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ARS Home » Plains Area » Miles City, Montana » Livestock and Range Research Laboratory » Research » Publications at this Location » Publication #162729
Title: EFFECT OF FLUNIXIN MEGLUMINE ON EARLY EMBRYONIC MORTALITY IN STRESSED BEEF FEMALES

Author
item MERRILL, M - MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
item ANSOTEGUI, R - MONTANA STATE UNIVERSITY
item Geary, Thomas

Submitted to: Journal of Animal Science Supplement
Publication Type: Abstract Only
Publication Acceptance Date: 5/1/2004
Publication Date: 6/1/2004
Citation: Merrill, M.L., Ansotegui, R.P., Geary, T.W. 2004. Effect of flunixin meglumine on early embryonic mortality in stressed beef females. Journal of Animal Science Supplement 82(2):126.

Interpretive Summary:

Technical Abstract: The objective of these studies were to determine if a treatment of 1.1 mg/kg BW of flunixin meglumine (FM) would reduce early embryonic mortality in stressed (TS) or non-stressed (NTS) beef females. Heifers (n = 259) or cows (n = 127) were assigned to one of four treatments in a 2x2 factorial design. Treatments were: control (CON), control with FM (CONFM), transportation stressed (S), and transportation stressed with FM (SFM). Treatments were applied to heifers and cows approximately 14 d following AI. Rectal temperatures were recorded and blood samples collected from all females before treatment, after ~2.5 h of treatment, and at the end of treatment (except final temperature not recorded in cows). Females receiving NTS treatment (CON and CONFM) remained at the ranch while TS treated females (S and SFM) were transported for 5-6 h. After ~ 2.5 h of transportation stress, TS females were unloaded from trucks, handled for temperature and blood collection, and loaded onto trucks again. Females were not exposed to clean-up bulls until after treatment. Transrectal ultrasonography was used to determine AI pregnancy status 33-35 d (heifers) or 55-57 d (cows) post-AI. In both heifers and cows, serum cortisol concentrations were similar (P > 0.10) at the initial blood sampling, increased (P < 0.01) at the intermediate blood sampling and decreased (P < 0.01) below pretreatment levels in TS compared to NTS females at the final blood sampling. Among pooled data, AI pregnancy rates of TS females (62%) were not different (P > 0.10) than NTS females (64%), however, AI pregnancy rates of FM treated females (69%) were higher (P = 0.03) than NFM females (59%). Final pregnancy rates did not differ (P > 0.10) among treatments. We conclude that FM administration ~14 d post-AI decreased embryonic mortality in beef females, and the magnitude of that decrease was similar in both transportation stressed (10%) and non-stressed (11%) females.