The effects of temporary weaning (TW) on follicular characteristics and ovulation and pregnancy rates were evaluated in Nelore cows submitted to a fixed-time artificial insemination (TAI) protocol using GnRH-PGF2α-EB. In Experiment 1, 139 cycling or non-cycling suckling Nelore cows received a hormonal protocol based on administration of 100±g of GnRH analog on day zero (D0-GnRH), 25mg of PGF2α on day seven (D7-PGF2α) and 1.0mg of estradiol benzoate on day eight (D8-BE). Cows were randomly assigned to receive or not TW (48 hours) before GnRH (TW1) or after PGF2α (TW2). Follicular diameter (FD) on days zero (D0) and nine (D9) of the protocol and ovulation rates were evaluated. Noncycling cows that received TW1 had larger FD on D0 (P<0.05) and higher ovulation rate after GnRH treatment (P<0.05) than cows without TW1. No effects of TW1 on analyzed variables of cycling cows were observed. TW2 cows had larger FD on D9 (P<0.05) and higher ovulation rate after EB treatment (P<0.01) than cows without TW2. In Experiment 2, 376 suckling Nelore cows were submitted to the same protocols and treatments described in Experiment 1, and artificial insemination was performed from 24 to 30 hours after EB on D8, aiming to evaluate the pregnancy rate after fixed-time artificial insemination. The pregnancy rate was higher in cows submitted to both TW (1 and 2) than in cows without TW (29.8% vs 10.6%; P<0.05). Temporary weaning associated to the applied protocol may have improved pregnancy rates due to greater ovulation rates after GnRH or EB treatments.
calf; temporary weaning; TAI; Nelore cows; post- partum
