Effect of oestrus synchronisation through ovulation delay by vaccination against foot-and-mouth disease in Hanwoo (Bos taurus coreanae) cows

Background: In Korean cattle, after foot-and-mouth disease (FMD) vaccination, anovulation increases, acute immune response is stimulated.

Objective: Here, we aimed to improve the fertility rate by ovulation delay caused by the foot-and-mouth disease vaccine.

Methods: 160 cows (control, FMD, FMD+Gn250 and FMD+Gn500 groups, with 40 cows each) were used. We analysed the ovulation delay, ovulation rate, conception rate and acute-phase immune responses.

Results: In the group vaccinated only with FMD, the average follicle size was maintained at 12 mm and ovulation was delayed. The ovulation rate of the FMD+Gn500 group (500 μg gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) injections 3 days after the FMD vaccination) was the highest at 81.8%. The ovulation rate of the FMD+Gn250 group (250 μg GnRH injections 3 days after FMD vaccination) was 54.5%, and that of the control group (not FMD vaccinated) was 53.3%. The conception rate was 52.5% (19/40) in the control group, 37.5% (15/40) in the FMD+Gn250 group, and 67.5% (27/40) in the FMD+Gn500 group. Analysis of acute-phase immune response revealed that the plasma contents of haptoglobin and serum amyloid A increased up to 7 days after vaccination against FMD in all the experimental groups, except the control group.

Conclusions: We concluded that ovulation delay can be employed to improve conception rate after FMD vaccination through a modified ovulation synchronisation method with GnRH.