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Detection of Estrus in Dairy Cows by Electrical Measurements of Vaginal Mucus and by Milk Progesterone

Departments of Animal Science²
and Agricultural Engineering¹
and The New York State College of Veterinary Medicine Cornell University³, Ithaca, NY 14853

ABSTRACT

Electrical resistance (ohms) of mucus were analyzed in 20 postpartum Holstein cows by use of a probe inserted into the anterior vagina every other day for 30 days. Composite milk samples were taken on the same day, and progesterone was determined by radioimmunoassay. Cows were observed twice daily for standing estrus and reproductive organs palpated weekly per rectum (rectal palpation). Fifteen cows which were cycling showed increasing progesterone 6 to 7 days after the onset of estrus with values of 8.1 to 10.0 ng progesterone/ml milk on days 10 to 17. Concentrations had declined rapidly 2 days before onset of the next estrus. Progesterone in milk was affected by cow and by day of the cycle. Electrical resistance followed a similar cyclical pattern, but variability was large and only cows differed. The correlation between milk progesterone and mucus resistance was .22. Progesterone concentrations for four cows with follicular cysts fluctuated randomly with a mean of 2.6 ng/ml. Mean resistance of vaginal mucus was 44 for both cycling and cystic cows, indicating that a single measurement of electrical resistance every 2nd day was unreliable in distinguishing physiological states. One cow had high progesterone in milk on days 19 to 25 and was diagnosed pregnant by rectal palpation 3 wk later. Cows were not seen in estrus 28% of the time when milk progesterone and rectal palpation indicated they were in the follicular phase of the estrous cycle and were cycling.