THERIOGENOLOGY

SEASONAL EFFECTS ON FEMALE REPRODUCTION IN THE BOVINE (60s

-- taurus)
(EUROPEAN BREEDSla

E. R. Hauser

Department of Meat and Animal Science

University of Wisconsin
Madison, WI 53706

INTRODUCTION

Cattle of European origin are generally adaptive to the environment

of the temperate zone where there is marked seasonal variation in
vegetation, temperature, humidity and photoperiod. Some species and
subspecies of the family Bovidae evolved in such a climate and through
natural selection may have become adapted to seasonal changes (1 and
2). Seasonal environment influences reproduction in many feral and
domestic species. Do reproductive patterns of -- Bos taurus respond to
seasonal components of environment?

Seasonal Influence on Age at Puberty

We became interested in this question some years ago when heifers

on a mastectomy, unilateral ovariectomy experiment failed to become
puberal during the winter (31. On two other occasions in experiments
not specifically designed to study seasonal effects we observed an
influence of season on age at puberty (4). In these two experiments
heifers were fed in dry lot and feed intake was measured. Two levels
of nutrition were fed and the low (Ll diet had roughly 80% as much TDN
as the high (Hl diet. In the first experiment with Holstein and
Hereford females, there was a season of birth x diet interaction.
Heifers born in the winter were older at puberty than those born in the
spring, 394 vs 379 days (Figure 11. Those fed the low level of
nutrition were older than those fed the high diet, 404 vs 369 days.
Herefords were older than Holsteins, 431 vs 342 days. Herefords born
late in the spring and on low nutrition were especially late in
attaining puberty and the spring-born Holsteins on high nutrition were
the youngest at puberty.

The second experiment tested the influence of breed of sire and

level of nutrition on age at puberty in a group of fall-born heifers.
Sire breeds Angus, Hereford, Simmental and Chianina were mated to
Holstein cows to produce the crossbred females. The influence of
season on the breed of sire x diet interaction can best be depicted in
Figure 2. In this experiment the influence was not the season of birth
since all females were born in the fall over a relatively short time

aSupported by the College of Agricultural and Life Sciences, ME;;

and Animal Science Paper No. 845. Reprint requests
correspondence: Dr. E. R. Hauser, Meat and Animal Science Department,
University of Wisconsin, 1675 Observatory Drive, Madison, WI 53706.

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interval. The heifers were yearlings the following fall and many of
them sired by the smaller breeds of bull and fed on a high (HI energy
diet had become puberal prior to one year of age. The heifers sired by
Chianfna, Simmental and a few sired by Hereford bulls fed a low (L)
energy diet went through a second winter and became puberal the
following spring. This interaction of breed and level of nutrition
resulted in a bimodal distribution ahd heterogenfety of variance.

Figure 1. Photoperiods and temperatures for breed-diet-season of birth

groups (Exp. 1) from mean date of birth (61 to mean date of puberty
(PI. Horizontal lines intersecting the mean dates represent standard
deviations and mean age at puberty follows P. Feed and growth traits
were measured from 210 and 266 d of age and R represents date of diet
change.

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 THERIOGENOLOGY

JUNE 21

DECEM’BER 20

Figure 2. Circular distribution of dates of puberty (Exp. 2).

Distance from the center to the symbol represents age at puberty and
the angle represents the date. Capital letters represent animals fed H
diets and lower case letters represent animals fed L diets. Breed
symbols are A and a (Angus), B and b (Simaental), G and g (Chianina)
and H and h (Herefords).

These observations from experiments not specifically designed to

study seasonal influences led to research utilizing the University
Biotron (5). To separate the influence of season of birth from the
season of puberty attainment a 2 x 2 factorial design was employed
using heifers born on the vernal and autumnal equinoxes. Birth dates
of March 21 and September 23 were chosen to maximize photoperiod and
temperature influences. These data also represent typical spring and
fall calving dates in the United States. After 6 months of exposure to
natural Wisconsin environment the Angus x Holstein crossbred heifers
were randomly assigned Biotron chambers of either increasing or
decreasing light and temperature. Two groups then were exposed to the
normal sequence of seasons while the other two groups were exposed to a
repeat of the climate and temperature of the first 6 months (Figure 3).

