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Atashi H, Chen Y, Vanderick S, Hubin X, Gengler N. Single-step genome-wide association analyses for milk urea concentration in Walloon Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:3020-3031. [PMID: 38056570 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23902] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/26/2023] [Accepted: 11/07/2023] [Indexed: 12/08/2023]
Abstract
The aims of this study were to conduct a single-step genome-wide association to identify genomic regions associated with milk urea (MU) and to estimate genetic correlations between MU and milk yield (MY), milk composition (calcium content [CC], fat percentage [FP], protein percentage [PP], and casein percentage [CNP]), and cheese-making properties (CMP; coagulation time [CT], curd firmness after 30 min from rennet addition [a30], and titratable acidity [TA]). The used data have been collected from 2015 to 2020 on 78,073 first-parity (485,218 test-day records) and 48,766 second-parity (284,942 test-day records) Holstein cows distributed in 671 herds in the Walloon Region of Belgium. Data of 565,533 SNP located on 29 BTA of 6,617 animals (1,712 males) were used. Random regression test-day models were used to estimate genetic parameters through the Bayesian Gibbs sampling method. The SNP solutions were estimated using a single-step genomic BLUP approach. The proportion of the total additive genetic variance explained by windows of 50 consecutive SNPs (with an average size of ∼216 kb) was calculated, and the top-3 genomic regions explaining the largest rate of the genetic variance were considered promising regions and used to identify potential candidate genes. Mean (SD) MU was 25.38 (8.02) mg/dL and 25.03 (8.06) mg/dL in the first and second lactation, respectively. Mean heritability estimates for daily MU were 0.21 and 0.23 for the first and second lactation, respectively. The genetic correlations estimated between MU and MY, milk composition, and CMP were quite low (ranged from -0.10 [CC] to 0.10 [TA] and -0.05 [CT] to 0.13 [TA] for the first and second lactations, respectively). The top-3 regions associated with MU were located from 80.61 to 80.74 Mb on BTA6, 103.26 to 103.41 Mb on BTA11, and 1.59 to 2.15 Mb on BTA14. Genes including KCNT1, MROH1, SHARPIN, TSSK5, CPSF1, HSF1, TONSL, DGAT1, SCX, and MAF1 were identified as positional candidate genes for MU. The findings of this study can be used for a better understanding of the genomic architecture underlying MU in Holstein cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Atashi
- TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium; Department of Animal Science, Shiraz University, 71441-13131 Shiraz, Iran.
| | - Y Chen
- TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - S Vanderick
- TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
| | - X Hubin
- Elevéo asbl Awé Group, 5590 Ciney, Belgium
| | - N Gengler
- TERRA Teaching and Research Center, Gembloux Agro-Bio Tech, University of Liège, 5030 Gembloux, Belgium
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Penagos-Tabares F, Khiaosa-Ard R, Faas J, Steininger F, Papst F, Egger-Danner C, Zebeli Q. A 2-year study reveals implications of feeding management and exposure to mycotoxins on udder health, performance, and fertility in dairy herds. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:1124-1142. [PMID: 37709039 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23476] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 08/27/2023] [Indexed: 09/16/2023]
Abstract
We recently reported the ubiquitous occurrence of mycotoxins and their secondary metabolites in dairy rations and a substantial variation in the feeding management among Austrian dairy farms. The present study aimed to characterize to which extent these factors contribute to the fertility, udder health traits, and performance of dairy herds. During 2019 and 2020, we surveyed 100 dairy farms, visiting each farm 2 times and collecting data and feed samples. Data collection involved information on the main feed ingredients, nutrient composition, and the levels of mycotoxin and other metabolites in the diet. The annual fertility and milk data of the herds were obtained from the national reporting agency. Calving interval was the target criterion for fertility performance, whereas the percentage of primiparous and multiparous cows in the herd with somatic cell counts above 200,000 cells/mL was the criterion for impaired udder health. For each criterion, herds were classified into 3 groups: high/long, mid, and low/short, with the cut-off corresponding to the <25th and >75th percentiles and the rest of the data, respectively. Accordingly, for the calving interval, the cut-offs for the long and short groups were ≥400 and ≤380 d, for the udder health in primiparous cows were ≥20% and ≤8% of the herd, and for the udder health in multiparous cows were ≥35% and ≤20% of the herd, respectively. Quantitative approaches were further performed to define potential risk factors in the herds. The high somatic cell count group had higher dietary exposure to enniatins (2.8 vs. 1.62 mg/cow per d), deoxynivalenol (4.91 vs. 2.3 mg/cow per d), culmorin (9.48 vs. 5.72 mg/cow per d), beauvericin (0.32 vs. 0.18 mg/cow per d), and siccanol (13.3 vs. 5.15 mg/cow per d), and total Fusarium metabolites (42.8 vs. 23.2 mg/cow per d) and used more corn silage in the ration (26.9% vs. 17.3% diet DM) compared with the low counterparts. Beauvericin was the most substantial contributing variable among the Fusarium metabolites, as indicated by logistic regression and modeling analyses. Logistic analysis indicated that herds with high proportions of cows with milk fat-to-protein ratio >1.5 had an increased odds for a longer calving interval, which was found to be significant for primiparous cows (odds ratio = 5.5, 95% confidence interval = 1.65-21.7). As well, herds with high proportions of multiparous cows showing levels of milk urea nitrogen >30 mg/dL had an increased odds for longer calving intervals (odds ratio = 2.96, 95% confidence interval = 1.22-7.87). In conclusion, the present findings suggest that dietary contamination of Fusarium mycotoxins (especially emerging ones), likely due to increased use of corn silage in the diet, seems to be a risk factor for impairing the udder health of primiparous cows. Mismatching dietary energy and protein supply of multiparous cows contributed to reduced herd fertility performance.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Penagos-Tabares
- Unit Nutritional Physiology, Institute of Physiology, Pathophysiology and Biophysics, Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria; Christian-Doppler-Laboratory for Innovative Gut Health Concepts in Livestock (CDL-LiveGUT), Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; FFoQSI GmbH-Austrian Competence Centre for Feed and Food Quality, Safety and Innovation, 3430 Tulln, Austria
| | - R Khiaosa-Ard
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria
| | - J Faas
- DSM-BIOMIN Research Center, Tulln a.d., 3430 Donau, Austria
| | - F Steininger
- ZuchtData EDV-Dienstleistungen GmbH, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | - F Papst
- Institute of Technical Informatics, TU Graz/CSH Vienna, 8010 Graz, Austria
| | - C Egger-Danner
- ZuchtData EDV-Dienstleistungen GmbH, 1200 Vienna, Austria
| | - Q Zebeli
- Christian-Doppler-Laboratory for Innovative Gut Health Concepts in Livestock (CDL-LiveGUT), Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine, 1210 Vienna, Austria; Institute of Animal Nutrition and Functional Plant Compounds, Department for Farm Animals and Veterinary Public Health, University of Veterinary Medicine Vienna, 1210 Vienna, Austria.
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3
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Prahl MC, Müller CBM, Albrecht D, Koch F, Wimmers K, Kuhla B. Hepatic urea, creatinine and uric acid metabolism in dairy cows with divergent milk urea concentrations. Sci Rep 2022; 12:17593. [PMID: 36266429 PMCID: PMC9585098 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-22536-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/11/2022] [Accepted: 10/17/2022] [Indexed: 01/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Milk urea concentration is an indicator for dietary nitrogen (N)-supply and urinary N-excretion. Dairy cows with high (HMU) compared to low milk urea (LMU) concentration have greater plasma urea, creatinine and uric acid concentrations, but if the liver metabolism accounts for these differences is unknown. Eighteen HMU and 18 LMU cows were fed a diet with a low (LP) or normal (NP) crude protein concentration. A N balance study was performed and a 13C-urea bolus was administered to measure urea pool size. Liver samples were analyzed by 2D-gel-based proteomics and RT-qPCR. Although HMU cows had a greater urea pool, plasma urea, uric acid, and hippuric acid concentrations, these differences were not associated with altered expressions of genes related to urea cycling or N-metabolism. Instead, HMU cows had higher oxidative stress levels. Conclusively, other factors than hepatic urea metabolism account for milk urea concentrations. Despite higher plasma urea concentrations and argininosuccinate synthase 1 protein expression on the LP diet, urea cycle mRNA expressions were not affected, indicating that its activity is not controlled at transcriptional level. Feeding the LP diet resulted in increased expressions of enzymes catabolizing fatty acids, but the reason remains to be investigated in future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Marie C. Prahl
- grid.418188.c0000 0000 9049 5051Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Nutritional Physiology ‘Oskar Kellner’, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Carolin B. M. Müller
- grid.418188.c0000 0000 9049 5051Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Nutritional Physiology ‘Oskar Kellner’, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Dirk Albrecht
- grid.5603.0Institute of Microbiology, Ernst-Moritz-Arndt University Greifswald, Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 8, 17489 Greifswald, Germany
| | - Franziska Koch
- grid.418188.c0000 0000 9049 5051Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Nutritional Physiology ‘Oskar Kellner’, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Klaus Wimmers
- grid.418188.c0000 0000 9049 5051Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Genome Biology, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - Björn Kuhla
- grid.418188.c0000 0000 9049 5051Research Institute for Farm Animal Biology (FBN), Institute of Nutritional Physiology ‘Oskar Kellner’, Wilhelm-Stahl-Allee 2, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
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Honorato Santos Neto J, Dos Santos LO, Dos Santos AMP, Galvão Novaes C, Luis Costa Ferreira S. A new and accessible instrumentation to determine urea in UHT milk using digital image analysis. Food Chem 2022; 381:132221. [PMID: 35121324 DOI: 10.1016/j.foodchem.2022.132221] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/17/2021] [Revised: 01/19/2022] [Accepted: 01/20/2022] [Indexed: 11/26/2022]
Abstract
This research demonstrates the development, optimization and application of a new low-cost detection system, based on digital image analysis, for the detection of urea in ultra-high-temperature (UHT) milk samples. The apparatus built in the laboratory, allows the capture of images through a simple system built by polyvinyl chloride (PVC) tubes, a digital microscope and a peristaltic mini-pump, after the colorimetric reaction between urea and diacetylmonoxime (butane-2,3-dionammonoxime). The red, green and blue (RGB) and hue, saturation and value (HSV) color systems were studied, with the saturation channel of the HSV color system selected as the analytical signal. Subsequently, the experimental chemical conditions were evaluated through multivariate experimental designs and the optimal conditions were defined. The proposed method was validated, and the detection and quantification limits presented by the method were 0.35 mg L-1 and 0.52 mg L-1, respectively; precision, ranged between 1.6 and 2.8 %. The results were compared with those obtained using the mid-infrared technique and no statistically significant differences were observed at a 95 % confidence level. The proposed method was applied to eight UHT milk samples that presented urea content ranging from 187 to 386 mg L-1. The mean values obtained are in agreement with values presented in other studies for the determination of urea in milk. The results indicated that the system described and validated here is promising and can be applied to assess the authenticity and quality of milk.
