Treatment of Repeat Breeding of Iraqi Buffaloes Using Different CIDR Protocols

The present study was undertaken to examine the efficacy of a treatment regime using a controlled internal drug release (CIDR) device in conjunction with injections of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and prostaglandin F2α (PGF2α) on conception rate of repeat-breeding Iraqi buffaloes. Data were collected from 100 buffaloeswith repeat breeding in Ninevehprovince housed at six private dairy farms. All buffalo cows were characterized as repeat breeding of more than three natural services with regular oestrouscycles without any signs of pregnancy. Any buffalo with abnormal vaginal discharge and >12% of polymorphonuclear cells in uterine smears was excluded from this study. Buffaloes were randomly assigned to four treatment groups of 25 cows each. Buffaloes in treatment 1 were injected with estradiol benzoate 1 mg and GnRH 250 μg on day 0, aCIDR in the anterior vagina from day 0 to 8, on injection with 25 mg of PGF2α on day 7 and GnRH (250 μg) on day 9. Buffaloes in treatment 2 received GnRH (250 μg) on day 0, aCIDR, from day 0 to 7 and 25 mg of PGF2α on day 7. Buffaloes in treatment 3 received a CIDR from day 0 to 7 and 25 mg of PGF2α on day 7. Treatment 4, acontrol group received no treatments. All buffaloes were mated during oestrus and pregnancy status was diagnosed by palpation of uterine contents at day 45. Pregnancy rates in treatments 1 to 4 were 44%, 52%, 24% and 8%, respectively. On average, Buffaloes treated with different CIDR protocols had higher pregnancy rate than control group. It could be concluded that the use of different CIDR protocols can be applied to improve fertility of repeat breeder Iraqi buffaloes.