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Figure 3

14 Females Born 14 Females Born

March 21 September 23
6 Months of 6 Months of
Natural Environment Natural Environment
(Spring to Fall) (Fall to Spring)

September 23 March 21

7 Heifers 7 Heifers 7 Heifers

b qeifers
to Chamber to Chamber to Chamber to Chamber
Spring to Fall Fall to Spring Spring to Fall Fall to Spring
Environment Environment Environment Environment

Chamber capacity limited the number of animals to seven. The

effects of time of birth and chamber are presented in Table 1. Heifers
born in September and those in the environment of increasing
photoperiod and temperature reached puberty at younger ages than those
born in March or in the fall-spring chamber. Heifers that reached
puberty at younger ages were lighter in weight at puberty but heavier
at 7 months of age. Correlations between body weight at puberty and
age at puberty were 0.09, 0.69, 0.62 and 0.78 for September, Sp-F and
F-Sp, and March, SP-F and F-Sp, respectively.

Ovarian volume was larger in the September-born heifers than those

born in March, Table 2 (6) and though the differences were not always
significant, generally the heifers in the sprfng to fall chamber had
larger ovaries. The differences in ovarian volume was accompanied by a
greater number of larger follicles (Table 3). Kamwanja and Hauser (71
(Table 4) have recently shown that heifers between 3 and 7 months of
age have larger numbers of follicles during periods of increasing
photoperiod.

There was a tendency for the heifers to gain at a more rapid rate
and be more efficient during the months of decreasing light and
temperature. However, the fall-spring heifers consumed more feed
(Table 5).

Tucker (8) reported at a meeting of this society 2 years ago that

heat stress suppressed growth and feed intake and that photoperiods of
16L:80 stimulated growth rate and perhaps feed consumption as compared
to natural light in fall and winter seasons. Shortening day length may
alter metabolic pathways to increase gain and cooler temperatures may

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THERIOGENOLOGY

stimulate appetite. Blood levels of thyroxine (Figure 4) increased or

remained at high levels with decreasing temperature and tended to
decrease or remain low in the spring to fall environment. Prolactin
(Prl) tended to increase with increasing light and temperature and
decrease with decreasing light and temperature.

TABLE 1. EFFECTS OF MONTH OF BTRTH AND CHAMBER ON AGE AND BODY

WEIGHT AT PUBERTY

Chamber Age at pubertya Weight at pubertyb

Date of birth (after 6 months) (days) (kg)

March 21 Sp-F 321 29.5 281 39.0

March 21 F-Sp 346 50.1 318 43.4
September 23 SP-F 295 12.6 268 9.9
September 23 F-Sp 319 32.5 306 25.5

Date of birth means

w 334 300
September 23 307 287

Chamber means
SP-f- 308 274
F-SP 333 312

aThere were effects of date of birth (P<O.O6) and chamber

(Pt0.08).
bThere was an effec"Lof chamber (P<O.Ol).

Serum concentrations of LH were greater and there was more

variability (Figures 5 and 61 in the September born heifers than for
those born in March. Concentrations of LH in serum of March born
heifers in the F-Sp chamber remained at base line longer and there were
fewer samples with high concentrations.

Neither season of birth nor chamber influenced serum levels of FSH

but FSH concentrations did tend to decrease with age. Critser --et al.
(91 found that postpuberal ovariectomized Holstein heifers had maximal
serum levels of LH from November to April and minimal levels from May
to October. Critser and Hauser (10) reported in an experiment using
postpuberal beef heifers that were ovariectomized and implanted with
E2 that simulating the spring to fall photoperiod beginning at the
fall equinox caused a decrease in LH (P=O.O6), a tendency for FSH to
decrease (P=O.141 and Prl to increase (P=.12) compared to a fall to
spring increase in LH and FSH and decrease in Prl. Hansen et al. (11)
found that exposing heifers to 18 hr of light for 8 weeksau?%g the
fall and winter caused a greater rate of increase of FSH following