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Affiliation(s)
- João Honorato Santos Neto
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto de Química, Grupo de Pesquisa em Química e Quimiometria, Campus Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia, INCT, de Energia e Ambiente, Universidade Federal da Bahia, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Liz Oliveira Dos Santos
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto de Química, Grupo de Pesquisa em Química e Quimiometria, Campus Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Universidade Federal do Recôncavo da Bahia, Centro de Ciência e Tecnologia em Energia e Sustentabilidade, 44085-132 Feira de Santana, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Ana Maria Pinto Dos Santos
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto de Química, Grupo de Pesquisa em Química e Quimiometria, Campus Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia, INCT, de Energia e Ambiente, Universidade Federal da Bahia, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil.
| | - Cleber Galvão Novaes
- Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia, Laboratório de Química Analítica III, 45208-091 Jequié, Bahia, Brazil
| | - Sergio Luis Costa Ferreira
- Universidade Federal da Bahia, Instituto de Química, Grupo de Pesquisa em Química e Quimiometria, Campus Ondina, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil; Instituto Nacional de Ciência e Tecnologia, INCT, de Energia e Ambiente, Universidade Federal da Bahia, 40170-115 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil
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Giannuzzi D, Mota LFM, Pegolo S, Gallo L, Schiavon S, Tagliapietra F, Katz G, Fainboym D, Minuti A, Trevisi E, Cecchinato A. In-line near-infrared analysis of milk coupled with machine learning methods for the daily prediction of blood metabolic profile in dairy cattle. Sci Rep 2022; 12:8058. [PMID: 35577915 PMCID: PMC9110744 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-11799-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 04/12/2022] [Indexed: 12/29/2022] Open
Abstract
Precision livestock farming technologies are used to monitor animal health and welfare parameters continuously and in real time in order to optimize nutrition and productivity and to detect health issues at an early stage. The possibility of predicting blood metabolites from milk samples obtained during routine milking by means of infrared spectroscopy has become increasingly attractive. We developed, for the first time, prediction equations for a set of blood metabolites using diverse machine learning methods and milk near-infrared spectra collected by the AfiLab instrument. Our dataset was obtained from 385 Holstein Friesian dairy cows. Stacking ensemble and multi-layer feedforward artificial neural network outperformed the other machine learning methods tested, with a reduction in the root mean square error of between 3 and 6% in most blood parameters. We obtained moderate correlations (r) between the observed and predicted phenotypes for γ-glutamyl transferase (r = 0.58), alkaline phosphatase (0.54), haptoglobin (0.66), globulins (0.61), total reactive oxygen metabolites (0.60) and thiol groups (0.57). The AfiLab instrument has strong potential but may not yet be ready to predict the metabolic stress of dairy cows in practice. Further research is needed to find out methods that allow an improvement in accuracy of prediction equations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Diana Giannuzzi
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy.
| | - Lucio Flavio Macedo Mota
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Sara Pegolo
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Luigi Gallo
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Stefano Schiavon
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Franco Tagliapietra
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
| | - Gil Katz
- Afimilk Ltd., 1514800, Kibbutz Afikim, Israel
| | | | - Andrea Minuti
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition (DIANA) and the Romeo and Enrica Invernizzi Research Center for Sustainable Dairy Production (CREI), Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 29122, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Erminio Trevisi
- Department of Animal Science, Food and Nutrition (DIANA) and the Romeo and Enrica Invernizzi Research Center for Sustainable Dairy Production (CREI), Faculty of Agricultural, Food and Environmental Sciences, Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore, 29122, Piacenza, Italy
| | - Alessio Cecchinato
- Department of Agronomy, Food, Natural Resources, Animals and Environment (DAFNAE), University of Padua, 35020, Legnaro (PD), Italy
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Astorga-Jorquera F, Aly SS, Cornuy C, Mella A, Ulloa F, Pereira R. First test-day postcalving risk factors for clinical mastitis in southern Chile dairy farms: A retrospective cohort study. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:5462-5470. [PMID: 35450708 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-21302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2021] [Accepted: 02/18/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
We conducted a retrospective cohort study to evaluate risk factors associated with clinical mastitis in dairy cows in southern Chile between the first milk test after calving to 200 d in milk (DIM). Data from 8,772 cows were collected from June 2017 to November 2019 on 10 dairy farms selected by convenience in southern Chile. Data were analyzed using a multivariable mixed logistic regression using a manual backward selection process with logit link function and farm as a random effect. The dependent variable was clinical mastitis between the first milking sample collected by monthly milk sampling program up to 200 DIM. Days in milk, fat, urea, parity, season, and somatic cell counts were statistically associated with clinical mastitis in the first 200 d in milk. Cows with higher than average milk yield, parity, urea, and somatic cell count were at greater odds of being diagnosed with clinical mastitis compared with their respective referents. In contrast, higher milk fat was associated with lower odds of clinical mastitis. Significant interactions between days in milk with season and parity were observed, where for every 5-d increase in DIM, the odds of clinical mastitis decreased by different proportions depending on the interaction. Identified risk factors for clinical mastitis using first monthly milk sampling data can help dairy farmers in Chile implement herd-level mastitis prevention and control measures.
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Affiliation(s)
- F Astorga-Jorquera
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616
| | - S S Aly
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616; Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Center, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 93274
| | - C Cornuy
- Lecherías del Sur SPA, Osorno, 5290000 Chile
| | - A Mella
- Laboratorio de Mastitis Bovina, Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, 5110566 Chile
| | - F Ulloa
- Laboratorio de Mastitis Bovina, Instituto de Bioquímica y Microbiología, Facultad de Ciencias, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, 5110566 Chile; Escuela de Graduados, Facultad de Medicina Veterinaria, Universidad Austral de Chile, Valdivia, 5110566 Chile
| | - R Pereira
- Department of Population Health and Reproduction, School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California, Davis 95616.
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Webb EC, de Bruyn E. Effects of Milk Urea Nitrogen (MUN) and Climatological Factors on Reproduction Efficiency of Holstein Friesian and Jersey Cows in the Subtropics. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11113068. [PMID: 34827800 PMCID: PMC8614443 DOI: 10.3390/ani11113068] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/29/2021] [Revised: 10/25/2021] [Accepted: 10/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
This study investigated the effects of MUN and climatological factors on the inter calving period (ICP), reproductive performance (RP%), and reproductive index (RI) in Holstein Friesian (n = 1177) and Jersey cows (n = 3305) in different seasons in the subtropics. Threshold values for MUN on the reproduction of dairy cows in the subtropics remain controversial due to complex environmental interactions, especially with high environmental temperatures. A retrospective analysis was conducted of data obtained from the National Milk Recording scheme of the Agricultural Research Council (ARC) in South Africa. The results confirm that MUN influences the reproduction of dairy cows in the subtropics. MUN concentrations exceeding 18.1 ± 4.28 mg/dL in Holstein Friesian cows and 13.0 ± 4.70 mg/dL in Jersey cows extended the inter calving period (ICP), and decreased RP% and RI. Jersey cows have a lower threshold MUN concentration compared to Holstein Friesian cows, but they are not adversely affected by high humidity or temperatures, while Holstein Friesian cows are.
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Rodriguez-Cutzal LX, Burke JL, Correa-Luna M, Lopez-Villalobos N. A statistical evaluation of associations between reproductive performance and milk composition and animal factors on grazing dairy cows in two New Zealand dairy farms. N Z Vet J 2021; 70:138-148. [PMID: 34498540 DOI: 10.1080/00480169.2021.1978896] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
Abstract
AIMS To determine if milk composition, milk yield, live weight, live weight change, breed and heterosis are associated with reproductive performance in dairy cows from two dairy farms under New Zealand grazing conditions. METHODS Milk composition was determined in herd tests from 205 Holstein-Friesian (F), 77 Jersey (J) and 351 F × J crossbred cows from two Massey University dairy herds in the 2016 and 2017 production seasons. Mating occurred from October to December in each production season. The start of breeding to first service (SBFS), start of breeding to conception (SBCO), submission rate at 21 days (SR21), pregnancy rate at 21 (PR21) and 42 days (PR42) were calculated for each cow. These traits were analysed using mixed linear models that included fixed effects for herd, production season, regression coefficients of deviation from median calving date, lactation number, proportion of F, F × J heterosis, energy-corrected milk yield (ECMY), percentages of fat, protein and lactose, milk urea nitrogen (MUN), live weight and change in live weight, with random effects for cow and residual error. The variables with binomial distribution were analysed using logistic regression. RESULTS Deviation from the herd's median calving date had a significant effect (p < 0.05) on all reproductive traits. Proportion of F was significant (p = 0.022) on PR21, and F × J heterosis effects were significant on PR21 (p = 0.049) and PR42 (p = 0.046). F cows had 17.8% higher PR21 than J cows, and F × J cows had higher reproductive performance than the mean of the two purebreeds. ECMY was negatively associated with SBFS (p = 0.001) and SBCO (p = 0.001) and positively associated with PR21 (p = 0.002) and PR42 (p = 0.001). Protein percentage was positively associated (p < 0.05) with PR21 and PR42, whereas lactose percentage was negatively associated (p < 0.05) with PR21 and PR42. Cows gaining live weight were more likely to become pregnant within 21 days of the start of breeding (p = 0.020). Milk urea nitrogen was negatively associated (p = 0.042) with SR21. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE This study confirms that breed, heterosis, ECMY, protein and lactose percentages, live weight change and calving date are associated with the reproductive performance of grazing cows. Results from this study contrast with the historical antagonism between milk production and reproductive performance in dairy cattle, demonstrating that well managed cows can achieve high levels of production and good reproductive performance. MUN was not associated with reproductive performance traits, except with SR21.
