Livestock Reproduction: Reproductive Technologies in Animal Science

A special issue of Animals (ISSN 2076-2615). This special issue belongs to the section "Animal Reproduction".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (17 March 2024) | Viewed by 5810

Special Issue Editor

Institute of Animal Sciences, Hungarian University of Agricultural and Life Sciences, 2100 Gödöllő, Hungary
Interests: animal welfare; reproduction; cattle
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

Reproduction techniques are becoming increasingly important and necessary in animal breeding today. Modern assisted reproductive techniques ensure safe and efficient breeding programs. These techniques currently have varying degrees of efficiency, and for most of them, continuous improvements may be expected in the future. Despite the well-known limitations and potential margins for progress, significant work in the past 15 years to improve oocyte collection and in vitro embryo production systems has made those systems practically useful by the most advanced breeding companies. The emergence of new methods for genomic selection makes all improvements related to embryo production in vivo or in vitro and associated techniques attractive to animal breeding willing to exploit as much as possible the advantages of genomic selection. In this Special Issue, papers on all aspects of the methodology, efficiency or animal welfare/stress, and ethical concerns of reproductive technics are welcome with novelty and high impact on animal science. Both original papers and review articles are encouraged.

Dr. Levente Kovács
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

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Keywords

  • reproductive technologies
  • in vitro fertilization
  • genomic selection
  • oocytes
  • MOET
  • ovum-pick-up
  • animal welfare

Published Papers (3 papers)

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Research

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9 pages, 463 KiB  
Article
A 3D-Printed Large Holding Capacity Device for Minimum Volume Cooling Vitrification of Embryos in Prolific Livestock Species
by Francisco Marco-Jiménez, Ximo Garcia-Dominguez, Luís García-Valero and José S. Vicente
Animals 2023, 13(5), 791; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13050791 - 22 Feb 2023
Cited by 1 | Viewed by 1208
Abstract
Although many devices have been developed to reduce sample volume, with an explosion of methods appearing in the literature over the last decade, commercially available devices with simultaneous vitrification of a larger number of embryos are scarce, with the apparent gap for their [...] Read more.
Although many devices have been developed to reduce sample volume, with an explosion of methods appearing in the literature over the last decade, commercially available devices with simultaneous vitrification of a larger number of embryos are scarce, with the apparent gap for their use in prolific livestock species. In this study, we investigated the effectiveness of a new three-dimensional (3D)-printed device that combines minimum volume cooling vitrification with simultaneous vitrification of a larger number of rabbit embryos. Late morulae/early blastocysts were vitrified with the open Cryoeyelet® device (n = 175; 25 embryos per device), the open Cryotop® device (n = 175; 10 embryos per device), and the traditional closed French mini-straw device (n = 125; 25 embryos per straw) and compared in terms of in vitro development and reproductive performance after transfer to adoptive mothers. Fresh embryos constituted the control group (n = 125). In experiment 1, there was no difference in the development rate to the blastocyst hatching stage between the CryoEyelet® and the other devices. In experiment 2, the CryoEyelet® device showed a higher implantation rate compared with the Cryotop® (6.3% unit of SD, p = 0.87) and French mini-straw® (16.8% unit of SD, p = 1.00) devices. In terms of offspring rate, the CryoEyelet® device was similar to the Cryotop® device but superior to the French straw device. Regarding embryonic and fetal losses, the CryoEyelet® showed lower embryonic losses compared to other vitrification devices. The analysis of bodyweight showed that all devices showed a similar outcomes—a higher birthweight but a lower body weight at puberty than those in the fresh transfer embryos group. In summary, the CryoEyelet® device can be used for the vitrification of many late morulae or early blastocyst stage rabbit embryos per device. Further studies should be performed to evaluate the CryoEyelet® device in other polytocous species for the simultaneous vitrification of a large number of embryos. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Livestock Reproduction: Reproductive Technologies in Animal Science)
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Review

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11 pages, 843 KiB  
Review
Noninfectious Causes of Pregnancy Loss at the Late Embryonic/Early Fetal Stage in Dairy Cattle
by Zoltán Szelényi, Ottó Szenci, Szilárd Bodó and Levente Kovács
Animals 2023, 13(21), 3390; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13213390 - 01 Nov 2023
Viewed by 1180
Abstract
In cattle, initial pregnancy diagnosis takes place during the late embryonic/early fetal stage of gestation. From this point onward, pregnancy loss may occur in up to one fifth of pregnancies before the initial pregnancy diagnosis is confirmed. This means the early identification of [...] Read more.
In cattle, initial pregnancy diagnosis takes place during the late embryonic/early fetal stage of gestation. From this point onward, pregnancy loss may occur in up to one fifth of pregnancies before the initial pregnancy diagnosis is confirmed. This means the early identification of risk factors is a key part of pregnancy diagnosis and herd management. The various factors responsible for pregnancy losses are classified into infectious and noninfectious. Among the noninfectious causes, several dam-related (circumstances of the individual pregnancy or milk production) and herd-related factors causing stress have been well established. In this review, we summarize the impacts of these noninfectious factors and predict associated risks of pregnancy loss. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Livestock Reproduction: Reproductive Technologies in Animal Science)
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13 pages, 1247 KiB  
Review
Infrared Thermography as a Potential Non-Invasive Tool for Estrus Detection in Cattle and Buffaloes
by Umair Riaz, Musadiq Idris, Mehboob Ahmed, Farah Ali and Liguo Yang
Animals 2023, 13(8), 1425; https://doi.org/10.3390/ani13081425 - 21 Apr 2023
Cited by 2 | Viewed by 2579
Abstract
The productivity of dairy animals has significantly increased over the past few decades due to intense genetic selection. However, the enhanced yield performance of milk animals caused a proportional increase in stress and compromised reproductive efficiency. Optimal reproductive performance is mandatory for the [...] Read more.
The productivity of dairy animals has significantly increased over the past few decades due to intense genetic selection. However, the enhanced yield performance of milk animals caused a proportional increase in stress and compromised reproductive efficiency. Optimal reproductive performance is mandatory for the sustainable production of dairy animals. Reproductive efficiency is marked by proper estrus detection and precise breeding to achieve maximum pregnancies. The existing conventional methods of estrus detection are somewhat labor intensive and less efficient. Similarly, the modern automated methods that rely on detecting physical activity are expensive, and their efficiency is affected by factors such as type of housing (tie stall), flooring, and environment. Infrared thermography has recently emerged as a technique that does not depend on monitoring physical activity. Furthermore, infrared thermography is a non-invasive, user-friendly, and stress-free option that aids in the detection of estrus in dairy animals. Infrared thermography has the potential to be considered a useful non-invasive tool for detecting temperature fluctuations to generate estrus alerts without physical contact in cattle and buffaloes. This manuscript highlights the potential use of infrared thermography to understand reproductive physiology and practical implementation of this technique through discussing its advantages, limitations, and possible precautions. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Livestock Reproduction: Reproductive Technologies in Animal Science)
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