154 JANUARY 1984 VOL. 21 NO. 1

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ovariectomy and that E2 induced greater release of LH in those

heifers than in heifers exposed to natural photoperiod. Hansen et al.
(12) exposed heifers to supplemental light (18L:6D) in the falT %id
winter to compare them with heifers under natural conditions in two
experiments. The data are summarized in Table 6. In both experiments
heifers receiving supplemental photoperiod became puberal at younger
ages and at lighter weights. Weight to height ratio as a measure of
fatness indicated that the long light group was thinner at puberty.
Again, in this experiment as with the Biotron project we found no
evidence that age at puberty depended upon body fatness if the weight
to height ratio is indicative of body conditions. Serum concentrations
of LH were not influenced by photoperiod in this experiment. The onset
of puberty seems dependent upon the development of pulsatile secretion
of gonadotropins. This rhythmic secretion develops at younger ages in
the fall born than in spring born heifers (5,7). In late gestation and
early postnatally the heifers born in the fall are exposed to
decreasing day length (Figure 71, then between 3 and 9 months of age
they are in an environment of increasing photoperiod. If they are fed
a high level of energy and are of a genotype that reaches puberty at
young ages, 8 to 10 months, these females become puberal during the
summer following their birth during long but decreasing photoperiod.
The data from the Biotron project indicates that the real differences
are between the two groups exposed to the natural sequences of season.
The two unnatural groups were alike in ages at puberty and intermediate
to the other two. The differences in the hair coats and the pellage
changes after leaving the artifical environment were indicative of the
seasonal confusion (13).

TABLE 2. THE EFFECT OF SEASON ON OVARIAN VOLUME (OV) AND RATE OF

CHANGE IN OVARIAN VOLUME (A@!)

Mean OV (mm3 x lo-41 Significance level

at various ages (mon.1 of main effectsasb
Month of birth March (M) September (S) Month of
Chamber 3p-F I--SP SP-b F-SP birth Chamber

.40 .31 .78 .55 P<.O25 N.S.

8 .84 .55 1.04 .74 P<.lO P<.O5
.76 .58 1.18 .86 P<.lO
1: .66 .63 1.33 1.00 P<.Ol K
1.37 1.20 1.69 1.44 N.S.
:: 1.52 1.25 1.33 1.18 K
Puberty .95 1.10 1.14 1.30 K N.S.
Mean AOVC -20 .19 .14 .15 N:S: N.S.

aN.S. = nonsignificant (P>.lO).

bMonth of birth x treatment interact.ions were nonsignif'icant
(P>.lO).
cMean regression coefficients of OV with time calculated for each
animal.

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THERIOGENOLOCY

TABLE 3. THE INFLUENCE OF SEASON ON THE NUMBER OF LARGE FOLLICLES (LF)

Mean number of follicles 10 IIIII/

Month of aniiilal/mon.
birth March (M) September (S) Significance
Chamber SP-k F-SP SP-F F-SP levela

Month of Age

7-a .7ia .ooa I.57a .29a N.S.

a-9 .29a .29a 3.14b I.2aa,b P<.O5
9-10 l.14asb .43a,b 2.86b .29a P<.l
10-11 1.14a,b .14a 1.57asb 1.86b P<.O5
11-12 1.0 .43a 1.86b 1.57bb P<.Ol

"Means with different superscripts in a row differ at the

significance level shown. N.S. = nonsignificant (P>.lO).

TABLE 4. OVARIAN SIZE, FOLLICLE NUMBER AND FOLLICULAR FLUID ESTROGEN

CONCENTRATION IN SEPTEMBER AND MARCH BORN HEIFERS AT 3, 5 AND
7 MONTHS OF AGE

Age (MO) A' -Y--k- Significance level

Season
Date of Dee Feb April June Aug Ott of Season
ovari- 16 12 12 21 20 19 a birth Age x Age
ectomy

No. total
follicles 23.3 43.8 32.9 40.3 16.0 20.5 23.03 P>.l P>.l P<.O3

Ovarian
wt, g 4.2 5.6 6.4 3.4 3.3 4.0 1.19 P>.l P>.l P>.l

E, pg/ml 1.7 5.8 4.4 3.2 4.3 4.3 2.22 P>.l P<.OO6 P>.l

September born heifers (S) were born on the autumnal equinox and March
born heifers (M) were born on the vernal equinox.

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 THERIOCENOLOGY

26- 30- 34- 36- 442;

29 33 37 41
AGE (WEEKS)
Figure 4. Mean temperatures and photoperiods (panel A) and related
serum levels of thyroxine (panel B) and prolactin (panel C) from 26 to
46 weeks of age. Prolactin values are averages obtained by combining
data from 4 weeks. Thyroxine concentrations were influenced by date of
birth x time (P&.0251. Prolactin concentrations were influenced
(P~O.005) by date of birth, chamber, date of birth x time and chamber x
time.

The hormonal and neural mechanisms that translate photoperiod

into puberal estrus in the bovine needs further elucidation.