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Affiliation(s)
- L X Rodriguez-Cutzal
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - J L Burke
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - M Correa-Luna
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
| | - N Lopez-Villalobos
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North, New Zealand
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9
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Hadfield JA, Waldron BL, Isom SC, Feuz R, Larsen R, Creech JE, Rose MF, Long J, Peel MD, Miller RL, Rood KA, Young A, Stott R, Sweat A, Thornton KJ. The effects of organic grass and grass-birdsfoot trefoil pastures on Jersey heifer development: Heifer growth, performance, and economic impact. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:10863-10878. [PMID: 34389144 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-19524] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/25/2020] [Accepted: 06/18/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Dairy heifers developed in certified organic programs, especially those utilizing pasture-based management schemes, have lower rates of gain than heifers raised in nonorganic confinement production systems in temperate climates, such as in the Intermountain West region of the United States. This study investigates the effects that different forages in a rotational grazing system have on development of organically raised Jersey heifers. Over 3 years, 210 yearling Jersey heifers were randomly assigned to one of 9 treatments, including a conventional confinement control where animals were fed a total mixed ration or one of 8 pasture treatments: Cache Meadow bromegrass (Brumus riparius Rehmann), QuickDraw orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata L.), Amazon perennial ryegrass (Lolium perenne L.), or Fawn tall fescue (Schendonorus arundinaceus [Schreb.] Dumort) and each individual grass interseeded with birdsfoot trefoil (Lotus corniculatus L., BFT). Each treatment had 3 blocks/yr over the 3-yr period, with each block having a 0.4 ha pasture of each treatment. Every 35 d, over a 105-d period, heifers were weighed and measured for hip height, and blood samples were collected to determine serum insulin-like growth factor-1 and blood urea nitrogen concentrations. Fecal egg counts were also assessed. Heifer body weight (BW), blood urea nitrogen, and insulin-like growth factor-1 concentrations were affected by treatment when analyzed over time. Heifers on grass-BFT pastures had increased BW compared with heifers on monoculture grass pastures. Heifers receiving a total mixed ration or perennial ryegrass+BFT had increased BW gain over the 105-d period compared with heifers grazing tall fescue+BFT, orchard grass, perennial ryegrass, meadow bromegrass, or tall fescue. Individually for all grass species, heifers grazing +BFT pastures had greater ending BW and weight gain than heifers grazing the respective grass monocultures. Furthermore, weight gain for heifers on perennial ryegrass+BFT, meadow bromegrass+BFT, and orchard grass+BFT were not different from those on a total mixed ration. Heifers grazing grass-BFT pastures had increased blood urea nitrogen compared with heifers grazing monoculture grass pastures. Heifer hip height and fecal egg counts were not affected by treatment. These results show that the addition of BFT to organic pasture improves growth of grazing replacement heifers. Economic analyses also demonstrate that interseeding grass pastures with BFT results in an increased economic return compared with grazing monoculture grass pastures. Grass pastures interseeded with BFT may be a sustainable option to achieve adequate growth of Jersey heifers raised in an organic pasture scenario in a temperate climate.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jacob A Hadfield
- Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4815
| | - Blair L Waldron
- Forage and Range Research Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Logan 84322-6300
| | - S Clay Isom
- Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4815
| | - Ryan Feuz
- Agricultural Economics Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4820
| | - Ryan Larsen
- Agricultural Economics Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4820
| | - J Earl Creech
- Plants, Soils, and Climate Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4820
| | - Marcus F Rose
- Plants, Soils, and Climate Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4820
| | - Jenny Long
- Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-2300
| | - Michael D Peel
- Forage and Range Research Laboratory, USDA-Agricultural Research Service, Logan 84322-6300
| | - Rhonda L Miller
- Applied Sciences, Technology, and Education Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-2300
| | - Kerry A Rood
- Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4815
| | - Allen Young
- Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4815
| | - Rusty Stott
- Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4815
| | - Alexis Sweat
- Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4815
| | - Kara J Thornton
- Animal, Dairy, and Veterinary Sciences Department, Utah State University, Logan 84322-4815.
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Portnoy M, Coon C, Barbano DM. Performance evaluation of an enzymatic spectrophotometric method for milk urea nitrogen. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:11422-11431. [PMID: 34389147 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/15/2021] [Accepted: 06/22/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Our objective was to determine the within and between laboratory performance of an enzymatic spectrophotometric method for milk urea nitrogen (MUN) determination. This method first uses urease to hydrolyze urea into ammonia and carbon dioxide. Next, ammonia (as ammonium ions) reacts with 2-oxoglutarate, in the presence of reduced nicotinamide-adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH) and the enzyme glutamate dehydrogenase (GlDH), to form l-glutamic acid, water, and NADP+. The change in light absorption at 340 nm due to the conversion of NADPH to NADP+ is stoichiometrically a function of the MUN content of a milk sample. The relative within (RSDr) and between (RSDR) laboratory method performance values for the MUN enzymatic spectrophotometric method were 0.57% and 0.85%, respectively, when testing individual farm milks. The spectrophotometric MUN method demonstrated better within and between laboratory performance than the International Dairy Federation differential pH MUN method with a much lower RSDr (0.57 vs. 1.40%) and RSDR (0.85 vs. 4.64%). The spectrophotometric MUN method also had similar method performance statistics as other AOAC International official validated chemical methods for primary milk component determinations, with the average of all RSDr and RSDR values being <1%. An official collaborative study of the enzymatic spectrophotometric MUN method is needed to achieve International Dairy Federation, AOAC International, and International Organization for Standardization official method status.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Portnoy
- Cornell University, Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - C Coon
- Cornell University, Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853
| | - D M Barbano
- Cornell University, Northeast Dairy Foods Research Center, Department of Food Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853.
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11
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Portnoy M, Coon C, Barbano D. Infrared milk analyzers: Milk urea nitrogen calibration. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:7426-7437. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-18772] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/22/2020] [Accepted: 01/25/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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12
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Dallago GM, Wade KM, Cue RI, McClure JT, Lacroix R, Pellerin D, Vasseur E. Keeping Dairy Cows for Longer: A Critical Literature Review on Dairy Cow Longevity in High Milk-Producing Countries. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030808. [PMID: 33805738 PMCID: PMC7999272 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030808] [Citation(s) in RCA: 41] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/15/2021] [Revised: 03/03/2021] [Accepted: 03/09/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary The ability of farms to produce milk sustainably is closely related to dairy cow longevity, i.e., the length of productive life. However, longevity is a very complex feature that depends on all the aspects of the lifespan of a cow and there is no standard definition nor metric to measure it. Measuring longevity is important because it influences the profitability and the environmental impact of farms as well as the welfare of the animals. The objectives of this paper were to review metrics used to measure longevity and describe its status among high milk-producing countries. Increasing dairy cow longevity would imply that an animal has an early age at first calving and a long and profitable productive life. Combining age at first calving, length of productive life, and margin over all (available) costs provides a complete evaluation of longevity. This paper also shows that dairy cow longevity has decreased in most high milk-producing countries over time, which confirm the concerns voiced by the dairy industry and other stakeholders. Increasing cow longevity would reduce health costs and increase cow profitability while improving both animal welfare and quality of life, contributing to a more sustainable dairy industry. Abstract The ability of dairy farmers to keep their cows for longer could positively enhance the economic performance of the farms, reduce the environmental footprint of the milk industry, and overall help in justifying a sustainable use of animals for food production. However, there is little published on the current status of cow longevity and we hypothesized that a reason may be a lack of standardization and an over narrow focus of the longevity measure itself. The objectives of this critical literature review were: (1) to review metrics used to measure dairy cow longevity; (2) to describe the status of longevity in high milk-producing countries. Current metrics are limited to either the length of time the animal remains in the herd or if it is alive at a given time. To overcome such a limitation, dairy cow longevity should be defined as an animal having an early age at first calving and a long productive life spent in profitable milk production. Combining age at first calving, length of productive life, and margin over all costs would provide a more comprehensive evaluation of longevity by covering both early life conditions and the length of time the animal remains in the herd once it starts to contribute to the farm revenues, as well as the overall animal health and quality of life. This review confirms that dairy cow longevity has decreased in most high milk-producing countries over time and its relationship with milk yield is not straight forward. Increasing cow longevity by reducing involuntary culling would cut health costs, increase cow lifetime profitability, improve animal welfare, and could contribute towards a more sustainable dairy industry while optimizing dairy farmers’ efficiency in the overall use of resources available.
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Affiliation(s)
- Gabriel M. Dallago
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada; (K.M.W.); (R.I.C.); (E.V.)
- Correspondence:
| | - Kevin M. Wade
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada; (K.M.W.); (R.I.C.); (E.V.)
| | - Roger I. Cue
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada; (K.M.W.); (R.I.C.); (E.V.)
| | - J T. McClure
- Department of Health Management, Atlantic Veterinary College, University of Prince Edward Island, Charlottetown, PE C1A 4P3, Canada;
| | - René Lacroix
- Lactanet, Valacta, 555 Boul des Anciens-Combattants, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3R4, Canada;
| | - Doris Pellerin
- Département des Sciences Animales, Université Laval, Québec, QC G1V 0A6, Canada;
| | - Elsa Vasseur
- Department of Animal Science, McGill University, Sainte-Anne-de-Bellevue, QC H9X 3V9, Canada; (K.M.W.); (R.I.C.); (E.V.)
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Ariyarathne HBPC, Correa-Luna M, Blair H, Garrick D, Lopez-Villalobos N. Can Nitrogen Excretion of Dairy Cows Be Reduced by Genetic Selection for Low Milk Urea Nitrogen Concentration? Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030737. [PMID: 33800330 PMCID: PMC8000226 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030737] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/04/2021] [Revised: 02/23/2021] [Accepted: 03/04/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022] Open
Abstract
The objectives of this study were two-fold. Firstly, to estimate the likely correlated responses in milk urea nitrogen (MUN) concentration, lactation yields of milk (MY), fat (FY) and crude protein (CPY) and mature cow liveweight (LWT) under three selection scenarios which varied in relative emphasis for MUN; 0% relative emphasis (MUN0%: equivalent to current New Zealand breeding worth index), and sign of the economic value; 20% relative emphasis positive selection (MUN+20%), and 20% relative emphasis negative selection (MUN-20%). Secondly, to estimate for these three scenarios the likely change in urinary nitrogen (UN) excretion under pasture based grazing conditions. The predicted genetic responses per cow per year for the current index were 16.4 kg MY, 2.0 kg FY, 1.4 kg CPY, -0.4 kg LWT and -0.05 mg/dL MUN. Positive selection on MUN in the index resulted in annual responses of 23.7 kg MY, 2.0 kg FY, 1.4 kg CPY, 0.6 kg LWT and 0.10 mg/dL MUN, while negative selection on MUN in the index resulted in annual responses of 5.4 kg MY, 1.6 kg FY, 1.0 kg CPY, -1.1 kg LWT and -0.17 mg/dL MUN. The MUN-20% reduced both MUN and cow productivity, whereas the MUN+20% increased MUN, milk production and LWT per cow. Per cow dry matter intake (DMI) was increased in all three scenarios as milk production increased compared to base year, therefore stocking rate (SR) was adjusted to control pasture cover. Paradoxically, ten years of selection with SR adjusted to maintain annual feed demand under the MUN+20% actually reduced per ha UN excretion by 3.54 kg, along with increases of 63 kg MY, 26 kg FY and 16 kg CPY compared to the base year. Ten years of selection on the MUN0% index generated a greater reductions of 10.45 kg UN and 30 kg MY, and increases of 32 kg FY and 21 kg CPY per ha, whereas the MUN-20% index reduced 14.06 kg UN and 136 kg MY with increases of 32 kg FY and 18 kg CPY compared to base year. All three scenarios increased partitioning of nitrogen excreted as feces. The selection index that excluded MUN was economically beneficial in the current economic circumstances over selection indices including MUN regardless of whether selection was either for or against MUN. There was no substantial benefit from an environmental point of view from including MUN in the Breeding Worth index, because N leaching is more a function of SR rather than of individual cow UN excretion. This study demonstrates that attention needs to be paid to the whole system consequences of selection for environmental outcomes in pastoral grazing circumstances.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - Hugh Blair
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; (H.B.); (D.G.); (N.L.-V.)
| | - Dorian Garrick
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; (H.B.); (D.G.); (N.L.-V.)
| | - Nicolas Lopez-Villalobos
- School of Agriculture and Environment, Massey University, Palmerston North 4442, New Zealand; (H.B.); (D.G.); (N.L.-V.)
