STUDY ON THE ACCEPTANCE OF A HERD HEALTH- PROGRAM IN DAIRY-CATTLE BY THE FARMER

In ten dairy operations in Lower Saxonia, which participated in a herd health program, estrus induction with either prostaglandin F-2 alpha (PGF(2a)) or PRID was recommended based on the results of rectal palpa tion following the voluntary waiting period of approximately 60 days. Animals were divided among the following groups: Ia-Treatment with PGF 2a within five days after recommendation (n = 258 lactations); Ib-trea tment with PGF2a not performed (n = 177); IIa-treatment with PRID (n = 77); IIb-treatment with PRID not performed (n = 17). The recommendati on to treat with PRID was followed more often than the advice to admin ister PGF2a (81.9 % vs 61.7 %, P < 0.001). On the average, cows in Gro up Ia came into estrus nine days earlier and more often within seven d ays after recommendation than animals in Group m. Conception rate afte r the first insemination following PGF2a treatment did not differ betw een Group Ia and Ib (47.3 % vs 40.1 %) (P > 0.05). However, conception rate after two inseminations was higher in Group Ia than in Group Ib (70.0 % vs 61.1 %) (P < 0.05). On the average, cows in Group Ia had a shorter interval from calving to first insemination, less days open, a shorter interval from first insemination to last insemination leading to pregnancy and less services per conception. Corrected services per conception (= number of inseminations after recommendation) was lower in Group Ia (1.7 +/- 0.1) than in Group Ib (2.1 +/- 0.1; P < 0.05). I n Groups IIa and IIb, there were no differences between the interval f rom time of recommendation to occurrence of estrus and the number of a nimals showing estrous symptoms within 19 days after recommendation. F urthermore, the conception rate did not differ between the two groups. However, animals in Group IIb had statistically significantly less da ys open, a shorter interval from first insemination to conception and calving interval. With regards to estrus induction with PGF2a, our res ults suggest that an improvement in reproductive performance could be obtained when the treatment recommendations were consistently followed . The results about recommendation of PRID are unclear and require fur ther investigation.