Puberty in cattle

Puberty is attained when a heifer reaches

65% of adult body mass
• Heritable – related to large scrotal circumference
of sire (to early puberty)
• Factors affecting attainment of puberty:
• Genotype/ Breed
• Bos taurus > Bos indicus (slower maturing)
• Season of birth
• E.g., previous winter not going
to reach faster
• Nutrition  not good in
winter etc.
The oestrous cycle of cows
Cows are non-seasonal polyestrous
• Cycle throughout year
• Length of cycle = ±21 days (range 18-24d)
• Longer cycle can have 3 follicular waves
• Proestrus = D±17-20
• Oestrus = Day 0
– Duration ±12-24h
– Ovulation occurs 12h after the end of oestrus!!
• Am, Pm rule  standing in morning, only inseminate in afternoon, in
afternoon only next morning etc.
• Metoestrus = Day ±1-4
• Dioestrus = Day ±5-16 (longest)  60% (why do oestrus sync)
 So how would you know that a cow was in
oestrus? (“in heat”)

Proestrus

Oestrus

Stand to be mounted
Pro & oestrus = sexually active groups, get attention
from other cows, mount others, bellow & don’t eat
as much (suppress oestrus in feedlot heifers)
Standing firm to be mounted = oestrus
Faulty oestrus obs main issue w/ dairy herds, make
sure insem right cow
Cows form sexually active groups (SAG’s)
when they are in proestrus/oestrus
• Mount one another (how Kamar® (little paintball packet, when cow mounts it breaks the
paintball & goes red) and estrutect™ (when mounts it scratches off silver foil) work)
• Tail paint can be used
• Become more active (how pedometers work) & bellow
• Solicit attention from other cows
• Have mud/saliva on their flanks from mounting behaviour
• ↓ feed intact
On palpation during proestrus, the uterus would have increasing tone and we might be
able to feel a growing follicle (+/- 1cm) on an ovary.
If we scanned a cow during proestrus, we would see small (+/- 1cm) follicles on the
ovaries

Horses have low tone in oestrus, opp to cows

Diff to palpate ovaries in cows in oestrus
Needs high tone for embryo in horse to MRP, dioestrus
horse tone quite high

MRP rapid outgrowth trophoblast, needs lower tone in

dioestrus
Growing follicle = small blister on surface
Ovaries curled up under uterus in oestrus sometimes make
it so you can’t feel them; fluid densities
Dominant follicle size = 2cm & will ovulate (smaller vs
horse)
Cows in oestrus STAND to be mounted
If we palpated a cow during oestrus, the uterus would have
HIGH tone (like rubber) and would be all curled up

• We may also see a bullstring - liquification of cervical plug (mucoid

discharge), don’t always see
• On ultrasound, we would see a large (+/- 2cm) anechoic follicle
We use the am-pm rule to AI dairy cows because
they ovulate about 12 h after the end of oestrus
Polling question - How many cows in a herd
of 100 cows would be in diestrus today?
A. 5
B. 15
C. 20
D. 35
E. 60
So how did we work that out? NB!!
• Oestrous cycle in bovines ~21 days
• Proestrus = ~3 d therefore ±15 cows (3/21x100) are likely to be in
proestrus at any given point
• Oestrus = ~24h therefore ±5 cows (1/21x100) are likely to be in
estrus at any given point
• Moetestrus = ~4d therefore ±20 cows are likely to be in metestrus at
any given point
• Dioestrus = ~12 d therefore ±60 cows are likely
• to be in diestrus at any given point
Some cows in metoestrus may have a bloody
vaginal discharge
• D1-4 of cycle
• Corpus haemorrhagicum dev at site of ovulation
• Hard to distinguish
• CH & dev CL resistant to effects of PGF2α during this
• Can’t short cycle now
• Only spp w/ signs during
metoestrus
• Only sig is missed window to
insem cow
Luteal phase - Diestrus
• Majority of the cycle  readying for pregnancy
• ± D5-D16
• Dominant structure on the ovary is a CL
• Secretes progesterone
– Closes the cervix
– Suppresses uterine defences
– Low uterine tone
– Ie. All in preparation for pregnancy… if that happens
• May sometimes have a central cavity – not significant
• CL sensitive to the effects of PGF2α
In we palpated the cow now, the uterine tone would be
low (flaccid – really hard to find!) and there would be
a prominent CL on the ovary
V. Prominent in cattle, only tip of iceberg, entre ovary much
bigger than CL ovary

“Rosette” or “crown” palpable

above the surface of the ovary http://loribovinesection.blogspot.com/
If we scanned her, we would see the CL (soft tissue density) on the
ovary
Soft tissue opacity in stroma
of ovary
Sometimes have central
lacuna in ovary  normal
CL’s may have a central cavity
(“lacuna”) which is non-pathological
and doesn’t affect function
The CL regresses to form a corpus albicans
(“white body”)
– Non-secretory
– Slowly regresses if PGF
– Piece of scar tissue  can
sometimes feel but no sig
 So what happens if there is no
conceptus?
Endometrium has not received any signals to say
that the cow is pregnant
(what signal is used in cattle?) INF-t sec by
embryo (?)