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Tippenhauer CM, Plenio JL, Madureira AML, Cerri RLA, Heuwieser W, Borchardt S. Factors associated with estrous expression and subsequent fertility in lactating dairy cows using automated activity monitoring. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:6267-6282. [PMID: 33663844 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-19578] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/03/2020] [Accepted: 12/02/2020] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this observational study was to identify factors associated with estrous duration (DU) and intensity measured as the peak of activity (PA) change and subsequent fertility in lactating Holstein cows using a neck-mounted automated activity monitor (Heatime Pro, SCR Engineers Ltd., Netanya, Israel). Ambient temperature and relative humidity were recorded hourly to calculate the temperature-humidity index (THI). A total of 5,933 estrus events from 3,132 cows located on 8 commercial dairy farms in Germany were used for this study. Farms participated in monthly DHIA testing. Pregnancy diagnosis was performed either by transrectal palpation [farm 1: 42 ± 3 d; farm 3: 40 ± 3 d; farms 4 and 8: 38 ± 3 d; farm 5: 43 ± 3 d after artificial insemination (AI)] or transrectal ultrasonography (farms 2, 6, and 7: 30 ± 3 d after AI). Estrous intensity was categorized based on peak activity of estrus into low (35-89 index value), and high (90-100 index value) PA. Overall, 73.5% of estrus events were of high PA. The mean (± standard error of the mean) DU was 14.94 ± 0.06 h. There was a strong correlation between DU and PA (r = 0.67). In the final statistical model, only PA was associated with pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI), with 1.35 greater odds of pregnancy for cows with high PA compared with cows with low PA. Increased THI 1 wk before AI was associated with shorter DU, lower PA, and decreased P/AI. A small percentage of cows (4.7%) showed short interestrus intervals (i.e., more than 1 activity peak within 7 d close to the event of estrus), resulting in reduced DU, PA, and P/AI. The change of weighted rumination was associated with DU and PA, as a lower nadir was associated with a greater risk for high PA and long DU. There was no association, however, between the nadir of change of weighted rumination and P/AI. Whereas milk yield and somatic cell count from the DHIA test date before AI were negatively associated with estrous expression, neither milk yield nor somatic cell count was associated with P/AI. Surprisingly, multiparous cows expressed estrus with longer DU (13.15 ± 0.31 h) compared with primiparous cows (12.52 ± 0.32 h), whereas PA did not differ among parities. Pregnancy per AI was greater for primiparous (29.4%) than for multiparous (22.1%) cows. An estrus event with long DU or high PA was more likely later in lactation. Milk fat, milk protein, milk urea nitrogen, and lactose from the DHIA test date closest to AI had no association with estrous expression or P/AI. In conclusion, DU and PA were highly correlated, and cows with high PA were particularly associated with greater odds for pregnancy. A negative association between estrous expression and P/AI was identified for increased THI 1 wk before AI and cows with short interestrus intervals using automated activity monitor.
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Affiliation(s)
- C M Tippenhauer
- Clinic of Animal Reproduction, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - J-L Plenio
- Institute for Veterinary Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany
| | - A M L Madureira
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - R L A Cerri
- Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - W Heuwieser
- Clinic of Animal Reproduction, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany.
| | - S Borchardt
- Clinic of Animal Reproduction, Freie Universitaet Berlin, 14163 Berlin, Germany
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15
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Epidermal growth factor alleviates the negative impact of urea on frozen-thawed bovine sperm, but the subsequent developmental competence is compromised. Sci Rep 2021; 11:4687. [PMID: 33633199 PMCID: PMC7907109 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-021-83929-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/08/2020] [Accepted: 02/09/2021] [Indexed: 11/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Upon insemination, sperm cells are exposed to components of the female reproductive tract (FRT) fluids, such as urea and epidermal growth factor (EGF). It has been shown that both urea and EGF use EGF receptor signaling and produce reactive oxygen species (ROS) that are required at certain levels for sperm capacitation and acrosome reaction. We therefore hypothesized that during bovine sperm capacitation, a high level of urea and EGF could interfere with sperm function through overproduction of ROS. High-level urea (40 mg/dl urea is equal to 18.8 mg/dl of blood urea nitrogen) significantly increased ROS production and TUNEL-positive sperm (sperm DNA fragmentation, sDF) percentage, but decreased HOS test score, progressive motility, acrosome reaction and capacitation. The EGF reversed the negative effects of urea on all sperm parameters, with the exception of ROS production and DNA fragmentation, which were higher in urea-EGF-incubated sperm than in control-sperm. The developmental competence of oocytes inseminated with urea-EGF-incubated sperm was significantly reduced compared to the control. A close association of ROS production or sDF with 0-pronuclear and sperm non-capacitation rates was found in the network analysis. In conclusion, EGF enhanced urea-reduced sperm motility; however, it failed to reduce urea-increased sperm ROS or sDF levels and to enhance subsequent oocyte competence. The data suggests that any study to improve sperm quality should be followed by a follow-up assessment of the fertilization outcome.
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16
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Glatz-Hoppe J, Boldt A, Spiekers H, Mohr E, Losand B. Relationship between milk constituents from milk testing and health, feeding, and metabolic data of dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:10175-10194. [PMID: 32861490 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17981] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/29/2019] [Accepted: 06/16/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
A new evaluation scheme to assess the nutritional status of dairy cows on the basis of milk constituents was derived from 7.37 million German records of milk testing. The aim of this work was to validate this new scheme. Two data sets with fertility and health information (data set A) and with measured energy and nutrient intake and metabolic characteristics (data set B) were analyzed. Data set A included 32 commercial dairy farms in northeast Germany, with 72,982 records of 43,863 German Holstein cows; data set B included 12 German experimental farms, with 49,275 records of 1,650 German Holstein, Simmental, and Brown Swiss cows. Milk traits were linked to health disorders and metabolic and feeding characteristics. Frequently used limits of milk constituents were compared with ranges of the new "Dummerstorf feeding evaluation." To distinguish an optimal from a deficient energy supply, a milk protein content ≥3.20% (previously used) and a milk fat:protein ratio (FPR) ≤1.4 (new scheme) were chosen and compared with feed energy intake in relation to demand. Energy status was more often correctly assigned by FPR than by milk protein content (80.7 and 68.7%, respectively). Over all data, the new optimum range of milk urea between 150 and 250 mg/L was better suited to dietary crude protein intake in relation to demand than the previously used range of 150 to 300 mg/L (42.4 and 38.0%, respectively). Ketosis or blood values associated with ketosis such as β-hydroxybutyrate >1.2 mmol/L or nonesterified fatty acids >1,000 µmol/L, as well as strong mobilization of body weight ≥1.5 kg/d, loss of back fat thickness ≥10 mm, and loss of body condition score ≥1 unit in first 60 days in milk were compared with different milk trait thresholds. For the updated scheme FPR >1.4 was used in combination with either milk protein content below the individual statistical lower limit of milk protein content, or milk fat content greater than the individual statistical upper limit of milk fat content; FPR >1.5 was taken as a frequently used threshold. For these ketosis indicators, the new scheme had higher sensitivities. Energy oversupply or the risk of overconditioning could not be identified by milk constituents alone. Urinary acid-base content was not related to milk content. Similarly, milk testing data did not allow a clear distinction to be made between the diagnoses of acidosis and, for example, ketosis. Essential requirements for good herd management are the continuous observation of milk testing data in combination with other established instruments of feeding and animal monitoring.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Glatz-Hoppe
- Institute of Livestock Farming, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Research Centre for Agriculture and Fisheries, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany; Department of Animal Health and Welfare, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany.
| | - A Boldt
- Institute of Livestock Farming, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Research Centre for Agriculture and Fisheries, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
| | - H Spiekers
- Institute of Animal Nutrition and Feed Management, Bavarian State Research Center of Agriculture, 85586 Poing-Grub, Germany
| | - E Mohr
- Department of Animal Health and Welfare, Faculty of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, University of Rostock, 18059 Rostock, Germany
| | - B Losand
- Institute of Livestock Farming, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern Research Centre for Agriculture and Fisheries, 18196 Dummerstorf, Germany
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17
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May K, Weimann C, Scheper C, Strube C, König S. Allele substitution and dominance effects of CD166/ALCAM gene polymorphisms for endoparasite resistance and test-day traits in a small cattle population using logistic regression analyses. Mamm Genome 2019; 30:301-317. [PMID: 31650268 DOI: 10.1007/s00335-019-09818-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
Abstract
The study investigated the effects of four single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the activated leukocyte cell adhesion molecule (ALCAM) gene on liver fluke (Fasciola hepatica) infections (FH-INF), gastrointestinal nematode infections (GIN-INF) and disease indicator traits [e.g. somatic cell score (SCS), fat-to-protein ratio (FPR)] in German dual-purpose cattle (DSN). A genome-wide association study inferred the chip SNP ALCAMc.73+32791A>G as a candidate for F. hepatica resistance in DSN. Because of the crucial function of ALCAM in immune responses, SNPs in the gene might influence further resistance and performance traits. Causal mutations were identified in exon 9 (ALCAMc.1017T>C) and intron 9 (ALCAMc.1104+10T>A, ALCAMc.1104+85T>C) in a selective subset of 94 DSN cows. We applied logistic regression analyses for the association between SNP genotypes with residuals for endoparasite traits (rINF-FH, rGIN-INF) and estimated breeding values (EBVs) for test-day traits. The probability of the heterozygous genotype was estimated in dependency of the target trait. Allele substitution effects for rFH-INF were significant for all four loci. The T allele of the SNPs ALCAMc.1017T>C and ALCAMc.1104+85T>C was the favourable allele when improving resistance against FH-INF. Significant allele substitution for rGIN-INF was only found for the chip SNP ALCAMc.73+32791A>G. We identified significant associations between the SNPs with EBVs for milk fat%, protein% and FPR. Dominance effects for the EBVs of test-day traits ranged from 0.00 to 0.47 SD and were in the direction of improved resistance for rFH-INF. We estimated favourable dominance effects from same genotypes for rFH-INF and FPR, but dominance effects were antagonistic between rFH-INF and SCS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina May
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, 35390, Giessen, Germany.
| | - Christina Weimann
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, 35390, Giessen, Germany
| | - Carsten Scheper
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, 35390, Giessen, Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Center for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hanover, 30559, Hannover, Germany
| | - Sven König
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, 35390, Giessen, Germany
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Dietary protein level and corn processing method: Lactation performance, milk fatty acid composition, rumen and blood parameters of lactation dairy cows. Livest Sci 2019. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2019.01.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/21/2022]
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19
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Hill SL, Olson KC, Jaeger JR, Stevenson JS. Serum and plasma metabolites associated with postpartum ovulation and pregnancy risks in suckled beef cows subjected to artificial insemination. J Anim Sci 2018; 96:258-272. [PMID: 29385490 DOI: 10.1093/jas/skx033] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/28/2017] [Accepted: 01/17/2018] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Two experiments were conducted to determine relationships of blood metabolite concentrations, BW, BCS, and rump fat depth with postpartum ovulation and pregnancy risks, as well as their utility in predicting those outcomes in suckled beef cows. In experiment 1, plasma glucose collected 10 and 3 d before AI of suckled beef cows at seven locations did not differ between cows that had resumed estrous cycles (ovulated) before AI compared with anovulatory cows, whereas plasma glucose 3 d before AI was greater (P < 0.01) in cows that became pregnant compared with nonpregnant cows. Serum beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) tended (P = 0.09) to be less in ovulatory cows compared with anovulatory cows 10 d before AI, but was unrelated to pregnancy status. Receiver-operator derived true-positive (sensitivity) and false-positive (1-specificity) risks were determined for plasma glucose and serum BHB as predictors for postpartum ovulation and pregnancy status. Serum BHB 3 d before AI produced true-positive and false-positive risks of 82% and 37%, respectively, when predicting ovulatory status before AI. Serum BHB 10 d before AI produced a true-positive and false-positive risks of 92% and 25%, respectively, when predicting pregnancy status. In experiment 2, blood was collected weekly for 12 wk from multiparous suckled beef cows to assess blood metabolite concentrations in addition to concurrent weekly assessments of BW, BCS, and rump fat. When blood metabolites and physical measures were normalized to parturition reflecting changes occurring during the first 6 wk after calving, we observed reduced (P < 0.05) concentrations of serum BHB and NEFA, and greater (P < 0.05) rump fat and BCS in cows that ovulated before first AI, whereas reduced (P < 0.05) plasma glucose was characteristic of cows that became pregnant. When blood metabolites and physical measures were normalized to the onset of the AI program reflecting changes during 6 wk before AI, ovulatory cows had increased (P < 0.05) BCS and lower (P < 0.05) NEFA from 3 to 6 wk before the onset of the AI program compared with anovulatory cows. With all predictor variables in regression models, some multiple correlation coefficients (R2) exceeded 50% when predicting postpartum ovulatory status, but those for predicting pregnancy risk were less than 25%. Although measures of BCS and BHB during 6 wk after calving were related to postpartum ovulation risk, rump fat, glucose, BCS, and NEFA were associated with cows that were ovulatory and pregnant.