Seasonal Influence on Postpartum Anestrus

The bovine female also seems to be responsive to seasonal changes

in the environment immediately postcalving. We have observed that the
postpartum anestrus was longer during the winter than during the summer
(14). Peters and Riley (151 have made similar observations.

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THERIOGENOLOGY

Hansen and Hauser (14) reported that season interacted with

several other environmental factors to influence the length of
postcalving anestrus. Season interacted (Table 6 and Figure 8) with
suckling in that winter calving cows suckling calves had much longer
postcalving anestrus than nonsuckled winter calving cows. The
influence of suckling was not as great among cows calving in summer.
Season was not effective in shortenlng the already short postpartum
interval to first estrus in nonsuckled cows. Similar interactions were
observed between season or calving date and high and low milk producing
ability and high and low levels of nutrition (Table 7 and Figure 9).
The influences of season and level of nutrition tend to diminish as age
or number of calvings increase (Table 77.

M, F-Sp
1

S. F-Sp

Figure 5. Representative ydtterrls of 1H in individual animals from 26

to 37 weeks of age. Eleven of 14 heifers born in March had low LH
concentrations early in the blood sampling period, a time when
concentrations were high and variable in 12 of 14 heifers born in
September.

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TABLE 5. EFFECT OF DATE OF BIRTH AND CHAMBER ON AVERAGE DAILY GAIN

(ADG), FEED CONSUMPTION AND FEED EFFICIENCYa

Feed efficiency
ADG (kg/day 1 (kg/feed/kg gain.)
Chamber
Date of (after 6 6-9 9-12 6-9 9-12 6-9 9-12
birth months) months months months months months months

March 21 Sp-F 0.86 0.92c” 567 795c** 7.92 10.45ct

March 21 F-Sp 0.96 0.77 627 868 7.77 13.68
Sept. 23 Sp-F 1.00 0.86 659 870 7.90 12.29
Sept. 23 F-Sp 1.06 0.86 666 864 7.54 12.02

Date of birth means

March 21 0.9latt 596at-t 831a**

Sept. 23 l.o3b EZi
. 662b 867b :*;:i
.

Chamber means

Approximate monthsd

Ap-Ju Jl-S Ap-Ju Jl-S Ap-Ju Jl-S

Sp-F 0.93a** 0.89a 613a 833a 7.91 11.37a**

O-D Ja-Mc O-D Ja-Ma O-D Ja-Mc

F-Sp l.Olb 0.82a 646a 866b 7.65a 12.85b

MSE 0.090 0.110 50.9 43.9 0.970 1.70

a,bMeans with different superscript letters differ at

significance level indicated.
CDate of birth x chamber interaction at significance level
indicated.
dMonths of year: Ap-Ju = April to June, Jl-S = July to
September, O-D = October to December, Ja-Mc = January to March.

*p<0.10.
""P<O.O5.
tp<0.025
.tfP<O.Ol.

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 THERIOGENOLOGY

TABLE 6. EFFECTOF PHOTOPERIOD TRAITS AND ONSET OF

ON GROWTH-RELATED
REPRODUCTIVE ACTIVITY

Exp. 1 Exp. 2

Photoperiod Photoperiod

Trait 18 h/d Natural 18 h/d Natural

Initial weight, 173t5.3 189*4.5 153t6.5 153*7.4

kgab
Initial height, 93.1*1.12* 96.0t1.02 95.1i.93 94.6t1.29
cmab
Average daily gain, .52* .073 .43*.073 .74*.135 .67*.193
kg/dcd
Increase in withers 7.1i1.62 6.3t1.62 lO.Oi.58 lO.Ot.83
height, cmcd

Age at first estrus, 318*9.3-t+ 367t4.4 367*17.2* 394*9.8

-da
Age at first 312*12.4tt 367*4.4 360*17.9* 389*12.4
ovulation, da
Age at conception, 380*15.4 396*10.3
da
Avg. services/ 1.4 1.1
conception
Percent conception, 64% 91%
first service

Weight at first 286*8.5** 326t8.5 293*13.4** 328t12.9

estrus, kgC
Withers height at 105.9*.76** 109*.76 111.9*1.16 112,9*1.16
first estrus,
kgC
Weight/height at 2.66*.062** 3.00t.062 2.61*.098+ 2.90f.115
first estrus,
kglcmc

aValues are means and standard errors.

bAt 22 (Exp. 1) or 24 wk of age (Exp. 21.
cValues are least-squares means and standard errors adjusted for
initial weight and(or1 height for Exp. 1 and means and standard errors
for Exp. 2.
dFrom 22 to 34 (Exp. 1) or 24 to 40 wk of age (Exp. 2).

