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Hu HH, Mu T, Zhang ZB, Zhang JX, Feng X, Han LY, Hao F, Ma YF, Jiang Y, Ma Y. Genetic analysis of health traits and their associations with longevity, fertility, production, and conformation traits in Holstein cattle. Animal 2024; 18:101177. [PMID: 38797058 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2024.101177] [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: 09/01/2023] [Revised: 04/19/2024] [Accepted: 04/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/29/2024] Open
Abstract
Health traits have high economic values in dairy cattle breeding, which can cause considerable financial loss through involuntary culling. In this study, fourteen health traits were analysed, including five composite health traits: reproductive disorders, udder health (UH), digestive disorders, metabolic disorders, locomotory diseases (LD), and nine independent health traits: gestation disorders and peripartum disorders, irregular estrus cycle and sterility, metritis (ME), mastitis (MA), abomasal displacement (AD), enteritis (EN), and ketosis, claw diseases (CD), laminitis complex. This study analysed variance components for health traits through both single and bivariate repeatability animal models. All health traits showed low heritability, ranging from 0.001 to 0.025. Most of the health traits in five categories showed negative genetic correlations, ranging from -0.012 (CD and EN) to -0.634 (ME and EN). Strong positive genetic correlations appeared within the same category, ranging from 0.469 (EN and AD) to 0.994 (UH and MA, LD and CD). Furthermore, approximate genetic correlations were evaluated between health traits and routinely collected traits (longevity, fertility, production, and conformation). In general, the low to moderate approximate genetic correlations were estimated between health traits and routinely collected traits. The estimated correlations between health traits and longevity, fertility, production, and conformation traits could provide an indirect reference for disease-resistance breeding in Holstein cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
- H H Hu
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - T Mu
- School of Life Science, Yan'an University, Yanan 716000, China
| | - Z B Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - J X Zhang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - X Feng
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - L Y Han
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China; Ningxia Agriculture Reclamation Dairy Co. Ltd, Yinchuan 750021,China
| | - F Hao
- Ningxia Agriculture Reclamation Dairy Co. Ltd, Yinchuan 750021,China
| | - Y F Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China
| | - Y Jiang
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Northwest A&F University, Xianyang 712100, China
| | - Y Ma
- College of Animal Science and Technology, Ningxia Key Laboratory of Ruminant Molecular and Cellular Breeding, Ningxia University, Yinchuan 750021, China.
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Sölzer N, Brügemann K, Yin T, König S. Genetic evaluations and genome-wide association studies for specific digital dermatitis diagnoses in dairy cows considering genotype × housing system interactions. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:3724-3737. [PMID: 38216046 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-24207] [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: 09/25/2023] [Accepted: 12/06/2023] [Indexed: 01/14/2024]
Abstract
The present study aimed to use detailed phenotyping for the claw disorder digital dermatitis (DD) considering specific DD stages in 2 housing systems (conventional cubicle barns [CON] and compost-bedded pack barns [CBPB]) to infer possible genotype × housing system interactions. The DD stages included 2,980 observations for the 3 traits DD-sick, DD-acute, and DD-chronic from 1,311 Holstein-Friesian and 399 Fleckvieh-Simmental cows. Selection of the 5 CBPB and 5 CON herds was based on a specific protocol to achieve a high level of herd similarity with regard to climate, feeding, milking system, and location, but with pronounced housing-system differences. Five other farms had a "mixed system" with 2 subherds, one representing CBPB and the other one CON. The CBPB system was represented by 899 cows (1,530 observations), and 811 cows (1,450 observations) represented the CON system. The average disease prevalence was 20.47% for DD-sick, 13.88% for DD-acute, and 5.34% for DD-chronic, with a higher prevalence in CON than in CBPB. After quality control of 50K genotypes, 38,495 SNPs from 926 cows remained for the ongoing genomic analyses. Genetic parameters for DD-sick, DD-acute, and DD-chronic were estimated by applying single-step approaches for single-trait repeatability animal models considering the whole dataset, and separately for the CON and CBPB subsets. Genetic correlations between same DD traits from different housing systems, and between DD-sick, DD-chronic, and DD-acute, were estimated via bivariate animal models. Heritabilities based on the whole dataset were 0.16 for DD-sick, 0.14 for DD-acute, and 0.11 for DD-chronic. A slight increase of heritabilities and genetic variances was observed in CON compared with the "well-being" CBPB system, indicating a stronger genetic differentiation of diseases in a more challenging environment. Genetic correlations between same DD traits recorded in CON or CBPB were close to 0.80, disproving obvious genotype × housing system interactions. Genetic correlations among DD-sick, DD-acute and DD-chronic ranged from 0.58 to 0.81. SNP main effects and SNP × housing system interaction effects were estimated simultaneously via