Use of Prostaglandin F2α to Induce Parturition in Beef Heifers

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Abstract
An experiment was conducted to study the efficacy of prostaglandin F2α for induction of parturition in beef heifers. Forty-one heifers were assigned to one of three treatment groups on day 260 of gestation. Heifers in group I received no treatment. Those in groups II and III were injected with 30 mg of PGF2α-THAM salt intramuscularly (im) on day 267 of gestation. In addition, heifers in group III were injected with 400 µg of estradiol-17β (E2β) im on day 268 and daily thereafter until parturition. Treatment with PGF2α alone or in combination with E2β significantly (P<.01) decreased gestation length by 10 and 8 days, respectively, compared to gestation length of control animals. In group II, 67% of the heifers calved within 72 hr after treatment compared with 43% of the heifers in group III. Prostaglandin F2α increased the incidence of retained placenta (P.05) lower the incidence of retained placenta. Heifers treated with PGF2a or PGF2α + E2β had calves with significantly (P<.05) lighter birth weights than the untreated heifers, but the incidence of dystocia and calf mortality were similar among all three groups (P>.05). There were more abnormal presentations of calves among the treated heifers than among the untreated heifers. Udder development was also significantly (P<.05) less in the treated animals. Copyright © 1977. American Society of Animal Science . Copyright 1977 by American Society of Animal Science.

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