Acta Univ. Agric. Silvic. Mendelianae Brun. 2020, 68(3), 573-581 | DOI: 10.11118/actaun202068030573

Comparative Study of Pregnancy Rate of Dairy Cows Inseminated with Fresh or Frozen-Thawed Semen

Jan Pytlík, Luděk Stádník, Jaromír Ducháček, Radim Codl
Department of Animal Science, Faculty of Agrobiology, Food and Natural Resources, Czech University of Life Sciences Prague, Kamýcká 129, 165 00 Prague 6 - Suchdol, Czech Republic

The aim of this study was to investigate conception rates (CR) achieved with artificial insemination of Holstein cows using fresh or frozen insemination doses (ID). The synchronization protocols (Double-Ovsynch, Ovsynch, ReSynch) and pedometers were used to secure proper timing of artificial inseminations (AI). Total of 3979 inseminations data were recorded. Statistical analysis was performed using the SAS 9.3 package. For the evaluation of a CR, the effects of ID type, season, year, sire breed, lactation number and oestrus detection type, were analysed. Cows inseminated with fresh ID performed higher CR (+4.86%; P < 0.05). Best pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI) success was observed during the winter season (+11.82%; P < 0.01). Parity affected P/AI with primiparous having a greater P/AI than multiparous cows (P < 0.01). The least likelihood of pregnancy success matched up with ReSynch and the highest with Ovsynch protocol (+7.7%; P < 0.05). In conclusion, fresh ID manifested superior CR over frozen-thawed semen under common conditions of Czech dairy farming. Similar or better P/AI was achieved when an automated activity monitoring were used rather than timed AI based on Ovsynch protocol, indicating a possible reduction in hormonal treatment applications without affecting fertility of high producing dairy cows.

Keywords: dairy cows, Holstein, artificial insemination, cryopreservation, insemination dose, frozen-thawed semen, fresh semen, conception, synchronization, pedometer
Grants and funding:

This research was funded by an "S" grant of the M©MT and Project NAZV No. QK1910242 of the MZe of the Czech Republic. We are grateful to Ondřej Martínek for English language correction of the manuscript.

Received: March 24, 2020; Accepted: April 29, 2020; Published: July 1, 2020  Show citation

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Pytlík, J., Stádník, L., Ducháček, J., & Codl, R. (2020). Comparative Study of Pregnancy Rate of Dairy Cows Inseminated with Fresh or Frozen-Thawed Semen. Acta Universitatis Agriculturae et Silviculturae Mendelianae Brunensis, 68(3), 573-581. doi: 10.11118/actaun202068030573
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