Reproductive endocrinology of the cow: Part 1

Endocrinology of the estrous cycle

Abstract

Veterinarians active in herd reproductive health programs will invariably become responsible for assessment of ovarian status, for therapy to alter ovarian activity, and for programs designed to manipulate the estrus cycle of groups of cattle. Effectively completing these procedures requires an increasingly detailed understanding of normal reproductive events and hormonal changes. This is a two part series aimed at a description of basic bovine reproductive endocrinology. Part 1 details the endocrinological changes that occur in the normal bovine estrus cycle. The effects and limitations of prostaglandin administration are described. In Part 2, the methods used to effect a superovulatory response and the hormonal events of superovulation in the bovine are presented.