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Effect of biostimulation on growth rate and reproductive development of Bos indicus dairy heifers

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Abstract

The present study aimed to compare the growth rate, feeding behavior, reproductive development, and concentrations of GH and leptin in Sahiwal heifers exposed to direct bull contact, bull contact through a fenceline, or isolated from bulls. Overall, 24 heifers were allotted to three treatment groups (n = eight/group) based on birth weight, body weight, and age. Heifers from the non-exposed group (NBE) remained isolated from bulls; heifers stimulated by fenceline bull contact (FBE) remained continuously exposed to bulls through a fenceline, and heifers with direct bull contact (DBE+FBE) had direct contact with a bull during 6 h/day plus continuous fenceline bull exposure for the entire 24 h period. It was considered that heifers attained puberty when progesterone concentration was >1 ng/mL. Biostimulated heifers achieved puberty at both a lower age and body weight (P < 0.05) than NBE heifers. Overall, average daily gain (g/day) was greater in DBE+FBE (516.3 ± 4.5) and FBE (501.6 ± 4.3) than in NBE (441.8 ± 2.9, respectively; P < 0.01). Leptin and growth hormone concentrations were significantly greater in FBE and DBE+FBE than NBE heifers. Both groups of biostimulated heifers devoted more time eating than NBE heifers, P < 0.05). In conclusion, biostimulation of Sahiwal heifers, either by exposing them to bulls through a fenceline or by both fenceline exposure and direct contact, reduced the age of puberty and increased growth performance. Overall, fenceline bull exposure can be recommended as an easy handling management to stimulate reproductive precocity and growth rate in heifers.

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Acknowledgements

The authors appreciatively acknowledge the Director of the National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, for providing the necessary funds and facilities to conduct this research. We thankfully acknowledge Keelin O’Driscoll for her help in correcting the manuscript for English language.

Funding

This research was funded by the ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana (India).

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Livestock Production Management Division, ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal, Haryana, 132001, India

    Sanjay Choudhary, M.L. Kamboj, Dharma Sahu, Sunil Dutt, Pawan Singh, Nishant Kumar & C Kotresh Prasad

  2. Department of Animal Genetics and Breeding, Lala Lajpat Rai University of Veterinary & Animal Sciences, Hisar, Haryana, India

    Ankit Magotra

  3. Departmento de Biociencias Veterinarias, Facultad de Veterinaria, Universidad de la República, Montevideo, Uruguay

    Rodolfo Ungerfeld

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  1. Sanjay Choudhary
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  2. M.L. Kamboj
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  4. Sunil Dutt
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  5. Ankit Magotra
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  8. Rodolfo Ungerfeld
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  9. C Kotresh Prasad
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Contributions

SC, MLK, and PS designed research and conducted the experiment. DS, SD, AK, and KPC help in data analysis.

SC and MLK wrote the initial draft and RU significantly contributed for the final manuscript. All authors read and approved the manuscript.

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Rodolfo Ungerfeld.

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The study was conducted following the IAEC established standard as per Article Number 13 of the committee for the Purpose of Control and Supervision of Experiments on Animals (CPCSEA) policies of the Government of India.

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The authors declare no competing interests.

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Choudhary, S., Kamboj, M., Sahu, D. et al. Effect of biostimulation on growth rate and reproductive development of Bos indicus dairy heifers. Trop Anim Health Prod 54, 138 (2022). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11250-022-03129-3

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