One hundred and twenty six grazing primiparous Zebu cows were assigned to one of two treatments, supplemental chromium (Cr) (72 cows) and control (54 cows), in order to evaluate the effects of Cr supplementation on reproductive performance of cows. Chromium was supplemented as high-Cr yeast Sacharomices cerevisae added to mineral premix (0.017% Cr). Chromium had no effect on calf weight, whereas final weight of cows was higher for the supplemented group (428.5kg vs. 380.5kg).The percentage of detected estrus was higher for Cr supplemented group than for control group (98.6 vs. 88.7%) A tendency for higher pregnancy rate was showed by the Cr supplemented group (87.5% vs. 75.47%). The calving - first estrus interval of the Cr supplemented cows was lower than control cows (120.5 vs. 142.8 days). Supplementation of chromium had neither effect on service rate (1.57 vs. 1.69 doses of semen) nor on pregnancy (1.85 vs. 1.90 doses of semen).
Calf; chromium; reproductive performance
