Cary, M., Valentine, B., Hill, W. 2000. The effect of mother-infant separation in captive baboons on time intervals to first postpartum estrus, confirmed pregnancy and subsequent parturition. American Association for Laboratory Animal Science [AALAS] Meeting Official Program, 106 (Abstract P123).

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.