* P<.lO.
** P<.O5.
t P<.O25.
l-t P<.Ol.

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TABLE 7. INFLUENCE OF SUCKLING AND SEASON OF CALVING ON DURATION OF

POSTPARTUM ANESTRUS

Mean interval (d) from

parturition to first estrus

Exp. Season Suckled Nonsuckled Mean

1 Winter 91 l 23.4 16 l 4.2 64C*

(7)b (4) 23d

Summer 35 * 4.4 17 l 4.3 23d

(51 (101

Mean 67ct 17d 39

2 Winter 107 l 19.2 42 * 11.3 78c**

(10) (81

Sumner 65 l 6.6 26 f 4.4 45d

(22) (24)

Mean 78c'f-t 30d 54

3 Winter 58 * 5.1 36 * 5.6 47c**

(10) (10)

Summer 40 l 3.9 27 l 4.0 33d

(8) (10)

Mean 50ctt 32d 41

aValues are means * SE.

bNumber in parentheses is number of observations.
c.dMeans within a column or row with different superscripts
differ at the level of significance indicated next to superscript c.
All interactions were nonsignificant.

* P<.lO.
** P<.Ol.
t P<.OO5.
tt P<.OOl.

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AGE (WEEKS)

Figure 6. Concentrations of LH (panel 6) and FSH (panel C) from 26 to

37 weeks of age. Values are means from four weekly samples.
Contemporary temperatures and photoperiods are shown in panel A.
Different letters within time in panel B indicate means that differ
(PcO.10 or less). FSH concentrations were not significantly affected
by group at any time, but tended to decrease with age.

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11 .

-20 -10 0 10 20 30 40 50

AGE RELATIVE TO BIRTH (WEEKS)

Figure 7. The amount of photoperiod the heifers from the Biotron study
were exposed to 6 months prior to birth (4) and 12 months after birth.
The first two frames are March-born heifers exposed to Sp-F conditions
and F-Sp conditions the second 6 months of life, respectively. The
second two frames are September-born heifers exposed to Sp-F and F-Sp
conditions the second 6 months of life, respectively. P=age at puberty.

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Figure 8. Relationship between calving date and interval to first

estrus in Exp. 1 (top panel), 2 (middle panel) and 3 (bottom panel).
Circles represent individual observations and lines represent predicted
Intervals to first estrus from the multiple regression equation:
interval to first estrus = intercept + bl (calving date) + b2
(calving date12. Regres ion equations for suckled groups were y =
103.6 - .699x + .0019x3 (Exp. 1, P>.20); y = 187.8 - 1.392x +
.0036x2 (Exp. 2, P<.OO5) and y = 76.2 - .463x + .0013x2 (Exp. 3,
P<.OO5 . Equations for nonsuckled groups were y = 27.6 - .123x +
.0003x1 (Exp. 1, P>.20); y = 26 2 - .070x + .0004x2 (Exp. 2, P<.20)
and y = 42.5 - .219x + .0007x2 (Exp. 3, P<.15). Heterogeneity of
re ression between groups was present in Exp. 1 (P<.lO), 2 (P<.OO5) and
3 9P<.OO5).

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Figure 9. Relationship between calving dates and interval to first

estrus for Exp. 4 (top panel) and PPl of Exp. 6 (bottom panel).
Circles represent individual observations and lines represent predicted
intervals to first estrus from the multiple regression equation:
interval to f,)rst estrus = intercept + bl (calving date) + b2
(calving date) . Regression equations for Exp. 4 were y = 57.2 -
.191x + .0004x2 (high milk production, Pc.12) and y = 26.2 + .067x -
.0002x2 (low milk production, P>.201. Regression equations for Exp.
6 were y=99.3 - .533x + .0013x2 (low diet, P<.lO) and y = 64.3 -
.235x + .0005x2 (high diet, P>.20). Heterogeneity of regression
between groups was present in Exp. 4 (Px.10).

