Estrus Synchronization Protocols for Heifers

Estrus synchronization and artificial insemination (AI) remain the most important and widely applicable reproductive biotechnologies available for cattle (Seidel, 1995). Although hormonal treatment of heifers and cows to group estrous cycles has been a commercial reality now for over 30 years, beef producers have been slow to adopt this management practice. Perhaps this is because of past failures, which resulted when females that were placed on estrus synchronization treatments failed to reach puberty or to resume normal estrous cycles following calving. In addition, early estrus synchronization programs failed to manage follicular waves, resulting in more days in the synchronized period, which ultimately precluded fixed-time artificial insemination with acceptable pregnancy rates. The development of convenient and economical protocols to synchronize estrus and ovulation to facilitate use of fixed-time AI (FTAI) with resulting high fertility should result in increased adoption of these important management practices (Patterson et al., 2003). Current research has focused on the development of methods that effectively synchronize estrus in replacement beef heifers and postpartum beef cows by decreasing the period of time over which estrus detection is required, thus facilitating the use of FTAI.