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Affiliation(s)
- S L Hill
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
| | - K C Olson
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
| | - J R Jaeger
- Department of Animal Sciences and Industry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS
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20
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Brandstetter E, Costa K, da Silva M, Araújo Neto F, da Silva V, Neves R, de Souza W, de Oliveira I. Production of Jiggs bermudagrass and the impact of quality milk production and quality of Holstein dairy cows under an intermittent grazing system. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2018. [DOI: 10.1139/cjas-2016-0136] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
Dairy production plays a fundamental role in the Brazilian economy and high-quality forage is necessary for ruminants to produce satisfactory milk levels. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the production and quality of Jiggs bermudagrass and its effects on the production and quality parameters of milk from Holstein cows under an intermittent grazing system throughout the year. The experiment was conducted in a randomized design with the four seasons as treatments, replicated five times. The season had a significant effect on the production and nutritional parameters of Jiggs bermudagrass with the highest total dry matter production observed during summer, followed by spring and fall. The neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber contents were significantly higher in winter. The in vitro dry matter digestibility was significantly higher in summer, spring, and fall. Jiggs bermudagrass is a promising forage for the enhancement of milk production under intermittent stocking. However, its effects vary seasonally which exerts a greater influence during the winter, even with irrigation, because it directly affects the milk production and quality. The correlation results demonstrated the importance of better quality forage for increasing milk production without compromising the levels of milk solids.
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Affiliation(s)
- E.V. Brandstetter
- Department of Animal Sciences, Goiás Federal Institute (Instituto Federal Goiano—IF Goiano, Campus Rio Verde), Rodovia Sul Goiânia, km 01, Zona Rural, Rio Verde, GO, CEP 75.901-970, Brazil
| | - K.A.P. Costa
- Department of Animal Sciences, Goiás Federal Institute (Instituto Federal Goiano—IF Goiano, Campus Rio Verde), Rodovia Sul Goiânia, km 01, Zona Rural, Rio Verde, GO, CEP 75.901-970, Brazil
| | - M.A.P. da Silva
- Department of Animal Sciences, Goiás Federal Institute (Instituto Federal Goiano—IF Goiano, Campus Rio Verde), Rodovia Sul Goiânia, km 01, Zona Rural, Rio Verde, GO, CEP 75.901-970, Brazil
| | - F.R. Araújo Neto
- Department of Animal Sciences, Goiás Federal Institute (Instituto Federal Goiano—IF Goiano, Campus Rio Verde), Rodovia Sul Goiânia, km 01, Zona Rural, Rio Verde, GO, CEP 75.901-970, Brazil
| | - V.R. da Silva
- Department of Animal Sciences, Goiás Federal Institute (Instituto Federal Goiano—IF Goiano, Campus Rio Verde), Rodovia Sul Goiânia, km 01, Zona Rural, Rio Verde, GO, CEP 75.901-970, Brazil
| | - R.B.S. Neves
- Goiás Federal University (Universidade Federal de Goiás), Goiânia, GO, Brazil
| | - W.F. de Souza
- Department of Animal Sciences, Goiás Federal Institute (Instituto Federal Goiano—IF Goiano, Campus Rio Verde), Rodovia Sul Goiânia, km 01, Zona Rural, Rio Verde, GO, CEP 75.901-970, Brazil
| | - I.P. de Oliveira
- Department of Animal Sciences, Goiás Federal Institute (Instituto Federal Goiano—IF Goiano, Campus Rio Verde), Rodovia Sul Goiânia, km 01, Zona Rural, Rio Verde, GO, CEP 75.901-970, Brazil
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Rearte R, LeBlanc SJ, Corva SG, de la Sota RL, Lacau-Mengido IM, Giuliodori MJ. Effect of milk production on reproductive performance in dairy herds. J Dairy Sci 2018; 101:7575-7584. [PMID: 29803419 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2017-13796] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/06/2017] [Accepted: 04/16/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The objective of the present study was to assess the relationship between individual cow milk yield and fertility, accounting for the contextual effect of the herd. A data set including 657,968 lactations from 677 dairy herds in Argentina from 2001 to 2012 was used. The odds of pregnancy by 100 d in milk (DIM) were assessed by a multilevel logistic model (with cow as the first and herd as the second hierarchical level), and time to pregnancy was assessed by a proportional hazards regression model. Multilevel logistic models included the fixed effects of milk yield by 80 DIM, parity, year, and calving season at cow level and quartiles of herd milk yield by 80 DIM as a contextual effect. The proportional hazards model included the effect of daily cow-level milk yield as time-dependent variable, with milk yield at herd level as the stratification variable. Cows producing 1 standard deviation over the mean milk yield of their herd had 1.3 percentage point lower pregnancy by 100 DIM (from 31.4 to 30.1%; odds ratio = 0.942) when in herds in the top quartile of milk yield, whereas they increased 0.5 percentage points (from 27.9 to 28.4%) when in herds in the lowest quartile of milk yield. Only 4% of the observed variation in pregnancy by 100 DIM was explained by the random effect of the herd. Similarly, cows producing 1 standard deviation (8 kg/d) greater than the herd mean daily milk had 1.3% lower hazard of pregnancy (hazard ratio = 0.987) at 63 DIM in herds in the top quartile of milk yield, whereas they had 14.8% higher hazard (hazard ratio = 1.148) in herds in the lowest quartile of milk yield. The magnitude of the negative association between the cow's daily milk yield and the hazard of pregnancy increased with DIM. In conclusion, the relationship between milk yield and reproductive performance is statistically significant, but the effect size is practically small and is modulated by herd production level.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Rearte
- Cátedra de Higiene, Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias-Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, B1900AVW, Argentina; Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1033AAJ, Argentina
| | - S J LeBlanc
- Department of Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario, Canada N1G 2W1
| | - S G Corva
- Cátedra de Higiene, Epidemiología y Salud Pública, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias-Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, B1900AVW, Argentina
| | - R L de la Sota
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1033AAJ, Argentina; Cátedra y Servicio de Reproducción Animal, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias-Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, B1900AVW, Argentina
| | - I M Lacau-Mengido
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET), Buenos Aires, C1033AAJ, Argentina; Instituto de Biología y Medicina Experimental-Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas, Buenos Aires, C1428ADN, Argentina
| | - M J Giuliodori
- Cátedra de Fisiología, Facultad de Ciencias Veterinarias-Universidad Nacional de La Plata, La Plata, B1900AVW, Argentina.
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Zhang H, Wang M, Jiang H, Cui Y, Xia H, Ni W, Li M, Karrow NA, Yang Z, Mao Y. Factors affecting the milk urea nitrogen concentration in Chinese Holstein cows. ANIM BIOL 2018. [DOI: 10.1163/15707563-17000099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Abstract
In order to investigate the factors affecting milk urea nitrogen in Chinese Holstein cows, a large commercial dairy farm participated in a 30-month study. In this study, the mean milk urea nitrogen concentration was 11.75 mg/dl. The milk urea nitrogen reached its maximum value on day 90 of lactation for the first parity and the third or higher parities, but it peaked at the end of lactation for the second parity. The milk urea nitrogen of the first parity was lower than that of other parities. The milk urea nitrogen showed its minimum level in January, and reached its maximum in July. The milk urea nitrogen at the first month of lactation in cows calving in summer was higher than other seasons, while at the fourth month of lactation, the milk urea nitrogen of cows calving in autumn was significantly lower than in cows calving in other seasons. Positive correlations were observed between daily milk yield, net energy for lactation, crude protein and milk urea nitrogen for the first and third parities, but negative correlations were observed in the second parity. The milk urea nitrogen showed significantly positive correlations with fat content, total solid content and daily matter intake for all parities. A negative correlation was observed between milk urea nitrogen and protein content, with the exception of the second parity. For all data, as milk urea nitrogen concentration increased, milk protein content decreased. It has been recommended that milk urea nitrogen concentration should be evaluated in combination with parity, days in milk, season (or month), daily matter intake and dietary nutritional components, in order to improve the management and economic benefits of dairy farm.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huimin Zhang
- 1College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Mengqi Wang
- 1College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Hongrui Jiang
- 1College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yan Cui
- 2Institute of Agricultural Products Processing, Ningbo Academy of Agricultural Sciences, Ningbo 315040, China
| | - Hailei Xia
- 1College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Wei Ni
- 1College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Mingxun Li
- 1College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Niel A. Karrow
- 3Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - Zhangping Yang
- 1College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
| | - Yongjiang Mao
- 1College of Animal Science and Technology, Yangzhou University, Yangzhou 225009, China
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Gahlot SC, Kumar S, Kumaresan A, Vairamuthu S, Saraf KK, Sreela L, Baithalu RK, Lathwal SS, Mohanty TK. Biochemical analysis of uterine fluid for identification of indicators for subclinical endometritis in the water buffalo (Bubalus bubalis). Reprod Domest Anim 2017; 53:48-53. [DOI: 10.1111/rda.13051] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/02/2017] [Accepted: 07/06/2017] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- SC Gahlot
- Theriogenology Lab; Animal Reproduction Gynaecology & Obstetrics; National Dairy Research Institute; Karnal Haryana India
| | - S Kumar
- Theriogenology Lab; Animal Reproduction Gynaecology & Obstetrics; National Dairy Research Institute; Karnal Haryana India
| | - A Kumaresan
- Theriogenology Lab; Animal Reproduction Gynaecology & Obstetrics; National Dairy Research Institute; Karnal Haryana India
| | - S Vairamuthu
- Centralized Clinical Laboratory; Madras Veterinary College; TANUVAS; Chennai India
| | - KK Saraf
- Theriogenology Lab; Animal Reproduction Gynaecology & Obstetrics; National Dairy Research Institute; Karnal Haryana India
| | - L Sreela
- Theriogenology Lab; Animal Reproduction Gynaecology & Obstetrics; National Dairy Research Institute; Karnal Haryana India
| | - RK Baithalu
- Livestock Research Centre; National Dairy Research Institute; Karnal Haryana India
| | - SS Lathwal
- Livestock Research Centre; National Dairy Research Institute; Karnal Haryana India
| | - TK Mohanty
- Artificial Breeding Research Centre; National Dairy Research Institute; Karnal Haryana India
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Ghanem ME, Tezuka E, Sasaki K, Takahashi M, Yamagishi N, Izaike Y, Osawa T. Correlation of blood metabolite concentrations and body condition scores with persistent postpartum uterine bacterial infection in dairy cows. J Reprod Dev 2016; 62:457-463. [PMID: 27349443 PMCID: PMC5081732 DOI: 10.1262/jrd.2015-103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 9] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
To analyze the relationship of blood metabolite concentrations and body condition score (BCS) with persistent bacterial uterine infection, specifically that caused by Trueperella pyogenes and anaerobic bacteria, uterine bacteriological swabs (n = 128) were collected from 64 Holstein cows at 5 (W5) and 7 (W7) weeks postpartum, and the percentage of neutrophils in the endometrium was evaluated. Blood glucose, total cholesterol (T-cho), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), non-esterified fatty acid (NEFA), and β-hydroxybutyric acid concentrations were analyzed at 3 weeks (W-3) and 1 week (W-1) prepartum and W3, W5, and W7 postpartum. BCS were evaluated at W-3, W3, and W7. Blood glucose concentrations at W-3 and W-1 in cows with persistent bacterial infection were lower (P = 0.05) than in the rest of the cows. Total BUN concentrations in cows with persistent bacterial infection were lower (P < 0.01) than those in other cows, although the association between the pre or postpartum time and status of infection was not significant. Total NEFA concentrations in cows with persistent bacterial infection were similar to those in uninfected cows and cows positive for infection at W5 but not W7. Total BCS in cows with persistent bacterial infection were lower (P < 0.01) than those in cows positive for infection at both W5 but not W7 and W7 but not W5; however, the association between the pre or postpartum time and status of infection was not significant. Glucose concentrations at W-3 and W-1 negatively correlated with persistent bacterial infection at W5 and W7 (P < 0.01). BUN concentrations at W3 (P < 0.01), W5 (P < 0.05), and W7 (P < 0.05) and BCS at W3 (P < 0.01) negatively correlated with persistent postpartum bacterial infection. Decreased prepartum blood glucose concentrations might be an important risk factor for persistent postpartum bacterial uterine infection in dairy cows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohamed Elshabrawy Ghanem
