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Effects of Induced Parturition and Early Obstetrical Assistance in Beef Cattle^1,2,

U.S Department of Agriculture^,4, Miles City, Montana 59301

Abstract

Pregnant crossbred beef females (33 second-calf cows and 73 primiparous heifers) bred to a single Hereford sire were assigned to a 2³ factorial study involving age of dam, natural (NP) or induced (IP) parturition and late emergency (LA) or forced early (EA) obstetrical assistance. Parturition was induced with 10 mg flumethazone given i.m. between 1400 and 1600 on d 272 of gestation; EA was given when the cervix and birth canal were fully dilated. Average IP occurred 39.6 h postinjection, and 95.3% of the treated dams responded within 60 h postinjection; gestation was shortened 2.9 d (P .07). Dystocia score (from 1 = no assist to 4 = major traction required and 5 = abnormal presentation) was 1.12 vs 2.40 for LA and EA, respectively (P < .01), and 11% of LA vs 84% of EA were assisted. Calf vigor score (1 = normal to 3 = severely depressed or dying) at birth was 1.3 for NP and 1.1 for IP (P .06) and 1.3 for EA and 1.1 for LA (P < .05). This effect of EA was due to reduced vigor of calves experiencing abnormal presentation. Birth weights (BW) and weaning weights (WW) of calves from cows exceeded those from heifers (32.6 vs 30.8 kg, P < .05; 210.9 vs 156.3 kg, P < .01, respectively). Differences due to IP and EA in BW, WW, postpartum interval and conception rate were not significant, but weight gain of calves from EA dams tended (P .09) to be greater than weight gain of calves from LA dams. Fall pregnancy was 13.3 percentage points higher (P .06) in EA than in LA dams, and number of breedings per conception tended (P .06) to be lower in IP (1.09) than in NP (1.29) dams. Interaction effects of parturition method x obstetrical treatment on dam reproduction and weight change and calf growth were nonsignificant. We conclude that, when used correctly, creating brief labor by EA improves subsequent pregnancy rate and that IP and EA can be used separately or combined without detrimental effects on either the dam or the calf.

¹ USDA-ARS and Montana Agric. Exp. Sta., cooperating, as a contribution to Western Regional Project W-112, Reproductive Performance in Domestic Ruminants. Contribution No. J-2020 from Director, Montana Agric. Exp. Sta.

² Mention of a trade name, proprietary product or 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 be suitable.

³ Authors express appreciation to C. R. Dancer for assistance in assembling and summarization of the data.

⁴ Agric. Res. Serv., Ft. Keogh Livest. and Range Res. Lab.