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. 1986 Sep 1;27(3):421–439. doi: 10.1186/BF03548156

The Postpartum Reproductive Status of Dairy Cows in Two Areas in Iceland*

Reproduktionsstatus postpartum hos mjölkkor i två områden på Island

Jón Eldon 1,✉, Thorsteinn Ólafsson 1
PMCID: PMC8189366  PMID: 3565203

Abstract

The paper describes the postpartum (pp) reproductive performance of 252 dairy cows in 2 areas in Iceland, in the north (Eyjafjörður) and in the south (Skeið), during a 12 months period.

First pp ovulation occurred significantly earlier in primiparous cows, in cows in Skeið and in cows that calved in September—November.

The average time of first pp artificial insemination (ai) was 72 days in both areas. Conception rate to first ai in these cows was 58 % in Eyjafjörður and 53 % in Skeið and the number of ai per conception was 1.6 and 1.8, respectively. In Eyjafjörður, 23 % of the cows were inseminated at the time of first pp ovulation. Sixtytwo percent of these cows conceived. In Skeið, 20 cows were inseminated at the time of first pp ovulation, and 9 or 45 % of these cows conceived. The interval from calving to conception was, on the average, 92 days in Eyjafjörður and 100 days in Skeið.

Comparison of results from individual farms showed increase in number of conceptions to first pp ai (35–72 %) and decrease in number of services per conception (2.0–1.3) with increased mean number of days from calving to first ai (62–82 days).

Keywords: ovulation, artificial insemination, conception, primiparous cows

Full Text

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Acknowledgement

We thank Dr. H. Kindahl at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, for reviewing the manuscript, Dr. H. Thorsson at the Computing Services, University of Iceland, for his assistance in the statistical analysis and Mr. G. Steindórsson for his assistance on the farm. The study was supported by the International Atomic Energy Agency and the Icelandic Science Fund.

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