- Department of Veterinary Medicine, Faculty of Agriculture, Iwate University, Morioka 020-8550, Japan
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Kowsar R, Marey MA, Shimizu T, Miyamoto A. Short communication: Urea induces T helper 2 (Th2) type environment at transcriptional level and prostaglandin E2 secretion in bovine oviduct epithelial cells in culture. J Dairy Sci 2016; 99:5844-5850. [PMID: 27132094 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2016-10874] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2016] [Accepted: 03/24/2016] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
Excess dietary protein intake in early lactation dairy cows resulting in blood urea nitrogen of greater than 19 to 20mg/dL is associated with decreased fertility. Little is known about the local interference of urea in the normal immunological environment of the oviduct that provides optimal conditions for early reproductive events. A bovine oviduct epithelial cell (BOEC) culture was used to determine how urea influences immune environment. The BOEC monolayer was supplemented with low (20mg/dL) and high (40mg/dL) concentrations of urea together with ovarian steroids, estradiol (1ng/mL) and progesterone (1ng/mL), and LH (10ng/mL) at concentrations observed during the preovulatory period. The urea values used in this study were equivalent to 9.3 and 18.7mg/dL of blood urea nitrogen, which are typically common in lactating dairy cows with low or high protein intake, respectively. Stimulation of BOEC with 40mg/dL of urea induced gene expression of IL10 and IL4, epithelial-derived T helper type 2-driving (anti-inflammatory) cytokines as well as mPGES-1 expression and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) secretion. However, urea concentrations of both 20 and 40mg/dL failed to alter the expression of IL1B and TNFA, Th1-driving cytokines, and the gene expression of TLR4. However, a concentration of 40mg/dL of urea stimulated α 1-acid glycoprotein expression, an acute phase protein. Data from this in vitro study suggest that urea, at least in part, contributes to influence the expression of some immune-related genes toward T helper type 2 type and prostaglandin E2 secretion, leading to disruption in local environment for fertilization and early embryonic development.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Kowsar
- Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Department of Animal Science, College of Agriculture, Isfahan University of Technology, Isfahan, 84156-83111, Iran.
| | - M A Marey
- Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan; Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Damanhur University, Behera, Egypt 22511
| | - T Shimizu
- Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
| | - A Miyamoto
- Graduate School of Animal and Food Hygiene, Obihiro University of Agriculture and Veterinary Medicine, Obihiro, Hokkaido 080-8555, Japan
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26
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Bastin C, Théron L, Lainé A, Gengler N. On the role of mid-infrared predicted phenotypes in fertility and health dairy breeding programs. J Dairy Sci 2016; 99:4080-4094. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2015-10087] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/08/2015] [Accepted: 11/02/2015] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
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Bertoni G, Trevisi E, Lombardelli R. Some new aspects of nutrition, health conditions and fertility of intensively reared dairy cows. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2016. [DOI: 10.4081/ijas.2009.491] [Citation(s) in RCA: 48] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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28
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Schären M, Jostmeier S, Ruesink S, Hüther L, Frahm J, Bulang M, Meyer U, Rehage J, Isselstein J, Breves G, Dänicke S. The effects of a ration change from a total mixed ration to pasture on health and production of dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 2016; 99:1183-1200. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2015-9873] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/17/2015] [Accepted: 10/03/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Abstract
Evolutionary biology provides reasons for why the intensive selection for milk production reduces reproductive success rates. There is considerable exploitable genetic variation in reproductive performance in both dairy and beef cattle, and examination of national genetic trends demonstrates that genetic gain for both reproductive performance and milk production is possible in a well-structured breeding program. Reproductive failure is often postulated to be a consequence of the greater negative energy balance associated with the genetic selection for increased milk production. However, experimental results indicate that the majority of the decline in reproductive performance cannot be attributed to early lactation energy balance, per se; reproductive success will, therefore, not be greatly improved by nutritional interventions aimed at reducing the extent of negative energy balance. Modeling can aid in better pinpointing the key physiological components governing reproductive success and, also, the impact of individual improvements on overall fertility, helping to prioritize variables for inclusion in breeding programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- D P Berry
- Animal & Grassland Research and Innovation Center, Teagasc, Moorepark, County Cork, Ireland;
| | - N C Friggens
- INRA and.,AgroParisTech, UMR0791 Modélisation Systémique Appliqué aux Ruminants, 75231 Paris, France;
| | - M Lucy
- Division of Animal Science, University of Missouri, Columbia, Missouri 65211;
| | - J R Roche
- DairyNZ Ltd., Hamilton 3240, New Zealand;
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30
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Yin T, Pinent T, Brügemann K, Simianer H, König S. Simulation, prediction, and genetic analyses of daily methane emissions in dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci 2015; 98:5748-62. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2014-8618] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/15/2014] [Accepted: 04/07/2015] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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31
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Czajkowska A, Sitkowska B, Piwczyński D, Wójcik P, Mroczkowski S. Genetic and environmental determinants of the urea level in cow's milk. Arch Anim Breed 2015. [DOI: 10.5194/aab-58-65-2015] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Abstract. This study was conducted on a sample of 2237 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows. The aim was to estimate the effect of selected environmental factors on the level of urea in cow's milk and on its genetic parameters, i.e. the heritability coefficients, and genetic correlation with other selected traits of milk production. The present study has revealed the existence of a highly significant influence of herd, year of calving, parity, lactation phase, and milk performance level on the urea content in cow's milk. A high urea level in milk was detected in samples collected from older animals, both during the winter season and the middle phase of lactation (101–200 days). The heritability estimates were generally at a low level, particularly in terms of milk yield (0.183) and urea content (0.152–0.159), which may indicate the dominant role of the environment in shaping them. Relatively low values of genetic correlation (−0.097–0.140) between the urea content and other traits suggest that improvement of milk yield and its composition modify the urea level in milk only to a small degree.
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32
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Hills JL, Wales WJ, Dunshea FR, Garcia SC, Roche JR. Invited review: An evaluation of the likely effects of individualized feeding of concentrate supplements to pasture-based dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 2015; 98:1363-401. [PMID: 25582585 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2014-8475] [Citation(s) in RCA: 59] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/11/2014] [Accepted: 11/13/2014] [Indexed: 12/21/2022]
Abstract
In pasture-based dairy systems, supplementary feeds are used to increase dry matter intake and milk production. Historically, supplementation involved the provision of the same amount of feed (usually a grain-based concentrate feed) to each cow in the herd during milking (i.e., flat-rate feeding). The increasing availability of computerized feeding and milk monitoring technology in milking parlors, however, has led to increased interest in the potential benefits of feeding individual cows (i.e., individualized or differential feeding) different amounts and types of supplements according to one or more parameters (e.g., breeding value for milk yield, current milk yield, days in milk, body condition score, reproduction status, parity). In this review, we consider the likely benefits of individualized supplementary feeding strategies for pasture-based dairy cows fed supplements in the bail during milking. A unique feature of our review compared with earlier publications is the focus on individualized feeding strategies under practical grazing management. Previous reviews focused primarily on research undertaken in situations where cows were offered ad libitum forage, whereas we consider the likely benefits of individualized supplementary feeding strategies under rotational grazing management, wherein pasture is often restricted to all or part of a herd. The review provides compelling evidence that between-cow differences in response to concentrate supplements support the concept of individualized supplementary feeding.
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Affiliation(s)
- J L Hills
- Tasmanian Institute of Agriculture, Dairy Center, The University of Tasmania, Burnie, Tasmania 7320, Australia
| | - W J Wales
- Agriculture Research Division, Department of Environment and Primary Industries, Ellinbank, Victoria 3821, Australia
| | - F R Dunshea
- Melbourne School of Land and Environment, The University of Melbourne, Parkville, Victoria 3010, Australia
| | - S C Garcia
- MC Franklin Laboratory, Faculty of Veterinary Science, University of Sydney, Camden, New South Wales 2570, Australia
| | - J R Roche
- DairyNZ, Private Bag 3221, Hamilton 3240, New Zealand.
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Hills JL, García SC, Dela Rue B, Clark CEF. Limitations and potential for individualised feeding of concentrate supplements to grazing dairy cows. ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2015. [DOI: 10.1071/an14855] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
The increasing availability and installation of computerised feeding and milk-monitoring technology in Australia and New Zealand has led to an increased interest in feeding individual cows different amounts and types of supplements over lactation. However, there is confusion about the potential benefits of individualised feeding strategies compared with feeding the same amount of supplement to all cows in the herd on any given day. The majority of bail feeding research conducted over the past 30 years has identified little difference in cow response between flat-rate feeding and more complicated approaches of split feeding or feeding to individual cow milk yield. However, it must be noted that many of these experiments involved animals with ad libitum access to a forage supply. This is an important distinction as individual cows receiving high-quality forage ad libitum would be able to compensate, at least partially, for any shortage in concentrate. Large variability in response to supplements among individual cows within the herd implies that there should be a benefit from individualised bail feeding practices. This review examines the potential for individualised bail feeding in pasture-based dairy systems, considering both system (pasture allowance and type) and cow-level parameters (e.g. dry matter intake, milk yield, genotype, bodyweight, stage of lactation) that could affect the individual cow response to a particular supplement, and discusses the current limitations and future challenges for implementing this technology on farm. Recommendations for future research are made to address any knowledge gaps.