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TABLE 8. EFFECT OF LEVEL OF NUTRITION AND SEASON OF CALVING ON

POSTPARTUM REPRODUCTIVE TRAITS (Exp. 61asb

Interval from parturition to:

Dietary Season of Uterine

level calving involution Ovulation Estrus Conception

First postpartum period

High Winter 33 2.7

l 53 l8.8 59 f 10.6 73 f 15.9
(81 (8) (81 (81
Summer 28 f 1.7 31 l 5.4 39 f 6.5 70 l 9.8
(21) (211 21) (21)
Low Winter 29 1.8
l 67 l 5.5 87 f 6.7 101 l 10.0
(191 (20) 20) (20)
Sumner 33 l 2.7 40 * 8.6 41 * 10.4 55 f 15.6
(9) (91 (9) (9)

Second postpartum period

High Winter 36 l 2.9 33 l 4.6 44 * 5.1 86 l 8.9

(11) (121 (12) (12)
Summer 34 l 2.5 22 * 4.0 41 * 4.4 54 f 7.6
(16) (17) (17) (17)
Low Winter 28 l 2.6 32 * 3.6 45 l 3.9 66 l 6.8
(15) (21) (21) (21)
Summer 24 l 3.7 43 l 5.9 50 * 6.4 69 l 11.3
(8) (8) (8) (8)

Third postpartum period

High Winter 35 f 2.7 33 * 4.2 44 l 5.4 83 l 9.4

(15) (16) (16) (16)
Sumner 32 f 3.4 28 l 4.8 37 l 6.3 59 l 10.8
(12) (13) (13) (13)
Low Winter 28 f 1.8 35 l 4.1 47 * 5.4 67 f 9.3
(17) (18) (18) (18)
Summer 33 * 3.3 33 l 5.7 44 l 7.4 52 l 12.9
(9) (11) (11) (11)

aValues are least-squares means l SE. Number of observations are

in parentheses.
bDuring the first postpartum period, diet influenced (P<.lO)
interval to estrus. Season influenced intervals to ovulation (P<.OO51,
estrus (Pc.005) and conception (P<.O8) and there was a diet x season
interaction of interval to involution (P<.lOl. During the second
postpartum period, diet influenced interval to ovulation (P<.O51 and
involution (P<.OO5) and there were diet x season interactions for
interval to ovulation (Pc.025) and conception (P<.O71. During the
third postpartum period, season influenced interval to conception
(P<.O9).

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Again, these experiments were not designed to test the influence of

season and some of the analyses of data were made in retrospect from
experiments done some years ago.

To test the influence of one aspect of season, photoperiod, we have

conducted several experiments in which supplemental light was provided
for 18 hr per day beginning at parturition to winter calving cows. The
control group was exposed to natural photoperiod. In 2 out of 3 years
primiparous cows exposed to supplemental lighting had shorter intervals
from calving to first estrus (Table 9). Multiparous cows on low
nutrition exhibited a similar response to increased photoperiod but
those fed supplemental grain did not. Weight changes and body weights
were not different between the two groups. Photoperiod did not
influence serum levels of gonadotropins nor was there a difference in
LH pulse frequency or magnitude. An IV injection of E2 elicited
similar LH and FSH surge responses from equal numbers of cows in the
two groups (161.

TABLE 9. EFFECTS OF PHOTOPERIOO AND PARITY ON POSTPARTUM

REPRODUCTIVE TRAITSa

Interval to calving (days)

Uterine
First First In-
Exp. Parity Photoperiod n ovulation estrus Conception volution

1 Multi- 18L:6D 4 56 l 9.0 61 l 3.8 25 * 3.7

parous Natural 4 l:;<*o;;j6 154 l 23.8 35 f 4.8
(p-Level) . (P<.O25) (P<.O91

2 Primi- 18L:6D 5 73 l 3.9 76 f 5.5 96 * 8.4 29 l 3.5

parousb Natural 6 191 f 32.7 27 l 3.5
(p-level) .
l:Dp<*O;;.l .
l:;<‘o;;.O (P<.O25) (P>.lO)

2 Multi- 18L:6D 33 51 l 4.4 56 * 5.2 56 * 5.2 32 * 4.4

parousb Natural 35 l 1.7 40 * 7.4 117 l 10.4 43 l 0.4
(p-Level1 (P<.O51 (P>.lO) (P<.Ol) (P<.O81

3 Primi- 18L:6D 8 48 l 5.8 60 l 10.1 72 * 11.8 30 l 2.6

parous(41
Multi- Natural 8 60 * 12.6 70 * 13.5 99 l 14.1 37 * 3.5
parous(l21 (p-Level1 (P>.lO) (P>.lO) (P<.O8) (P<.O25)

aMean and standard errors.

bin Exp. 2, parity influenced intervals to first ovulation
(P<.Ol), first estrus (P<.Ol), conception (P<.O51 and uterine involution
(P<.O51.

