1
|
Choudhary S, Kamboj ML, Sahu D, Dutt S, Magotra A, Singh P, Kumar N, Ungerfeld R, Kotresh Prasad C. Effect of biostimulation on growth rate and reproductive development of Bos indicus dairy heifers. Trop Anim Health Prod 2022; 54:138. [PMID: 35312838 DOI: 10.1007/s11250-022-03129-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/31/2021] [Accepted: 02/24/2022] [Indexed: 01/04/2023]
Abstract
The present study aimed to compare the growth rate, feeding behavior, reproductive development, and concentrations of GH and leptin in Sahiwal heifers exposed to direct bull contact, bull contact through a fenceline, or isolated from bulls. Overall, 24 heifers were allotted to three treatment groups (n = eight/group) based on birth weight, body weight, and age. Heifers from the non-exposed group (NBE) remained isolated from bulls; heifers stimulated by fenceline bull contact (FBE) remained continuously exposed to bulls through a fenceline, and heifers with direct bull contact (DBE+FBE) had direct contact with a bull during 6 h/day plus continuous fenceline bull exposure for the entire 24 h period. It was considered that heifers attained puberty when progesterone concentration was >1 ng/mL. Biostimulated heifers achieved puberty at both a lower age and body weight (P < 0.05) than NBE heifers. Overall, average daily gain (g/day) was greater in DBE+FBE (516.3 ± 4.5) and FBE (501.6 ± 4.3) than in NBE (441.8 ± 2.9, respectively; P < 0.01). Leptin and growth hormone concentrations were significantly greater in FBE and DBE+FBE than NBE heifers. Both groups of biostimulated heifers devoted more time eating than NBE heifers, P < 0.05). In conclusion, biostimulation of Sahiwal heifers, either by exposing them to bulls through a fenceline or by both fenceline exposure and direct contact, reduced the age of puberty and increased growth performance. Overall, fenceline bull exposure can be recommended as an easy handling management to stimulate reproductive precocity and growth rate in heifers.
Collapse
Affiliation(s)
- Sanjay Choudhary
- Livestock Production Management Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - M L Kamboj
- Livestock Production Management Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - Dharma Sahu
- Livestock Production Management Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - Sunil Dutt
- Livestock Production Management Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - Ankit Magotra
- Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana, India
| | - Pawan Singh
- Livestock Production Management Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - Nishant Kumar
- Livestock Production Management Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| | - Rodolfo Ungerfeld
- Departmento de Biociencias Veterinarias, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay.
| | - C Kotresh Prasad
- Livestock Production Management Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India
| |
Collapse
|