GWAS, considering only the phenotypes from genotyped cows. Ongoing annotations of potential candidate genes focused on chromosomal segments 100 kb upstream and downstream from the significantly associated candidate SNP. GWAS for main effects indicated heterogeneous Manhattan plots especially for DD-acute and DD-chronic, indicating particularities in disease pathogenesis. Nevertheless, a few shared annotated potential candidate genes, that is, METTL25, AFF3, PRKG1, and TENM4 for DD-sick and DD-acute, were identified. These genes have direct or indirect effects on disease resistance or immunology. For the SNP × housing system interaction, the annotated genes ASXL1 and NOL4L on BTA 13 were relevant for DD-sick and DD-acute. Overall, the very similar genetic parameters for the same traits in different environments and negligible genotype × housing system interactions indicate only minor effects on genetic evaluations for DD due to housing-system particularities.
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Affiliation(s)
- Niklas Sölzer
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Kerstin Brügemann
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Tong Yin
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Sven König
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany.
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3
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Wang A, Su G, Brito LF, Zhang H, Shi R, Liu D, Guo G, Wang Y. Investigating the relationship between fluctuations in daily milk yield as resilience indicators and health traits in Holstein cattle. J Dairy Sci 2024; 107:1535-1548. [PMID: 37690717 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23495] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2023] [Accepted: 08/05/2023] [Indexed: 09/12/2023]
Abstract
Disease-related milk losses directly affect dairy herds' profitability and the production efficiency of the dairy industry. Therefore, this study aimed to quantify phenotypic variability in milk fluctuation periods related to diseases and to explore milk fluctuation traits as indicators of disease resilience. By combining high-frequency daily milk yield data with disease records of cows that were treated and recovered from the disease, we estimated milk variability trends within a fixed period around the treatment day of each record for 5 diseases: udder health, reproductive disorders, metabolic disorders, digestive disorders, and hoof health. The average milk yield decreased rapidly from 6 to 8 d before the treatment day for all diseases, with the largest milk reduction observed on the treatment day. Additionally, we assessed the significance of milk fluctuation periods highly related to diseases by defining milk fluctuations as a period of at least 10 consecutive days in which milk yield fell below 90% of the expected milk production values at least once. We defined the development and recovery phases of milk fluctuations using 3,847 milk fluctuation periods related to disease incidences, and estimated genetic parameters of milk fluctuation traits, including milk losses, duration of the fluctuation, variation rate in daily milk yield, and standard deviation of milk deviations for each phase and their genetic correlation with several important traits. In general, the disease-related milk fluctuation periods lasted 21.19 ± 10.36 d with a milk loss of 115.54 ± 92.49 kg per lactation. Compared with the development phase, the recovery phase lasted an average of 3.3 d longer, in which cows produced 11.04 kg less milk and exhibited a slower variation rate in daily milk yield of 0.35 kg/d. There were notable differences in milk fluctuation traits depending on the disease, and greater milk losses were observed when multiple diseases occurred simultaneously. All milk fluctuation traits evaluated were heritable with heritability estimates ranging from 0.01 to 0.10, and moderate to high genetic correlations with milk yield (0.34 to 0.64), milk loss throughout the lactation (0.22 to 0.97), and resilience indicator (0.39 to 0.95). These results indicate that cows with lower milk losses and higher resilience tend to have more stable milk fluctuations, which supports the potential for breeding for more disease-resilient cows based on milk fluctuation traits. Overall, this study confirms the high effect of diseases on milk yield variability and provides insightful information about their relationship with relevant traits in Holstein cattle. Furthermore, this study shows the potential of using high-frequency automatic monitoring of milk yield to assist on breeding practices and health management in dairy cows.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ao Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction (MARA), National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Guosheng Su
- Center for Quantitative Genetics and Genomics, Aarhus University, 8830, Tjele, Denmark
| | - Luiz F Brito
- Department of Animal Sciences, Purdue University, West Lafayette, IN 47907
| | - Hailiang Zhang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction (MARA), National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Rui Shi
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction (MARA), National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China
| | - Dengke Liu
- Hebei Sunlon Modern Agricultural Technology Co. Ltd., 073000, Dingzhou, China
| | - Gang Guo
- Beijing Sunlon Livestock Development Co. Ltd., 100029, Beijing, China
| | - Yachun Wang
- Key Laboratory of Animal Genetics, Breeding, and Reproduction (MARA), National Engineering Laboratory for Animal Breeding, College of Animal Science and Technology, China Agricultural University, 100193, Beijing, China.
