Effect of hormonal and herbal therapy at calving on postpartum estrus and fertility response and serum hormonal profile in crossbred cows

Abstract

 The study was conducted on 24 HF crossbred parturient cows to evaluate the effect of hormonal and herbal preparations on postpartum estrus response and serum progesterone and oestradiol-17β profile. The cows were randomly divided into four groups, each of 6 animals. The cows in Gr-I and Gr-II were injected with Methyl ergometrine (5 mg) and Dinoprost tromethamine (PGF₂α, 25 mg) i/m, respectively immediately after parturition, while the cows of Gr-III received Utrovet tablets (10 tab, bid, PO) for first 10 days postpartum, and those of Gr-IV received 5 ml normal saline i/m and served as control. Overall, 83.33 per cent (5/6) cows in each Gr-I and Gr-II exhibited first postpartum estrus within mean intervals of 36.33 ± 1.17 and 26.50 ± 0.85 days, respectively, while in Gr-III and Gr-IV, 66.67 per cent (4/6) and 50.0 per cent (3/6) cows expressed postpartum estrus with mean intervals of 39.00 ± 2.84 and 48.00 ± 2.39 days, respectively. The postpartum estrus interval was significantly (P<0.01) reduced in all three treatment groups as compared to control. The conception rate was highest in Gr-I and II (83.33% each) followed by Gr-III (66.67%) and Gr-IV (50.0%). The service period of PGF₂α treated Gr-II (60.00±4.81 days) was significantly (p<0.05) shorter than in control Gr-IV (100.33±6.64 days) and intermediate in Gr-I (79.20±8.51 days) and Gr-III (78.25±14.93 days). A highly significant (p<0.01) decrease in both progesterone and oestradiol-17β concentration was also observed by day 3 postpartum as compared to values on day 7 prepartum, and thereafter the levels fluctuated non-significantly at different time intervals till 30^th day postpartum in all four groups. The increasing trend of progesterone noted after 10^th day postpartum suggested onset of follicular activity and lutenization of follicle or silent ovulation in some animals. The study concluded that injection of PGF₂α after parturition enhanced postpartum ovarian activity and fertility, and that sudden gradient in hormone profile from 7 days prepartum to 3 days postparum revealed the onset of normal physiological phenomenon for impending parturition in all the cows.