Evaluating Information Obtained from Diagnosis of Pregnancy Status of Beef Herds

Robert L Larson; Brad J White

doi:10.1016/j.cvfa.2016.01.005

Evaluating Information Obtained from Diagnosis of Pregnancy Status of Beef Herds

Vet Clin North Am Food Anim Pract. 2016 Jul;32(2):319-34. doi: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2016.01.005. Epub 2016 Apr 1.

Authors

Robert L Larson¹, Brad J White²

Affiliations

¹ Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, 1800 Denison Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA. Electronic address: RLarson@vet.ksu.edu.
² Department of Clinical Sciences, College of Veterinary Medicine, Kansas State University, 1800 Denison Avenue, Manhattan, KS 66506, USA.

PMID: 27039690
DOI: 10.1016/j.cvfa.2016.01.005

Abstract

Good reproductive efficiency is critical for economic sustainability of beef herds. Standard measurements of reproductive success are the percentage of cows exposed to bulls at the start of the breeding season that are pregnant at midgestation and the percentage of pregnant cows that give birth to a live calf. Converting fetal age data to a reproductive profile displaying pregnancy percentages by 21-day periods provides information for the diagnosis of suboptimal reproductive efficiency and guides intervention strategies. The value can be amplified by evaluating reproductive profiles by animal age or management group.

Keywords: Breeding soundness examination; Fetal aging; Pregnancy loss; Reproductive profile.

Publication types

Review

MeSH terms

Animal Husbandry*
Animals
Breeding
Cattle / physiology*
Female
Pregnancy
Pregnancy, Animal / physiology*
Prenatal Diagnosis / veterinary*
Red Meat*
Reproduction / physiology*
Seasons