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Novo LC, Parker Gaddis KL, Wu XL, McWhorter TM, Burchard J, Norman HD, Dürr J, Fourdraine R, Peñagaricano F. Genetic Parameters and Genetic Trends for Johne's Disease in U.S. Holsteins: An Updated Study. J Dairy Sci 2024:S0022-0302(24)00515-0. [PMID: 38428495 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2023-23788] [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: 05/24/2023] [Accepted: 02/01/2024] [Indexed: 03/03/2024]
Abstract
Johne's disease (JD) is an infectious enteric disease in ruminants, causing substantial economic loss annually worldwide. This work aimed to estimate JD's genetic parameters and the phenotypic and genetic trends by incorporating recent data. It also explores the feasibility of a national genetic evaluation for JD susceptibility in Holstein cattle in the United States (US). The data were extracted from a Johne's disease data repository, maintained at the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (CDCB), and initially supplied by 2 dairy records processing centers. The data comprised 365,980 Holstein cows from 1,048 herds participating in a voluntary control program for JD. Two protocol kits, Idexx Paratuberculosis Screening Ab Test (IDX) and Parachek® 2 (PCK), were used to analyze milk samples with the Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA) technique. Test results from the first 5 parities were considered. An animal was considered infected if it had at least one positive outcome. The overall average of JD incidence was 4.72% in these US Holstein cattle. Genotypes of 78,964 SNP markers were used for 25,000 animals randomly selected from the phenotyped population. Variance components and genetic parameters were estimated based on 3 models, namely, a pedigree-only threshold model (THR), a single-step threshold model (ssTHR), and a single-step linear model (ssLR). The posterior heritability estimates of JD susceptibility were low to moderate: 0.11 to 0.16 based on the 2 threshold models and 0.05 to 0.09 based on the linear model. The average reliability of estimated breeding values of JD susceptibility using single-step analysis for animals with or without phenotypes varied from 0.18 (THR) to 0.22 (ssLR) for IDX and from 0.14 (THR) to 0.18 (ssTHR and ssLR) for PCK. Despite no prior direct genetic selection against JD, the estimated genetic trends of JD susceptibility were negative and highly significant (P-value <0.01). The correlations of bulls' predicted transmitting abilities with economically important traits such as milk yield, milk protein, milk fat, somatic cell score, and mastitis were low, indicating a non-overlapping genetic selection process with traits in current genetic evaluations. Our results suggest the feasibility of reducing the JD incidence rate by incorporating it into the national genetic evaluation programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Larissa C Novo
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, Bowie, MD 20716, USA.