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Grant JK, Steichen PL, Wright CL, Vonnahme KA, Bauer ML, Jennings JS, Perry GA. Influence of nitrogen and sulfur intake on bovine uterine pH throughout the luteal phase1. J Anim Sci 2013; 91:1186-92. [DOI: 10.2527/jas.2012-5518] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- J. K. Grant
- Department of Animal Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, 57007
| | - P. L. Steichen
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58108
| | - C. L. Wright
- Department of Animal Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, 57007
| | - K. A. Vonnahme
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58108
| | - M. L. Bauer
- Department of Animal Sciences, North Dakota State University, Fargo 58108
| | | | - G. A. Perry
- Department of Animal Sciences, South Dakota State University, Brookings, 57007
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Rosa D, Trentin J, Pessoa G, Silva C, Rubin M. Qualidade do leite em amostras individuais e de tanque de vacas leiteiras. ARQUIVOS DO INSTITUTO BIOLÓGICO 2012. [DOI: 10.1590/s1808-16572012000400004] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023] Open
Abstract
Amostras de leite foram coletadas de tanques de expansão (n = 69) e das vacas individualmente (n = 3517), em propriedades com sistema de produção especializado (ES, n = 3), semiespecializado (SE, n = 5) e não especializado (NE, n = 7). A composição, contagem de células somáticas (CCS) e teor de nitrogênio ureico (NU) foram avaliados nos diferentes sistemas e estações do ano. Os dados foram comparados aos parâmetros da Instrução Normativa 51/2002 (IN51) para a região Sul do Brasil, de maio/2009 a junho/2010. Analisando os três sistemas de produção, 42% (n = 29/69) das amostras de leite dos tanques de expansão e 11% (n = 375/3517) das individuais atenderam a IN51. Amostras de leite de tanque do sistema ES 70% (n = 14/20), SE 39% (n = 9/23) e NE 23% (n = 6/26) atenderam os critérios da IN51. Amostras de leite individuais apresentaram menor percentual com parâmetros mínimos da IN51 comparada ao tanque. O leite de vacas sadias dilui a CCS de vacas doentes, indicando que a CCS do tanque não é um indicador confiável para qualidade do leite. Os teores médios de gordura, proteína e sólidos totais em amostras de tanque foram semelhantes entre os sistemas de produção. A lactose e NU nas amostras do tanque foram similares entre as estações do ano. Em contraste, a CCS do tanque e individual não alcançaram os parâmetros da IN51. O teor médio de NU foi maior (P < 0,001) nas amostras de leite de tanque e individual do sistema especializado. A análise de amostras de leite de cada vaca permitiu melhoria nutricional do rebanho especializado.
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Affiliation(s)
- D.C. Rosa
- Universidade Federal de Santa Maria, Brasil
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Mellado M, Zuñiga A, Veliz F, de Santiago A, Garcia J, Mellado J. Factors influencing pregnancy per artificial insemination in repeat-breeder cows induced to ovulate with a CIDR-based protocol. Anim Reprod Sci 2012; 134:105-11. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2012.08.001] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/16/2011] [Revised: 07/03/2012] [Accepted: 08/05/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Fatehi F, Zali A, Honarvar M, Dehghan-banadaky M, Young A, Ghiasvand M, Eftekhari M. Review of the relationship between milk urea nitrogen and days in milk, parity, and monthly temperature mean in Iranian Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci 2012; 95:5156-5163. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2011-4349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/08/2011] [Accepted: 04/09/2012] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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Gath V, Crowe M, O’Callaghan D, Boland M, Duffy P, Lonergan P, Mulligan F. Effects of diet type on establishment of pregnancy and embryo development in beef heifers. Anim Reprod Sci 2012; 133:139-45. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2012.06.019] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/08/2011] [Revised: 06/20/2012] [Accepted: 06/22/2012] [Indexed: 10/28/2022]
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Silveira VA, Lopes NM, Oliveira RC, Gonzales B, Siqueira AV, Bier LPP, Zoni MS, Giardini W, Pereira RAN, Almeida RD, Pereira MN. Substituição parcial de farelo de soja por ureia de liberação lenta em rebanhos leiteiros comerciais. REVISTA BRASILEIRA DE SAÚDE E PRODUÇÃO ANIMAL 2012. [DOI: 10.1590/s1519-99402012000200008] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Dois experimentos foram conduzidos para avaliar a substituição parcial de farelo de soja por ureia encapsulada (Optigen®II, Alltech do Brasil, Curitiba, PR, Brasil). Na dieta Controle, 1kg de farelo de soja foi substituído por mistura isonitrogenada que continha 160g de Optigen®II + 2,5kg de silagem de milho no Exp.1, ou 150g de Optigen®II + 850g de milho moído fino no Exp.2. No Exp.1, 61 vacas Holandês foram blocadas e alocadas a um tratamento por 21 dias, e as medidas da mesma variável no final da padronização utilizadas como covariável. No Exp.2, 97 vacas foram alocadas a uma sequência dos dois tratamentos por 21 dias, em delineamento de reversão simples. A resposta aos tratamentos foi avaliada do dia 17 ao 21. Em ambos os experimentos, não houve diferenças entre os tratamentos na composição em nutrientes da dieta oferecida e das sobras, nas sobras como % do oferecido, no peso vivo e no escore de condição corporal dos animais. A produção diária de leite foi 38,4 kg/d no Controle e 38,9 no Optigen®II (P=0,62) no Exp.1, e 27,0kg/d e 27,2 no Exp.2 (P=0,64), respectivamente. A ureia encapsulada reduziu a porcentagem de gordura no leite no Exp.2 (P=0,04). O Optigen®II aumentou o nitrogênio ureico no leite de 16,3 para 17,3mg/dL no Exp.1 (P<0,01) e as relações entre o leite produzido e o alimento consumido (P=0,08) e entre a alantoína e a creatinina urinárias (P=0,03) no Exp.2. A substituição parcial de farelo de soja por Optigen®II não induziu queda no desempenho.
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Genetic relationship between milk urea nitrogen and reproductive performance in Holstein dairy cows. Animal 2012; 5:26-32. [PMID: 22440698 DOI: 10.1017/s1751731110001606] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/05/2022] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to describe the genetic and phenotypic relationship between milk urea nitrogen (MUN) and reproductive traits in Iranian Holstein dairy cows. Test-day MUN data obtained from 57 301 dairy cows on 20 large dairy herds in Iran between January 2005 and June 2009. Genetic parameters for MUN and reproductive traits were estimated with a five-trait model using ASREML program. Random regression test-day models were used to estimate heritabilities separately for MUN from first, second and third lactations. Regression curves were modeled using Legendre polynomials of order 3. Herd-year-season along with age at calving was included as fixed effects in all models for reproductive traits. Heritabilities for MUN and reproductive traits were estimated separately for first lactation, second lactation and third lactation. The estimated heritabilities for MUN varied from 0.18 to 0.22. The heritability estimate was low for reproductive traits, which ranged from 0.02 to 0.06 for different traits and across parities. Except for days open, phenotypic and genetic correlations of MUN with reproductive performance traits were close to zero. Genetic correlations between MUN and days open were 0.23, 0.35 and 0.45 in first, second and third lactation, respectively. However, the phenotypic correlation between MUN at different parities was moderate (0.28 to 0.35), but the genetic correlation between MUN at different parities was high and ranged from 0.84 to 0.97. This study shows a limited application of MUN for use in selection programs to improve reproductive performance.
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Mucha S, Strandberg E. Genetic analysis of milk urea nitrogen and relationships with yield and fertility across lactation. J Dairy Sci 2012; 94:5665-72. [PMID: 22032390 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2010-3916] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/09/2010] [Accepted: 08/03/2011] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this project was to investigate the relationship of milk urea nitrogen (MUN) with 3 milk production traits [milk yield (MY), fat yield (FY), protein yield (PY)] and 6 fertility measures (number of inseminations, calving interval, interval from calving to first insemination, interval from calving to last insemination, interval from first to last insemination, and pregnancy at first insemination). Data consisted of 635,289 test-day records of MY, FY, PY, and MUN on 76,959 first-lactation Swedish Holstein cows calving from 2001 to 2003, and corresponding lactation records for the fertility traits. Yields and MUN were analyzed with a random regression model followed by a multi-trait model in which the lactation was broken into 10 monthly periods. Heritability for MUN was stable across lactation (between 0.16 and 0.18), whereas MY, FY, and PY had low heritability at the beginning of lactation, which increased with time and stabilized after 100 d in milk, at 0.47, 0.36, and 0.44, respectively. Fertility traits had low heritabilities (0.02 to 0.05). Phenotypic correlations of MUN and milk production traits were between 0.13 (beginning of lactation) and 0.00 (end of lactation). Genetic correlations of MUN and MY, FY, and PY followed similar trends and were positive (0.22) at the beginning and negative (-0.15) at the end of lactation. Phenotypic correlations of MUN and fertility were close to zero. A surprising result was that genetic correlations of MUN and fertility traits suggest a positive relationship between the 2 traits for most of the lactation, indicating that animals with breeding values for increased MUN also had breeding values for improved fertility. This result was obtained with a random regression model as well as with a multi-trait model. The analyzed group of cows had a moderate level of MUN concentration. In such a population MUN concentration may increase slightly due to selection for improved fertility. Conversely, selection for increased MUN concentration may improve fertility slightly.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Mucha
- Department of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, Uppsala, Sweden.
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Senosy WS, Izaike Y, Osawa T. Influences of metabolic traits on subclinical endometritis at different intervals postpartum in high milking cows. Reprod Domest Anim 2011; 47:666-74. [PMID: 22053752 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2011.01941.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/15/2022]
Abstract
Seventy pluriparous high-yielding cows were used to investigate the impact of metabolic traits and body condition score (BCS) during early lactation on subclinical endometritis diagnosed at weeks 5, 6 and 7 postpartum (pp). Blood samples were collected from animals with no peripartum problems from the second (W2) to seventh (W7) weeks pp to estimate some blood metabolites including non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), β-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA), blood glucose, total cholesterol (T-chol) and blood urea nitrogen (BUN). Reproductive tract examination was carried out at weeks 5, 6 and 7 pp by endometrial cytology (percentage of polymorphonuclear cells; PMN%). Based on PMN%, animals having <5% were defined as subclinical endometritis group (ENDM group) while animals unaffected by endometritis were defined as no subclinical endometritis group (NOENDM group). Animals with endometritis during week 5 were identified as ENDM5, during week 6 identified as ENDM6 and during week 7 identified as ENDM7 or animals with no endometritis during weeks 5 (NOENDM5), 6 (NOENDM6) and 7 (NOENDM7) pp. Animals diagnosed at week 5; BUN and BCS were lower p < 0.05 in ENDM 5 than NOENDM5 group at W2, W4, W6 and W7. Cows diagnosed at week 6; T-chol was significantly higher (p = 0.05) in ENDM6 group (279.2 ± 12.5 mg/dl) than NOENDM6 group (246 ± 9.5 mg/dl) at W7. Moreover, blood glucose was significantly low (p < 0.05) in ENDM6 group when compared to NOENDM group at W4 pp (49.2 ± 1.8 vs 53.8 ± 1.3 mg/dl). BCS was significantly lower (p < 0.001) in animals suffered from endometritis during week 7 when compared to NOENDM7 cows at W3, W4, W5, W6 and W7. In conclusion, lower blood glucose, BUN and BCS could be a risk factor for cytologically diagnosed endometritis at weeks 5, 6 and 7 pp.
