Reproduction AGRI 1419 Labortory

Female Reproductive Tract Broad Ligament Infundibulum Vaginal Sphincter

Female Reproductive System Vagina – Copulatory organ where sperm is deposited Cervix – Serves as “gatekeeper” , keeps semen in and foreign contaminant material out Uterus – Where the pregnancy is stored during gestation Uterine Horn – Pathway for sperm to travel, pathway for conceptus to travel Oviduct –Site of fertilization Infundibulum – “Catcher’s mitt”- catches oocyte after ovulation and transports it to oviduct Ovary – Houses and matures the follicles that will be fertilized Broad Ligament – very durable connective tissue that holds the female reproductive in its anatomical position

Estrous vs Estrus? Estrous Cycle- cyclical phenomenon of one Estrus to the next Anestrous- When Estrous Cycle has stopped Age Pregnancy Malnutrition Abnormality (Cystic) Estrus- is the time of sexual receptivity of the female (Heat) Duration of standing estrus in females (approximate): Cow 15hr Ewe 30hr Sow 50hr Mare 7 days Females undergo several changes during estrus: Mounting other animals Increased movement/activity Increased phonation (vocalization) Increased levels of estrogen in the blood make the vulva become swollen and red in color Standing to be mounted

Female Hormones Estrogen – major female hormone, has inverse relationship with progesterone Progesterone – hormone of pregnancy, needed for the maintenance of pregnancy, inverse relationship with Estrogen Luteinizing Hormone (LH) – hormone that promotes ovulation and Corpus Luteum development Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) - regulates follicular growth Prostaglandin F2Alpha (PGF2α) – hormone that lyses the CL and initiates estrus Gonadotropin releasing Hormone (GnRH) – stimulates hypothalamus to produce LH

Female Hormones Hormone Origin Point of Stimulation Function Artificial Sources Estrogen Mature (Graffin) Follicle Hypothalamus Stimulates GnRH Production Progesterone Corpus Luteum Ovary Maintains Pregnancy CIDR FSH Anterior Pituitary Gland Follicles Promotes Follicular Growth LH Causes Ovulation and Corpus Luteum Development PGF2α Uterine Horns Regresses, Destroys, or Lysis Corpus Luteum Lutayse, Estramate GnRH Anterior Pituitary Stimulates LH Production Cysterolin

Follicle Development

Lack of Pregnancy Recognition Estrogen Anterior Pituitary Gland GnRH LH #1 Lack of Pregnancy Recognition FSH LH #2 PGF2α High Levels of Progesterone High Levels of Progesterone FSH

Follicular vs Luteal Phases PGF2α FSH

Gestation Lengths Gestation Length – Length of pregnancy Cow – 283 days Sow – 114 days (3 months 3 weeks 3 days) Ewe – 148-152 days Nanny – 148-152 days

Male Reproductive Tract Tubular portion: Seminiferous Tubules – sperm production occurs here Epididymis – stores sperm cells Vas deferens – accessory sex glands Urethra – exit site for sperm Rete Testes – passage from seminiferous tubules to the head of epididymis Leydig Cells- Produce testosterone Accessory Glands: Ampulla Vesicular Gland Prostate Gland Bulbourethral Gland

Accessory Sex Glands Functions of Accessory Sex Glands Adds volume to ejaculate Flushes urethra of any toxic substance that could cause an infection (urine) before ejaculate is passed through Adds fructose to ejaculate to serve as an energy source for the spermatozoa Adds buffer to ejaculate to keep pH as neutral as possible Adds gel fraction to ejaculate to allow adherence within the female reproductive tract

Temperature Control Mechanisms Testicles must be kept 2-4 degrees cooler than the rest of the body for sperm to remain viable. Location outside of body Lack of fat or hair Tunica Dartos More sweat glands there than any other part of body

Sperm Delivery Before any reproductive activity has taken place, the developed spermatozoa is stored in the tail of the epididymis. When sexual excitement occurs, the sperm is shipped via contractions to the pelvic urethra Spermatozoa are mixed with seminal plasma produced by the accessory sex glands After the mixing of spermatozoa and seminal plasma, the the sperm is then ejaculated out of the penis

Artificial Insemination Is single handedly responsible for the genetic advancement of animals in the past 50 years. Gives every producer the ability to utilize the best sires in the world Allows the producer to complement his/her females to the bull that best fits their phenotype Increases progeny/sire Eliminates danger of handling males Disease control (STD)

Prerequisites of AI Must have successful heat detection program Complete and accurate record keeping system Balanced nutritional program Adequate facilities Must be trained or have someone trained that is present to perform the procedure

Estrous Synchronization Some producers will use hormone products to synchronize the time of estrus of their females in order to make it easier for A.I. Ex: CIDRS – Progesterone

Semen Preparation Semen storage and preparation can greatly affect the viability of sperm Semen is generally stored in a liquid nitrogen tank that is -320 F If the semen temperature is raised above -112 F, the semen must be thawed and used immediately or the sperm cells will be damaged It is possible to currently “sex” semen, to determine if the sperm carries the Y-chromosome. This is very valuable in the dairy industries where heifers are desired

Embryo Tansfer Gonadotropins are used to hyperstimulate the ovary to produce a multitude of dominant follicles to ovulate. The ovulated eggs are collected, inseminated, and transported into recipient females who will carry out the pregnancy This increases the number of progeny from an outstanding female/male mating

SUPEROVULATION PROTOCOL Beginning Estrus Angus 014, 175 CIDR inserts – 4-11-03 Treatment Schedules 04-16 AM 2.5 ml Folltropin (50 mg FSH) PM 2.5 ml Folltropin 04-17 AM 2.5 ml Folltropin 5 ml Lutalyse also to recipients 04-18 AM 2.5 ml Folltropin Remove CIDR also from recipients 04-19 AM 2.5 ml Folltropin 04-20 AM Expect Estrus breed 3X at 12 hr intervals or 2X at 18 hr intervals 04-27 Embryo Collection