| | | | - Xiao-Lin Wu
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA; Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, Bowie, MD 20716, USA
| | - T M McWhorter
- Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, Bowie, MD 20716, USA
| | | | | | - João Dürr
- Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, Bowie, MD 20716, USA
| | | | - Francisco Peñagaricano
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, University of Wisconsin, Madison, WI 53706, USA
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Velayudhan SM, Yin T, Alam S, Brügemann K, Sejian V, Bhatta R, Schlecht E, König S. Unraveling the Genomic Association for Milk Production Traits and Signatures of Selection of Cattle in a Harsh Tropical Environment. BIOLOGY 2023; 12:1483. [PMID: 38132309 PMCID: PMC10740459 DOI: 10.3390/biology12121483] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/24/2023] [Revised: 11/15/2023] [Accepted: 11/29/2023] [Indexed: 12/23/2023]
Abstract
A study was designed to identify the genomic regions associated with milk production traits in a dairy cattle population reared by smallholder farmers in the harsh and challenging tropical savanna climate of Bengaluru, India. This study is a first-of-its-kind attempt to identify the selection sweeps for the dairy cattle breeds reared in such an environment. Two hundred forty lactating dairy cows reared by 68 farmers across the rural-urban transiting regions of Bengaluru were selected for this study. A genome-wide association study (GWAS) was performed to identify candidate genes for test-day milk yield, solids-not-fat (SNF), milk lactose, milk density and clinical mastitis. Furthermore, the cross-population extended haplotype homozygosity (XP-EHH) methodology was adopted to scan the dairy cattle breeds (Holstein Friesian, Jersey and Crossbred) in Bengaluru. Two SNPs, rs109340659 and rs41571523, were observed to be significantly associated with test-day milk yield. No significant SNPs were observed for the remaining production traits. The GWAS for milk lactose revealed one SNP (rs41634101) that was very close to the threshold limit, though not significant. The potential candidate genes fibrosin-like 1 (FBRSL) and calcium voltage-gated channel auxiliary subunit gamma 3 (CACN) were identified to be in close proximity to the SNP identified for test-day milk yield. These genes were observed to be associated with milk production traits based on previous reports. Furthermore, the selection signature analysis revealed a number of regions under selection for the breed-group comparisons (Crossbred-HF, Crossbred-J and HF-J). Functional analysis of these annotated genes under selection indicated pathways and mechanisms involving ubiquitination, cell signaling and immune response. These findings point towards the probable selection of dairy cows in Bengaluru for thermotolerance.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Tong Yin
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Ludwigstraße 21 b, 35390 Gießen, Germany; (S.M.V.); (T.Y.)
| | - Shahin Alam
- Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Kassel and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Steinstr. 19, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany; (S.A.)
| | - Kerstin Brügemann
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Ludwigstraße 21 b, 35390 Gießen, Germany; (S.M.V.); (T.Y.)
| | - Veerasamy Sejian
- National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP), Hosur Rd, Chennakeshava Nagar, Adugodi, Bengaluru 560030, India
| | - Raghavendra Bhatta
- National Institute of Animal Nutrition and Physiology (NIANP), Hosur Rd, Chennakeshava Nagar, Adugodi, Bengaluru 560030, India
| | - Eva Schlecht
- Animal Husbandry in the Tropics and Subtropics, University of Kassel and Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Steinstr. 19, 37213 Witzenhausen, Germany; (S.A.)
| | - Sven König
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, Ludwigstraße 21 b, 35390 Gießen, Germany; (S.M.V.); (T.Y.)
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6
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Donnelly MR, Hazel AR, Hansen LB, Heins BJ. Genetic selection for reduced health treatment costs in Holstein cows: implications from a long-term study. Front Genet 2023; 14:1254183. [PMID: 37811142 PMCID: PMC10559969 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2023.1254183] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/06/2023] [Accepted: 09/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/10/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters of health treatment cost of Holstein cows from producer-recorded health treatments in 8 herds over an 8-yr period of time. Genetic parameters of health treatment cost were estimated in first (n = 2,214), second (n = 1,487) and third (n = 800) parities of US Holstein cows. The health treatments were uniformly defined and consistently recorded by 8 high-performance dairy herds