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Fertilization Failure and Embryonic Mortality in Parous and Nonparous Beef Cattle¹

US Department of Agriculture⁴, Clay Center, NE 68933

Abstract

One hundred and two nonparous females, 18 to 24 mo old, and 55 parous or multiparous beef females, 3 to 12 yr old, were mated naturally (d 0) and slaughtered on d 2 to 5, 6 to 8 or 14 to 16 of gestation. Each reproductive tract was flushed with phosphate-buffered saline, and the flushings were searched for an oocyte or embryo. Parous females had a higher (P<.05) fertilization rate than nonparous females. In nonparous females, reproductive failure was attributed equally to fertilization failure and embryonic mortality, which had occurred or was occurring by d 8 of gestation. In parous females, reproductive failure was attributed entirely to embryonic death. About 67% of this embryonic mortality had occurred or was occurring by d 8 of gestation; the other 33% occurred between d 8 and 16 of gestation. These findings show that in both nonparous and parous beef females, a large portion of the reproductive failure occurs by d 8 of gestation and would not have any noticeable influence on length of the estrous cycle.

¹ The authors are grateful to Ken Weiser and Betty Petitjean for technical assistance; to Gary Peterson, Walt Green, Shelly O'Mear and John Siebrandt for the care and breeding of cattle, and to Cheryl Yates for stenographic work. Cooperation of the Nebraska Agr. Exp. Sta., Univ. of Nebraska, Lincoln, is acknowledge.

² Roman L. Hruska U. S. Meat Animal Reasearch Center, SE, ARS, P.O. Box 166.

³ Present address: The Upjohn Co., Reproduction and Physiology, 9670-190-1, Kalamazoo, MI 49001.

⁴ Mention of a trade name, proprietary product of specific equipment does not constitute a guarantee or warranty by the USDA and does not imply its approval to the exclusion of other products that may also be suitable.

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