Treatment of Repeat Breeding of Iraqi Buffaloes Using Different CIDR Protocols

The present study was undertaken to examine the efficacy of a treatment regime using a controlled internal drug release (CIDR) device in conjunction with injections of gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH) and prostaglandin F2? (PGF2?) on conception rate of repeat-breeding Iraqi buffaloes. Data were collected from 100 buffaloes with repeat breeding in Nineveh province housed at six private dairy farms. All buffalo cows were characterized as repeat breeding of more than three natural services with regular oestrous cycles with-out any signs of pregnancy. Any buffalo with abnormal vaginal discharge and > 12% of polymorphonuclear cells in uterine smears was excluded from this study. Buffaloes were randomly assigned to four treatment groups of 25 cows each. Buffaloes in treatment 1 were injected with estradiol benzoate 1 mg and GnRH 250 ?g on day 0, a CIDR in the anterior vagina from day 0 to 8, on injection with 25 mg of PGF2? on day 7 and GnRH (250 ?g) on day 9. Buffaloes in treatment 2 received GnRH (250 ?g) on day 0, a CIDR, from day 0 to 7 and 25 mg of PGF2? on day 7. Buffaloes in treatment 3 received a CIDR from day 0 to 7 and 25 mg of PGF2? on day 7. Treatment 4, a control group received no treatments. All buffaloes were mated dur-ing oestrus and pregnancy status was diagnosed by palpation of uterine contents at day 45. Pregnancy rates in treatments 1 to 4 were 44%, 52%, 24% and 8%, respectively. On average, Buffaloes treated with differ-ent CIDR protocols had higher pregnancy rate than control group. It could be concluded that the use of dif-ferent CIDR protocols can be applied to improve fertility of repeat breeder Iraqi buffaloes.