in Minnesota from 2008 to 2015. A fixed treatment cost was assigned to 14 types of health treatments, and the cost included the mean veterinary expense obtained from the veterinary clinics that serviced the 8 herds, pharmaceuticals, and labor cost. The labor cost was $18/h, and the time incurred for each type of health treatment was determined from interviews with the herd owners. The 14 types of health treatment costs were partitioned into 5 categories: mastitis (including mastitis diagnostic test), reproduction (cystic ovary, retained placenta, and metritis), lameness (hoof treatments), metabolic (milk fever, displaced abomasum, ketosis, and digestive), and miscellaneous (respiratory, injury, and other). Health treatment cost for each cow was summed by category within lactation and also across categories within lactation. The estimates of heritability for health treatment cost were 0.13, 0.04, 0.10, 0.12, and 0.04 for the mastitis, reproduction, lameness, metabolic, and miscellaneous categories, respectively, in first parity. Genetic correlations between categories of health treatment cost in first parity were greatest for mastitis and reproduction (r = 0.85); however, phenotypic correlations between all categories were small (r < 0.16). Total health treatment cost had a large genetic correlation with somatic cell score (0.93) and 305-d milk production (0.44) in first parity; however, the genetic correlation (-0.60) between total health treatment cost and udder depth in first parity indicated a genetic relationship exists between shallow udders and less total health treatment cost. Total health treatment cost across categories had a heritability estimate of 0.25 in first parity, 0.16 in second parity, and 0.17 in third parity. Consequently, genetic selection for reduced health treatment cost should be possible by using producer-recorded health treatment records supplemented with treatment costs.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | - Bradley J. Heins
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul, MN, United States
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Donnelly MR, Hazel AR, Hansen LB, Heins BJ. Health Treatment Cost of Holsteins in Eight High-Performance Herds. Animals (Basel) 2023; 13:2061. [PMID: 37443859 DOI: 10.3390/ani13132061] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2023] [Revised: 06/16/2023] [Accepted: 06/20/2023] [Indexed: 07/15/2023] Open
Abstract
Health treatments of Holstein cows (n = 2214) were recorded by the owners of eight high-performance dairy herds in Minnesota. Cows calved from March 2008 to October 2015, and 14 types of health treatments were uniformly defined across the herds. Specific types of health treatment were subsequently assigned a cost based on the mean veterinary cost obtained from the veterinary clinics that serviced the eight herds. A fixed labor cost for time (USD 18/h) associated with specific types of health treatment was determined based on interviews with the herd owners and was added to the veterinary cost. Health treatment cost was then partitioned into five health categories: mastitis (including mastitis diagnostic test), reproduction (cystic ovary, retained placenta, and metritis), lameness (hoof treatments), metabolic (milk fever, displaced abomasum, ketosis, and digestive), and miscellaneous (respiratory, injury, and other). Lactations of cows were divided into six intervals that corresponded with stage of lactation based on days in milk. The first interval of lactation was 30 days in length, followed by four intervals of 60 days each, and the final interval started on day 271 and had variable length because it continued to the end of lactation and included the dry period. Health treatment cost was summed within each interval of lactation and subsequently across lactations by parity. Statistical analysis by parity included the fixed effects of herd, interval, and the interaction of herd and interval, with interval regarded as a repeated measure of cows. Health treatment cost was highest during the first interval for all five parities of cows and ranged from USD 22.87 for first parity to USD 38.50 for fifth parity. Reproduction treatment cost was about one-half of the total health treatment cost during the first interval in all five parities. Metabolic treatment cost during the first interval ranged from USD 3.92 (in first parity) to USD 12.34 (in third parity). Compared to the other health categories, mastitis treatment cost was most evenly distributed across intervals of lactation in all parities. Lameness treatment cost was highest during mid- or late-lactation across parities and reflected the time when cows received routine hoof trimming. Additionally, treatment cost across health categories was summed across intervals of lactation for each cow, and the total health cost of cows varied substantially from herd to herd and ranged from USD 23.38 to USD 74.60 for first parity and usually increased with parity.