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Affiliation(s)
- W S Senosy
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Assiut University, Assiut, Egypt.
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SENOSY W, ZAIN AE, ABDEL-RAZEK ARK, UCHIZA M, TAMEOKA N, IZAIKE Y, OSAWA T. Association between energy status early postpartum and subsequent embryonic mortality in high-yielding recipient cows. Anim Sci J 2011; 83:284-90. [DOI: 10.1111/j.1740-0929.2011.00958.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
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Kurykin J, Waldmann A, Tiirats T, Kaart T, Jaakma U. Morphological quality of oocytes and blood plasma metabolites in repeat breeding and early lactation dairy cows. Reprod Domest Anim 2011; 46:253-60. [PMID: 20546183 DOI: 10.1111/j.1439-0531.2010.01652.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/01/2022]
Abstract
The objectives of the study were to evaluate the morphological quality of oocytes in repeat breeder and early lactation cows and to determine the possible associations between the quality of oocytes and a range of blood metabolites. Oocyte quality and a range of metabolites were compared between 29 repeat breeder and 13 early lactation cows. The yield of oocytes from the repeat breeders was lower than that from the early lactation cows (4.4 ± 0.2 vs 5.4 ± 0.6, p < 0.05). Percentages of abnormal oocytes for the repeat breeders and the early lactation cows were 52.5% and 37.9%, respectively (p < 0.001). An excess of abnormal oocytes to normal was found in 55.2% of the studied repeat breeders (65.8% vs 34.2%, p < 0.05). Total protein, glucose and aspartate aminotransferase did not differ (p > 0.05) between the repeat breeders with an excess of abnormal oocytes (81 ± 1.0 g/l, 3.5 ± 1.0 mmol/l and 68.5 ± 3.7 U/l), those with the prevalence of normal oocytes (84 ± 1.0 g/l, 3.6 ± 0.1 mmol/l and 73.2 ± 3.5 U/l) and the early lactation cows (83 ± 2.0 g/l, 3.7 ± 0.1 mmol/l and 74.5 ± 3.6 U/I). The repeat breeders with an excess of abnormal oocytes had higher (p < 0.05) urea (5.2 ± 0.2 mmol/l) level than in those with the prevalence of normal oocytes (4.8 ± 0.2 mmol/l) and the early lactation cows (4.7 ± 0.2 mmol/l). A trend for higher total cholesterol and lactate dehydrogenase activity was found in the repeat breeders with an excess of abnormal oocytes. In conclusion, it is suggested that possible causes of repeat breeding in dairy cows may include impaired oocytes. An excess of abnormal oocytes in the repeat breeder cows was associated with elevated blood plasma levels of urea.
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Affiliation(s)
- J Kurykin
- Department of Reproductive Biology, Institute of Veterinary Medicine and Animal Sciences, Estonian University of Life Sciences, Tartu, Estonia.
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The role of nutritional supplementation on the outcome of superovulation in cattle. Anim Reprod Sci 2011; 126:1-10. [DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2011.05.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 20] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/13/2011] [Revised: 05/03/2011] [Accepted: 05/16/2011] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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Karen AM, Kovács P, Beckers JF, de Sousa NM, Szenci O. Plasma urea nitrogen in relation to pregnancy rate in dairy sheep. Anim Reprod Sci 2011; 124:69-72. [PMID: 21349665 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2011.01.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/23/2010] [Revised: 01/12/2011] [Accepted: 01/24/2011] [Indexed: 10/18/2022]
Abstract
The aim of this field study was to investigate the relationship of plasma urea nitrogen (PUN) with the pregnancy rate in lactating Awassi × Merino ewes. One hundred and eighty-five Awassi × Merino ewes were used in the present study. Ewes were fed a diet containing 17.4% crude protein and were milked twice a day by the milking machine. The ewes were synchronized for estrus by insertion of intravaginal sponges containing 30 mg flurogestone acetate for 14 days. At the time of sponge removal each ewe was administered eCG (600 IU). All ewes were inseminated twice with fresh semen into the external os of the cervix at 48 and 56 h after sponge removal. The day of insemination was considered as Day 0 for calculating the gestational period. Blood samples were collected from each ewe at Days 0, 18 for measurement of PUN concentrations and at Day 22 after AI for measurement of pregnancy-associated glycoprotein (PAG) by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Thirty-eight ewes (20.5%) were confirmed pregnant by PAG-RIA test at Day 22 and by ultrasonography at Day 80. The mean (±S.D.) concentration of PUN in all ewes at Day 0 was 12.7±4.6 mmol/L. There were non-significant differences in the level of PUN between pregnant and non-pregnant ewes at Days 0 (12.2±4.2 mmol/L vs. 12.8±4.7 mmol/L, respectively) and 18 (9.6±2.9 mmol/L vs. 10.4±4.0 mmol/L, respectively) after AI. Mean PUN concentrations decreased significantly from Day 0 to Day 18 after AI in both pregnant and non-pregnant ewes. By using logistic regression analysis, there was no effect of PUN concentrations on the probability of pregnancy occurrence in the studied ewes (odds ratio: 0.97; 95% confidence interval: 0.9-1.05; P=0.45). In conclusion, there was no evidence of a relationship between PUN concentration and pregnancy rate for lactating Awassi × Merino ewes in the present study because of low pregnancy rate observed.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M Karen
- Department of Theriogenology, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Kafrelsheikh University, Egypt.
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Moallem U, Blanck R, Lehrer H, Livshitz L, Zachut M, Arieli A. Effects of high dietary crude protein on the characteristics of preovulatory follicles in dairy heifers. J Dairy Sci 2011; 94:785-92. [PMID: 21257046 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2010-3565] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/25/2010] [Accepted: 10/17/2010] [Indexed: 12/16/2023]
Abstract
The objectives were to examine the effect of high dietary crude protein on characteristics of preovulatory follicles in dairy heifers. Eight Israeli-Holstein heifers, 4 fitted with rumen fistula and 4 intact, were assigned to 1 of 3 treatments in a replicated (n=2) 4 × 3 incomplete Latin square design with 39-d periods. Treatments were: low (6.0%; LP), moderate (13.0%; MP), and high (20.0%; HP) crude-protein diets, containing 1.27 Mcal NE(L)/kg dry matter. Diets were based on approximately 66% wheat straw and various proportions of ground corn grain and soybean meal. The estrous cycles of the heifers were synchronized, and 14 d after behavioral estrus, heifers received PGF(2 α) injections. After a further 40 h, at d 39 of each period, follicular fluid (FF) was aspirated from follicles of diameter >7 mm. The intake of the LP diet was 9% lower than that of MP and HP diets. Rumen ammonia and plasma urea nitrogen concentrations were highest in the HP and lowest in the LP, with intermediate levels in MP diets. No differences were found between treatments in plasma and FF concentrations of glucose and nonesterified fatty acids. High-protein diets increased urea concentrations very similarly in preovulatory FF and in plasma. No differences were observed between diets, in preovulatory follicle diameters and concentrations of androstenedione. However, higher estradiol and progesterone concentrations in FF were observed under the HP than under the MP diet, with no difference between diets in estrogen to progesterone ratio. It can be concluded that high concentrations of urea in plasma, caused by high dietary crude protein, penetrated into preovulatory follicles, but did not impair preovulatory characteristics. This lack of detrimental effects might be attributed to the use in this study of nonlactating heifers, which have fewer nutritional and physiological constraints and eliminate negative effects of potential interactions with high urea on dairy cows' reproductive systems.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Moallem
- Department of Dairy Cattle, Institute of Animal Sciences, Volcani Center, P.O. Box 6, Bet-Dagan 50250, Israel
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Roche JR, Burke CR, Meier S, Walker CG. Nutrition × reproduction interaction in pasture-based systems: is nutrition a factor in reproductive failure? ANIMAL PRODUCTION SCIENCE 2011. [DOI: 10.1071/an10162] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Dairy cow fertility has declined in recent decades, coincidental with large increases in milk production. Cows take longer to return to oestrus, display poorer signs of oestrus, have greater early embryo loss, and may have poorer conception rates. The problem is often considered to be nutritional, at least in part, and, therefore, can be corrected through dietary adjustment. Although acknowledged as highly digestible, high quality pastured forages tend to be low in non-structural carbohydrates (NSC), high in rumen degradable protein and the temporal supply may not be adequate for cow demand at key times; diet adjustment is often recommended to overcome these limitations. The interaction between nutrition and reproduction is poorly defined, however, and study results are often contradictory. Hypothesised limitations to pastured forages within a grazing system will be discussed, and the likely impact of nutritional adjustment on pre- and post-ovulatory reproductive processes examined. The effect of energy balance, carbohydrate type, protein and fat on reproductive outcomes will be considered. Nutrition is an important component of successful reproduction, but dietary adjustment to improve pregnancy rates is complicated, and merely offering pastured cows a supplement is unlikely to result in large effects. Conclusions indicate that care must be taken in interpreting associative analyses and in applying results from different farming systems.
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Bouwman AC, Schopen GCB, Bovenhuis H, Visker MHPW, van Arendonk JAM. Genome-wide scan to detect quantitative trait loci for milk urea nitrogen in Dutch Holstein-Friesian cows. J Dairy Sci 2010; 93:3310-9. [PMID: 20630247 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2009-2829] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/15/2009] [Accepted: 03/19/2010] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Studies have reported genetic variation in milk urea nitrogen (MUN) between cows, suggesting genetic differences in nitrogen efficiency between cows. In this paper, the results of a genome-wide scan to identify quantitative trait loci (QTL) that contribute to genetic variation in MUN and MUN yield are presented. Two to 3 morning milk samples were taken from 1,926 cows, resulting in 5,502 test-day records. Test-day records were corrected for systematic environmental effects using a repeatability animal model. Averages of corrected phenotypes of 849 cows, belonging to 7 sire families, were used in an across-family multimarker regression approach to detect QTL. Animals were successfully genotyped for 1,341 single nucleotide polymorphisms. The QTL analysis resulted in 4 chromosomal regions with suggestive QTL: Bos taurus autosomes (BTA) 1, 6, 21, and 23. On BTA 1, 2 suggestive QTL affecting MUN were detected at 60 and 140 cM. On BTA 6, 1 suggestive QTL affecting both MUN and MUN yield was detected at 103 cM. On BTA 21, 1 suggestive QTL affecting MUN yield was detected at 83 cM. On BTA 23, 1 suggestive QTL affecting MUN was detected at 54 cM. Quantitative trait loci for MUN and MUN yield were suggestive and each explained between 2 and 3% of the phenotypic variance.
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Affiliation(s)
- A C Bouwman
- Animal Breeding and Genomics Centre, Wageningen University, PO Box 338, 6700 AH Wageningen, the Netherlands.
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Cao Z, Huang W, Wang T, Wang Y, Wen W, Ma M, Li S. Effects of Parity, Days in Milk, Milk Production and Milk Components on Milk Urea Nitrogen in Chinese Holstein. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2010. [DOI: 10.3923/javaa.2010.688.695] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/15/2022]
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