Effects of Grape Extract Supplementation on Postpartum Reproductive Responses in Beef Cows: A Pilot Study

Area of Science:

• Reproductive Physiology
• Animal Nutrition
• Veterinary Science

Background:

• Postpartum period in beef cows involves complex physiological changes affecting reproduction and estrus.
• Estrus expression is crucial for timely artificial insemination and herd reproductive efficiency.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate postpartum reproductive responses in Angus cows supplemented with grape extract.
• To investigate associations between thermographic, behavioral, hormonal, and reticulorumen indicators and estrus expression.
• To explore the effect of grape extract on postpartum estrus onset.

Main Methods:

• Pilot study involving 19 Angus cows divided into control and grape extract supplemented groups.
• Weekly collection of thermographic images, blood samples, and physiological measurements.
• Continuous recording of reticulorumen temperature and activity using intraruminal sensors.
• Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for estrus onset and exploratory correlation analysis for physiological indicators.

Main Results:

• Supplemented cows exhibited significantly earlier onset of postpartum estrus (23.88 days) compared to controls (39.82 days).
• No significant differences in most individual physiological or hormonal variables between groups.
• Moderate correlations found among vulvar temperature, ocular temperature, activity, estrus index, and reticulorumen temperature.

Conclusions:

• Grape extract supplementation may accelerate postpartum reproductive recovery in beef cows.
• Multimodal physiological monitoring can provide complementary data on postpartum estrus expression.
• Further research is needed to validate preliminary findings and diagnostic accuracy of indicators.