Immunization against Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone in Female Beef Calves to Avoid Pregnancy at Time of Slaughter

Precocious puberty in beef heifers can result in unwanted pregnancies due to accidental breeding by farm bulls. Inbreeding, premature calving followed by dystocia and a high stillbirth rate or slaughtering of pregnant heifers are the consequences of this behaviour. The aim of the study was to postpone puberty by using Improvac®, an anti-GnRH vaccine. Therefore, n = 25 calves were twice vaccinated, once at the age of 5 and then at 6.5 months. n = 24 calves served as unvaccinated case controls. The onset of puberty was assigned if progesterone analysis in the blood exceeded 1 ng/mL. Progesterone values were excluded if the corresponding serum cortisol levels were ≥60 nmol/L. Our target was met, as in the vaccinated group none of the calves exceeded a progesterone value >1 ng/mL until the scheduled age of slaughter at 11 months and only 12.5% of the animals exceeded a progesterone value of 1 ng/mL over the whole measuring period (>400 days) compared with 56.5% of the calves in the control group. In conclusion, the favourable results from our study using the vaccine Improvac® represent an animal-friendly, non-invasive and reliable way to avoid early pregnancy in heifers as well as the slaughter of pregnant cattle.

Medienart:

E-Artikel

Erscheinungsjahr:

2021

Erschienen:

2021

Enthalten in:

Zur Gesamtaufnahme - volume:11

Enthalten in:

Animals : an open access journal from MDPI - 11(2021), 7 vom: 12. Juli

Sprache:

Englisch

Beteiligte Personen:

Schütz, Julia [VerfasserIn]
Rudolph, Jürn [VerfasserIn]
Steiner, Adrian [VerfasserIn]
Rothenanger, Esther [VerfasserIn]
Hüsler, Jürg [VerfasserIn]
Hirsbrunner, Gaby [VerfasserIn]

Links:

Volltext

Themen:

Anti-gonadotropin-releasing hormone (anti-GnRH)
Cattle
Cortisol
Immunocastration
Improvac®
Journal Article
Progesterone
Puberty

Anmerkungen:

Date Revised 09.08.2021

published: Electronic

Citation Status PubMed-not-MEDLINE

doi:

10.3390/ani11072071

funding:

Förderinstitution / Projekttitel:

PPN (Katalog-ID):

NLM329034650