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THERIOGENOLOGY

Although the interrelationships between the pineal, hypothalamus,

pituitary and gonad are becoming understood in other species there is
need for greater knowledge in cattle. The role of the indolamines,
opiates and neurotransmitters is being elucidated in laboratory animals
and sheep. The same should be done with Bos taurus as there are
probably differences between species in the c%il?mhanisms and in
the interactions with other biological systems involved with
metabolism, milk production, temperature regulation and others.

Bos taurus left to its own devices in temperate zones would

probmy move toward calving during the period of increasing light and
temperature and once having attained that position, stay there.

REFERENCES

1. Lush, Animal Breeding Plans. The Iowa State College Press

PP. I-1";(Li943,.

2. Sanders, A. H. The Taurine World. National Geographic, pp.

592-710 (1925).

3. Grass, Janis and Hauser, E. R. The influence of early age

mastectomy and unilateral ovariectomy on reproductive performance
of the bovine, J. Anim. Sci. &l:171-176 (19811.

4. Grass, J. A., Hansen, P. J., Rutledge, J. J. and Hauser, E. R.

Genotype x environmental interactions on reproductive traits of
bovine females. I. Age at puberty as influenced by breed, breed
of sire, dietary regimen and season, J. Anim. Sci. s:I441-1457
( 1982).

5. Schillo, K. K., Hansen, P. J., Kamwanja, L. A., Dierschke, D. J.

and Hauser, E. R. Influence of season on sexual development in
heifers: Age at puberty as related to growth and serum
concentration of gonadotropins, prolactin, thyroxine and
progesterone. Biol. of Reprod. -28:329-341 (19831.

6. Hansen, P. J., Schillo, K. K., Kamwanja, L. A., Dierschke, D. J.

and Hauser, E. R. The influence of season on sexual development in
the bovine female: Ovarian growth and body weight as related to
puberty, pp. 239-244 In: Dynamics of Ovarian Function. N. B.
Schwartz and M. HunzickeTDunn teds.), Raven Press, New York (1981).

7. Kamwanja, L. A. and Hauser, E. R. Influence of season of birth and

age on body weight and follicular growth in heifers, J. Anim. Sci.
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8. Tucker, H. Allen. Seasonality in cattle, Theriogenology -17:53-59

(1982).

9. Critser, J. K., Miller, K. F., Gunsett, F. G. and Ginther, 0. J.

Seasonal LH profile in ovariectomized cattle, Theriogenology
-19:181-191 (1983).

168 JANUARY 1984 VOL. 21 NO. 1

 THERIOGENOLOGY

10. Critser, J. K. and Hauser, E. R. The effect of photoperiod on LH

patterns in ovariectomized estradiol-treated heifers, Biol. Reprod.
g(Suppl. 1):154, abstract (1983).

11. Hansen, P. J., Kamwanja, L. A. and Hauser, E. R. The effect of

photoperiod on serum concentrations pf luteinizing and follicle
stimulating hormones in prepuberal heifers following ovariectomy
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12. Hansen, P. J., Kamwanja, L. A. and Hauser, E. R. Photoperiod

influences age at puberty of heifers, J. Anim. Sci. z:985-992
(1983).

13. Hansen, P. J., Hauser, E. R., Schillo, K. K., Kamwanja, L. A. and

Dierschke, D. J. Hair growth in cattle exposed to two
environments. J. Anim. Sci. s(Suppl. 11:144 (19801.

14. Hansen, P. J. and Hauser, E. R. Genotype x environmental

interactions on reproductive traits of bovine females. III.
Seasonal variation in postpartum reproduction as influenced by
?;;;;jpe, suckling and dietary regimen. J. Anim. Sci. g:1362-1369
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15. Peters A. R. and Riley, G. M. Is the cow a seasonal breeder? Br.

138.533-537 (1982).
Vet. J : -.

16. Hansen , P. J. and Hauser, E. R. Photoperiodic modulation of the

length of the postpartum anestrus and positive feedback actions of
estrad iol in primiparous and multiparous cows. J. Anim. Sci.
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JANUARY 1984VOL. 21 NO. 1 169