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Research on heifer sterilization is a work in progress at Kansas State University. "We feel the target is to prevent heifers that are destined for the feedlot from getting pregnant before they get in there," said David Geiger, reproductive molecular biologist with Kansas State's Department of Animal Sciences and Industry. "There are problems with heifers that are pregnant going into the feedlot. They have to calve in there taking away from energy that they put into that carcass." Spaying heifers would solve that problem, he said, but KSU would like to use a non-surgical technique that would be easy for a producer to use. "The technique that we know in theory does work and has proven to work in the past is immunizing against the hormone that causes ovulation," Geiger said. "We've tried to develop a technique where we could do this easily." Under the program being developed by KSU, a producer would immunize a heifer just like he would against a bacteria or virus. The immunization creates an antibody against the hormone that circulates in the blood that causes ovulation. "The ideal goal, and we're not there yet, is use such a program with heifers that are destined for a feedlot and are not going to be kept for replacements," Geiger said. "If we can give them an initial injection at two or three months of age and maybe one booster at weaning, that would prevent them from ever cycling." The way it works, the pituitary gland in the brain of a cow secretes the ovulation hormone. "If we get this animal immunized against that hormone, we've just created an antibody in her that actually blocks this process," Geiger said. "If she won't ovulate, obviously she won't ever become pregnant." Although the system isn't fully developed yet, Geiger has hope that it will provide an easy and more inexpensive solution to an ever-present problem. "We think there is a potential for this," he said. "If it's easy and cheap to do, you could have a group of heifers you can guarantee open when they get to the feedlot and not worry about a bull hopping a couple of fences and getting to her." |
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