New Tech Solution Could Brush Away Bovine Stress

Increasing reproduction rates is a goal for all cattle producers. More pounds weaned starts with getting cows and heifers bred, and better yet, during the first breeding cycle.

Kansas State University Animal Sciences and Industry Professor Sandy Johnson and Assistant Professor Nicholas Wege Dias specialize in beef cattle reproduction and have been involved in several projects designed to improve cattle fertility. The two recently collaborated with K-State’s Technology Development Institute (TDI) to develop a product that reduces animal stress and could be the key to increasing artificial insemination (AI) rates in cattle.

The idea for the brush was to expand upon the results of a project Dias, Johnson and their students recently conducted that found acclimating animals to their surroundings prior to the AI process reduced animal stress and increased reproduction rates.

Acclimation Can Increase Repro Rates by 10%

Dias says the acclimation study included running heifers through the handling facilities without restraining them in the chute immediately before the handling events of the estrus synchronization protocol — CIDR in, CIDR out and timed AI.

“The idea was to get heifers acquainted with the handling facilities, with hopes to decrease stress and thus improve conception rates to the protocol,” Dias explains. “We did in fact see about 10% more pregnancies by adopting this strategy.”