All the important links, repro news and guest bios from this month's episode
Guests
Professor Peter Hansen
Peter J. Hansen is a faculty member of the Dept. of Animal Sciences at the University of Florida, where has worked since 1986. He is currently a distinguished professor and L.E. “Red” Larson Professor of Animal Sciences. His research focuses on the biology of early pregnancy and development of methods to improve fertility and assisted reproductive technologies in cattle. Emphasis is placed on elucidating pathways by which the mother regulates preimplantation development, minimizing effects of elevated temperature on fertility and identifying genes controlling embryonic survival and thermotolerance. Hansen received the B.S. in Agricultural Sciences from the University of Illinois in 1978 and the M.S. and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Wisconsin in 1980 and 1983. He did a postdoctoral fellowship at the University of Florida from 1983-1984 before joining the faculty at Florida as an assistant professor in 1984
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Dr Gordon Refshauge
Gordon Refshauge is a Research Officer in the field of Maternal Efficiency and is based at Cowra Agricultural Research and Advisory Station. He joined NSW DPI in 2008 as a site scientist managing the Sheep CRC2 resource flock, the Information Nucleus Flock (INF).
Gordon's recent studies include examining heat stress on ewe body temperature and pregnancy rate; post-conception feed intake on pregnancy rate; anti-hormone vaccination to improve ewe fertility and fecundity; cause of death in newborn lambs; mineral health of twin bearing ewes grazing cereal crops, mineral health of twin bearing ewes grazing pastures and the National lambing density study.
Repro News
Upcoming conferences and abstract deadlines
National Association of Animal Breeders (NAAB) 28th Technical Conference on Artificial Insemination and Reproduction
21st - 23rd September 2022, Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Registration open
European Practitioner Symposium on Equine Reproduction (ESER)
20th - 21st October 2022, Ghent, Belgium
Registration open
Upcoming training
Teagasc webinars
Range of free webinars on wide variety of livestock species
Upcoming awards and grants
The Howard and Georgeanna Jones Research Award in Reproductive Medicine Research
Application due date TBC
Paper of the month
Can't get enough?
Check out Pete's latest paper (hot off the press!) on Australian estimated breeding values for heat tolerance in dairy cows.
If you're looking for a general overview of the effects of heat stress on reproduction, read Pete's classic review from 2009.
Gordon and Simon's book chapter on 'Climatic constaints facing sheep reproduction' from the 'Breeding Focus 2021 - Improving Reproduction' conference
'Review of the impact of heat stress on reproductive performance of sheep' by van Wettere et al. in J Anim Sci Biotechnol 2021 Feb 15;12(1):26.
Want more tips for preventing heat stress in sheep and cattle? Check out these fact sheets from Ag Vic and DPIRD WA.
Episode sponsored by
Ceva Animal Health, the makers of Regulin