Releases PGF2α

causes luteolysis and the cow resumes

cycling (concept used in oestrus synch
programmes)
How does luteolysis occur in the cow?
• At a local level
• Countercurrent exchange
– between uterine vein & ovarian artery
– Affects ipsilateral ovary
• Large amount of PG dehydrogenase in the
lungs which denatures majority of the PGF2α
Released by uterus goes straight
into ovary
Enzymes in lung would cause too
much to be taken out if went
systemically first
Luteolysis in cattle
Horses don’t have PGD in lungs,
use lower amount of luteolyse
than cattle, also for colic signs
Anoestrus
 Anoestrus/pathology

Is dip in middle of summer

because unwilling to show
Oestrus
signs/ find cows because too
hot

Metoestrus
Dairy cows lactate Proestrus
when cycling

Lactation

Dioestrus

Birth Pregnancy
Temporary post-partum anoestrus
• Usually about 4 wks (30D) until ovaries fire up again!
• In high-producing dairy cows, this can be delayed due to ↑ liver
breakdown of essential hormones
• Massive ↑ b.flow through liver from enlarged udder & milk prod
• Can be issue to get dairy cows to cycle again
• Volun waiting period 70D  give more time to get back into good BC &
cyclicity before tries to breed
• Can be more or less than this dep on breed & use
• Drying off period just before gives birth for break in lactation
Poor body condition is the most common cause
of anoestrus in cows
– Ranking priority for use of available energy in cows is as follows:
1. Basal metabolism
2. Activity
3. Growth
4. Energy reserves
5. Pregnancy
6. Lactation
7. Additional energy reserves
8. Oestrous cycles & initiation of pregnancy
• Way down here, not imp
• On rectal find v. small inactive ovaries
9. Excess reserves
Post-partum energy levels also important for
resumption of cyclicty
– Age & parity of cow
– First calvers at highest risk… trying to grow as well as feed calf
– Nutrition channeled into growth & lactation = none left over for
cyclicity
– Very important to feed this group properly!!!
– Try feed separately/ make sure have enough
space to eat
Lactational anoestrus
• Due to presence (sight & sound) of the calf causing anoestrus
• Often more silent heat, not true
anoestrus
• Can try temporarily weaning
• Kick starts cycling process
• Beef cows
If cow is in anoestrus, both ovaries with be small
& have no structures present
BREEDING MANAGEMENT
 Differences in management systems:

Dairy:
Beef:

Can use sex

sorted
semen • Visual heat observation + • Natural breeding systems
Don’t have to
heat detection aids
feed and
keep bull &
• Bull w/ cows for 2M breeding season
change him
• MAJORITY of farms use AI • Manage calf crop better, all mngmt of calves can be done at
so doesn’t go • Dairy bulls tend to be v. agg same time
to daughters
• Nat pasture (probably not • Manage nut, don’t want calving down @ beginning winter
supplying year-round)/ TMR • More risky w/ bad weather etc. ↓ survival rates lots of calves
So what tools are available to determine if a cow is
ready to be bred?
• *Visual heat observation*
– Mainstay of any breeding programme in Dairy system
– Am-pm rule
• If cow seen in heat in the morning, then she’s inseminated in
the afternoon
• If cow seen in heat in the afternoon, she’s inseminated the
following morning
• Heat detection aids
• Rectal palpation
Vet not farmer
• Ultrasound
 So what will you see/feel if you’re
performing rectal palpation?
Oestrus
Diestrus
• May see a bullstring • No signs of SAG behaviour
• May see other signs of SAG • Vulva dry
behaviour ie. Saliva, mud on • Uterus will have low tone
flanks (sift and flabby)
• May see some hyperemia • Will feel CL on ovary
of
vulva/vagina
• Uterus will have high tone
• Uterus will be curled up
• Will feel follicle (blister) on
the ovary
 What will you see if you’re performing
an ultrasound examination during oestrus?
Uterus: Small amount of
intraluminal fluid REMEMBER:
Fluid is BLACK
Don’t want too much or staying on U/S
too long  endometritis

No obv wagon wheel in oestrus

vs cows

Ovaries:
follicles
 What will you see if you’re performing
an ultrasound examination during diestrus?
CL appears as soft
tissue opacity on the
ovary.
Remember may have
central fluid- filled
cavity = normal Uterus: No fluid

Still have follicles

w/ CL, but only
grow to certain Small follicles
point and then
regress as no
hormone support
Follicular waves  CL
use this w/ oestrus CL
sync
Learning outcomes
By the end of the lectures, you will better be able to:
• explain the key hormones involved in the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-
gonadal axis and their functions
• explain the physiology of the oestrous cycle in the cow
• briefly discuss sexual development in the female animal
• define primary anoestrus & puberty
• explain factors affecting the onset of puberty in the cow
Learning outcomes cont.
• explain the difference between oestrous and oestrus
• define the following terms: proestrus, oestrus, metoestrus, dioestrus,
post-partum anoestrus & lactational anoestrus,
• describe the behaviour & physical characteristics associated with each
stage of the oestrous cycle
• describe the physical changes in the reproductive tract associated with
each stage of the oestrous cycle
• explain and demonstrate the methods of examining a cow to identify
the stage of the oestrous cycle and how to determine the optimal time
for breeding.