Sexual Behaviors, Estrus Detection and Conception of Heifers Synchronized by Progesterone Intravaginal Device(Prid) and Synchromate-B

Seventy four Holstein heifers were randomly assigned over three trials to PRID-7+PG-6 and Synchromate B-9 regimens to synchronize estrus cycle for embryo transfer. Sexual behaviors; moounting, standing, orientation, chin-resting, sniffing, licking, rubbing and butting, vaginal swelling and mucus discharge were observed between 06-08, 12-14 and 18-20 h on 1st day and 00-02, 06-08, 12-14 and 18-20 h on 2nd day after removal of hormones. Synchromate-B treatment (81.6%) showed higher synchronized estrus rate than PRID treatment (77.8%) during observation period. Standing estrus was observed within 74 h after PG injection in PRID and within 52 h after removal of implant in Synchromate-B. About 68% of heifers in PRID and 74% of heifers in Synchromate-B showed standing estrus between 0-14 h on 2nd day after removal of the hormones. Synchromate-B resulted in a tighter synchrony of standing estrus than PRID. Incidence of average mounting and standing per head during observation period was 22.3 and 16.6 in PRID and 28.1 and 13.6 in Synchromate-B. The PRID showed peak in active mounting at 18-20 h on 1st day, however, the Synchromate-B showed at 0-2 h on 2nd day after removal of hormone. Active standing was shown between 18 h on 1st day to 20h on 2nd day in PRID, however, between 0-14 h on 2nd day after removal of hormone is Synchromate-B. There was slight difference in pattern of active mounting and standing during estrus between PRID and Synchromate-B. Conception rate of synchronized heifers transferred with fresh and frozen embryos by non-surgical and surgical methods was higher in synchromate-B (62.5%) than in PRID (38.5%). Chin-resting showed highest incidence among 6 sexual behavioral components in the both treatments. Synchromate-B showed higher incidence of chin-resting (16.6) than PRID (10.7). Synchromate-B group showed also higher incidence of orientation, sniffing and butting than PRID group. Synchromate-B resulted in more active sexual behaviors than PRID. The pattern of incidence of chin-resting, licking and butting was almost symmetrical in PRID with their peak values at 6-8 h on 2nd day, however in Synchromate-B chin-resting and sniffing was symmetrical with their peak values at 12-14 h on 2nd day after removal of hormone. There was tendency to increase vaginal swelling according to time passage of synchronized estrus in the both treatments. Incidence of mucus discharge in Synchromate-B was slightly higher than in PRID. Twenty to 40% was false negative in conception rate by tall painting before re-estrus day as judged by rectal palpation.