pregnancy rates to gender selected semen in a fixed-time AI system

Abstract

The objectives of the current experiment were to determine if delaying insemination by 8 h in a FTAI protocol would alter estrus expression and pregnancy rates in cows inseminated with sex-sorted semen, characterize bull variation in pregnancy rates to sex-sorted semen and examine the impact of repeated years of FTAI to sex-sorted semen on calving distribution. Over three breeding seasons, postpartum cows (n = 839) were estrous synchronized using the 5-day CO-Synch + CIDR system. Cows were given GnRH (100 μg i.m., Factrel) at time of insertion of a controlled internal drug releasing device (CIDR; Eazi-Breed CIDR). Five d later CIDR was removed and PGF_2α (25 mg i.m., Lutalyse) was given at removal and 8 h later. Estrus detection aids were applied at CIDR removal. Cows were inseminated with X-sorted or Y-sorted sex-sorted semen at 72 h (NORM) or 80 h (DELAY) after CIDR removal, and GnRH was administered at AI. At insemination, estrus status was categorized as positive (YES), partial (QUES), unknown (NR) or negative (NO). Bulls were introduced to cows at 14 d and removed at 60 d after FTAI. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed by ultrasound at d 60 after FTAI and via palpation at 60 d after bull removal. There was no difference (P > 0.05) in pregnancy rates to sex-sorted semen or final pregnancy rates between NORM and DELAY cows. Pregnancy to sex-sorted semen averaged 35.2% whereas final pregnancy rates were 90.6%. More cows (P < 0.05) in the DELAY group expressed estrus before FTAI, but this increase did not alter pregnancy rates to sex-sorted semen. Expression of estrus before FTAI increased (P < 0.02) pregnancy rates to sex-sorted semen across treatments with differences being YES > QUES or NR > NO. There was considerable variation in pregnancy rate by bull (P < 0.05) with pregnancy rates ranging from 55.6% to 19.3%. Whole herd calving distribution was altered (P < 0.05) after 3 y of use of sex-sorted semen compared to the previous 3 y when conventional semen was used. We conclude that delaying insemination by 8 h in an FTAI protocol did not improve pregnancy rates to sex-sorted semen despite more cows exhibiting estrus before FTAI. In addition, a high bull to bull variation in pregnancy rates to sex-sorted semen is a limitation in FTAI systems. Further research into FTAI strategies for use with sex-sorted semen is warranted.

Keywords: Beef cow; Fixed-time AI; Sex-sorted semen.