Effect of a progesterone-releasing intravaginal device (PRID) for 8 days during a modified Ovsynch protocol on pregnancy outcomes in lactating Holstein cows

Abstract

Our objective was to evaluate the effect of a progesterone-releasing intravaginal device (PRID) in a 7-d Ovsynch protocol on pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI) and pregnancy loss, compared with a standard 7-d Ovsynch protocol without progesterone supplementation. We hypothesized that progesterone supplementation during an Ovsynch protocol would increase P/AI and decrease pregnancy loss. Data were collected on lactating Holstein cows (n = 716) that either received a 7-d Ovsynch protocol (control: d 0, 100 µg of GnRH; d 7, 500 µg of cloprostenol; d 9, µg of GnRH; n = 360) or a modified Ovsynch protocol with addition of a PRID (PRIDsynch; d 0, 100 µg of GnRH + PRID; d 7, 25 mg of dinoprost; d 8, PRID removal; d 9, 100 µg of GnRH; n = 356). All cows received timed artificial insemination (TAI) approximately 16 h after the second GnRH treatment. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed via ultrasonography on d 38 ± 3 after TAI and rechecked on d 80 ± 7 after TAI. Reproductive performance differed between treatments, with PRIDsynch cows having greater (38.9%) P/AI compared with control cows (31.7%) at d 38 ± 3 and also at d 80 ± 7 (34.6% vs. 28.9%, for PRIDsynch and control cows, respectively). Pregnancy loss did not differ among treatments.