RESPONSE OF GRAZING COWS TO SYNCHRONIZATION PROTOCOLS AND FIXED TIME ARTIFICIAL INSEMINATION

F2α synchronizing protocols with fixed time artificial insemination (FTAI). A total of 52 cows with 26 assigned to each treatment as groups A and B were used.Group A was administered with 500ug (2ml) protagladins (PGF2α, 1M cloprostenol sodium) on day 1 and day 12 respectively followed by FTAI 60-72 hours later, while group B was synchronized with 10μg (1ml) gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH, IM, Buserelin acetate) on day 1 followed by 500 μg(2ml) prostaglandin PGF2α (PGF2α, IM,cloprostenol sodium) and on day 8 and the second dose of GnRH (10ug) on day 10 followed by FTAI 8-24hr later. Pre-synchronization revealed that the range of FSH (8.38-13.18), LH (8.19-11.28) and Estrogen (2.61-3.85) for the two groups. While the heamatological values showed that, the range of WBC (8.87-9.82), RBC (5.45- 5.66) and PCV (32.71-33.38) for the two groups. With synchronization protocols, PGF2α+PGF2α (group A) resulted in significantly (p>0.05) high value of LH, WBC and RBC and significantly low PCV and pregnancy rate of 57.69% compared with GnRH +PGF2α (group B) which also had apregnancy rate of 46%. It can be concluded that grazing cows are better adapted to double dose of PGF2α and could be recommended,