Vaginal mucus resistivity evaluation in cattle: reliability of the swine estrous detector probe during 16th-hour insemination following ovulation synchronization

Abstract

Accuracy of insemination timing is a key determinant of high pregnancy rates in livestock breeding stations. The estrous detector probes are a recent introduction into the Nigerian livestock farming sector. Many often these probes are species-labeled and they measure changes in the vaginal mucus resistivity (VMR) during the stages of the estrous cycle. With respect to size and shaft conformation, the Draminski^® swine estrous detector probe (sEDP) is quite similar to the bovine type. We investigated the reliability of the sEDP at insemination time on two farms designated as FM A and FM B. Cows (Bunaji, n=20 per farm) were evaluated for VMR at 16th hour post standard OvSynch protocol, with concurrent insemination on FM B only. The difference in the mean VMR between FM A (221(±)24.36) Ohms and FM B (254(±)35.59) Ohms was not significant (p>0.05). Sixteen cows (80%) at FM B were later (day 70) confirmed pregnant via rectal palpation and all calved at term. These findings suggest consistency in VMR evaluated with sEDP at insemination aswell as a high predictability for VMR associated with good pregnancy rates in dairy cattle. We conclude that Draminski^® swine estrous detector probe is reliable in determining time of insemination in cattle breeding stations.

Keywords: Swine estrous probe, vaginal mucus resistivity, insemination, OvSynch protocol, cattle