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Affiliation(s)
- Michael R Donnelly
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Amy R Hazel
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Leslie B Hansen
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
| | - Bradley J Heins
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, Saint Paul, MN 55108, USA
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Madureira AML, Burnett TA, Boyd CT, Baylão M, Cerri RLA. Use of intravaginal lactic acid bacteria prepartum as an approach for preventing uterine disease and its association with fertility of lactating dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 2023:S0022-0302(23)00229-1. [PMID: 37173252 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22147] [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: 03/31/2022] [Accepted: 08/31/2022] [Indexed: 05/15/2023]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of the use of intravaginal probiotics prepartum on the incidence risk of metritis postpartum and conception risk after first artificial insemination (AI). A total of 606 Holstein cows were enrolled 3 wk before their expected calving date from 2 farms. Cows were randomly assigned to either receive a 2-mL dose of a combination of 3 lactic acid bacteria (probiotic treatment) washed with approximately 2 mL of a sterile saline solution, into the vaginal canal twice weekly until parturition, or no intervention (control). Metritis diagnoses were carried out on 6 and 12 d postpartum. Vaginal discharge and rectal temperature were assessed, and vaginal discharge was scored on a scale from 1 to 4, where 1 = clear and 4 = fetid, purulent discharge. Metritis was defined as cows having a vaginal discharge score of 4 with or without fever (rectal temperature ≥39.5°C) on either 6 or 12 d postpartum, or both. Cows were bred after a 60-d voluntary waiting period primarily via the detection of estrus using automated activity monitors; cows not found in estrus were enrolled onto timed AI protocols to receive first breeding before 100 DIM. Pregnancy diagnosis was carried out at d 35 ± 7 post-AI on both farms. Data were analyzed via ANOVA using linear mixed regression models and survival analysis using a Cox proportional hazard model. Total incidence risk of metritis was 23.7% and 34.4% on farm A and farm B, respectively. Overall, the incidence of metritis was not different between treatment groups (control: 41.6 ± 3.8%; probiotic: 38.6 ± 4.0%); however, an interaction by farm was detected, where the probiotic treatment reduced metritis on one farm but not on the other. Conception risk after first AI was not affected by treatment. However, we detected an interaction between parity and treatment, where multiparous cows receiving the probiotic treatment were more likely to become pregnant compared with multiparous cows within the control group (hazard ratio: 1.33; 95% confidence interval: 1.10-1.60); no effect of probiotic treatment was found on the hazard of pregnancy for primiparous cows. In addition, the probiotic treatment was associated with an increased proportion of cows being detected in estrus for the first AI postpartum. In conclusion, vaginal probiotic treatment applied during the 3 wk prepartum was associated with a decreased incidence of metritis on one farm but not the other, suggesting that farm management may be a key player influencing treatment efficacy. Overall, probiotic treatment was found to have only limited effects on fertility in the current study.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M L Madureira
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - T A Burnett
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4; University of Guelph, Ridgetown Campus, Ridgetown, ON, Canada N0P 2C0
| | - C T Boyd
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - M Baylão
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4
| | - R L A Cerri
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, Canada V6T 1Z4.
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LeBlanc SJ. Review: Postpartum reproductive disease and fertility in dairy cows. Animal 2023; 17 Suppl 1:100781. [PMID: 37567665 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100781] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/09/2022] [Revised: 03/10/2023] [Accepted: 03/10/2023] [Indexed: 08/13/2023] Open
Abstract
This paper reviews recent data and concepts on metritis, purulent vaginal discharge (PVD), and endometritis in dairy cows and the ways in which these diseases affect reproductive performance. Metritis is characterized by fetid discharge from the uterus, with or without fever. Purulent vaginal discharge describes exudate that is >50% pus that may be attributable to uterine infection or cervicitis. Endometritis is inflammation of the uterus diagnosed by endometrial cytology with a proportion of neutrophils (typically ≥5%) that is associated with impaired fertility. Metritis and PVD are associated with uterine bacterial dysbiosis: changes in the microbiota to lesser diversity and greater abundance of pathogens, especially Gram-negative anaerobic bacteria, and Trueperella pyogenes in the case of PVD. Metritis is justifiably treated with approved antibiotics but criteria for more selective treatment without loss of performance are emerging. Purulent vaginal discharge is not synonymous with clinical endometritis, and greater precision in terminology is warranted. PVD is likely under-diagnosed and represents an opportunity for improved management in many herds. Endometritis seems in many cases to reflect persistent, dysregulated inflammation, for which the inciting cause is unclear. Postpartum uterine infection and inflammation have harmful effects on oocytes, embryo development, and the endometrium for at least three months, even if the disease is apparently resolved. Emerging concepts of the resolution and regulation of inflammation are promising for the improvement of prevention and therapy of endometritis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen J LeBlanc
- Population Medicine, University of Guelph, Guelph, Ontario N1G 2W1, Canada.
