The effect of mother-infant separation in captive baboons on time intervals to first postpartum estrus, confirmed pregnancy and subsequent parturition (2000)

Cary, M., Valentine, B., Hill, W.

Abstract

It is generally thought that early forced-weaning of infants would reduce the time from parturition to the first fertile postpartum estrus thus maximizing reproductive efficiency. ... From a survey of 23 animal records we determined the following values for mothers of both forced and naturally weaned infants: days to first postpartum cycle and days from first postpartum cycle to confirmed pregnancy. Mothers of naturally-weaned animals (those with infants) first cycled at 174 ± 31 days and were confirmed pregnant 26 ± 13 days after this. Conversely, mothers of force-weaned infants (weaning at 180 ± 16 days) first cycled at 187 ± 8 days and were confirmed pregnant 55 ± 26 days later. From these observations we suggest that both groups (mothers of force-weaned versus naturally-weaned infants) require similar times to exhibit their first postpartum estrus, but mothers of naturally-weaned infants appear to breed back more quickly (approximately one cycle) than those of force-weaned infants.