Oxytocin

[alisonb]

In this article it says Oxytocin is the key hormone that stimulates maternal behaviour in cows/heifers amoung other things. It also states that "It is uncertain if an injection of Oxy can adequately stimulate maternal behaviour since plazma levels are quickly metabolized and may not adequately elevate cerebral levels"
Does anybody know of any further research done on this matter? Wouldn't it be nice to just inject a cow/heifer who had rejected it's calf http://www.usask.ca/wcvm/herdmed/applied-ethology/articles/maternal.html.

 

[jerry27150]

never heard of it helping a cow own a calf, but it works for getting one to let down her milk

 

[3waycross]

seems like we also used it to make a cow release a retained placenta?????????????????

 

[regolith]

yes, causes uterine contractions if given immediately after calving.

I've heard people say it calms heifers at their first milking, don't know if there's any truth in that. Don't know anything about its influence on maternal behaviour but there was some weird sort of research published into the effect of oxytocin on humans a while back. I mean weird - might look it up later for a laugh.

 

[novaman]

I had somebody helping me in the parlor one time. I asked him to give this new heifer a half cc of Oxytocin. He misunderstood and gave her 10. She was definately calm. I think she was on cloud 9 for awhile :lol2:

 

[regolith]

Now I'm worried about some of the weird stuff in my internet browser history...

Google provided this: http://www.alternet.org/rights/44411/

Oxytocin is a hormone whose actions are associated with pregnancy, breastfeeding, and maternal-infant bonding [...] The article speculates that "the science is still new, and more must be learned concerning the role of oxytocin in human bonding," but the inescapable conclusion is that keeping a woman abstinent until she walks down the aisle is the best way to keep her faithful after the honeymoon's over.

 

[alisonb]

Now I'm worried about some of the weird stuff in my internet browser history...

Woooo :shock: .
I can't find any concrete research that proves that Oxy stimulates maternal behaviour but I will certainly continue looking.... and will try a shot of Oxy on the next cow/heifer that dares reject her calf(seldom happens though). I wonder if Oxy would help with grafting a calf to a cow?