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van Staaveren N, Hyland E, Houlahan K, Lynch C, Miglior F, Kelton DF, Schenkel FS, Baes CF. Recording of calf diseases for potential use in breeding programs: a case study on calf respiratory illness and diarrhea. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2023. [DOI: 10.1139/cjas-2022-0112] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 04/03/2023]
Abstract
Calf diseases remain a challenge for dairy producers from both an economic and welfare perspective. Genetically selecting for disease resistance in calves is a promising approach that could contribute to sustainable dairy farming. Genetic evaluations, however, require well-defined and consistently recorded phenotypes to be successful. Therefore, this study aimed to understand the current state of calf disease recording on Ontario farms. Calf disease records of respiratory illness and diarrhea were available from the national milk recording organization (Lactanet Canada, Guelph, Ontario, Canada) from 2009 to 2020. A case study was conducted to describe calf disease diagnoses and recording practices by surveying a subset of 13 Ontario dairy producers. The percentage of milk recorded farms that recorded calf respiratory illness and calf diarrhea increased from 2.6% in 2009 to 11.1% in 2020. Potential sources of data loss were identified along the information chain from farm to genetic evaluation database. Clear definitions and thresholds to diagnose calf disease, standard operating procedures for data recording, as well as a data transfer pipeline, which includes exchange formats, are needed to facilitate the inclusion of calf health traits in genetic evaluations.
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11
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Barden M, Anagnostopoulos A, Griffiths BE, Li B, Bedford C, Watson C, Psifidi A, Banos G, Oikonomou G. Genetic parameters of sole lesion recovery in Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci 2023; 106:1874-1888. [PMID: 36710182 PMCID: PMC9947741 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/09/2022] [Accepted: 10/10/2022] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
Abstract
Sole hemorrhage and sole ulcers, referred to as sole lesions, are important causes of lameness in dairy cattle. The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters of a novel trait reflecting how well cows recovered from sole lesions and the genetic correlation of this trait with overall susceptibility to sole lesions. A cohort of Holstein dairy cows was prospectively enrolled on 4 farms and assessed at 4 timepoints: before calving, immediately after calving, in early lactation, and in late lactation. At each timepoint, sole lesions were recorded at the claw level by veterinary surgeons and used to define 2 binary traits: (1) susceptibility to sole lesions-whether animals were affected with sole lesions at least once during the study or were unaffected at every assessment, and (2) sole lesion recovery-whether sole lesions healed between early and late lactation. Animals were genotyped and pedigree details extracted from the national database. Analyses were conducted with BLUPF90 software in a single-step framework; genetic parameters were estimated from animal threshold models using Gibbs sampling. The genetic correlation between both traits was approximated as the correlation between genomic estimated breeding values, adjusting for their reliabilities. A total of 2,025 animals were used to estimate the genetic parameters of sole lesion susceptibility; 44% of animals recorded a sole lesion at least once during the study period. The heritability of sole lesion susceptibility, on the liability scale, was 0.25 (95% highest density interval = 0.16-0.34). A total of 498 animals were used to estimate the genetic parameters of sole lesion recovery; 71% of animals had recovered between the early and late lactation assessments. The heritability of sole lesion recovery, on the liability scale, was 0.27 (95% highest density interval = 0.02-0.52). The approximate genetic correlation between each trait was -0.11 (95% confidence interval = -0.20 to -0.02). Our results indicate that recovery from sole lesions is heritable. If this finding is corroborated in further studies, it may be possible to use selective breeding to reduce the frequency of chronically lame cows. As sole lesion recovery appears to be weakly genetically related to sole lesion susceptibility, successful genetic improvement of sole lesion recovery would benefit from selection on this trait directly.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Barden
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, CH64 7TE, United Kingdom
| | - Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, CH64 7TE, United Kingdom
| | - Bethany E. Griffiths
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, CH64 7TE, United Kingdom
| | - Bingjie Li
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), The Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Cherry Bedford
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, CH64 7TE, United Kingdom
| | - Chris Watson
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, CH64 7TE, United Kingdom
| | - Androniki Psifidi
- Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, AL9 7TA, United Kingdom
| | - Georgios Banos
- Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), The Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, EH25 9RG, United Kingdom
| | - Georgios Oikonomou
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, CH64 7TE, United Kingdom.
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12
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Genetical analysis of mastitis and reproductive traits in first-parity Holstein cows using standard and structural equation modelling. Animal 2023; 17:100777. [PMID: 37043934 DOI: 10.1016/j.animal.2023.100777] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2022] [Revised: 03/03/2023] [Accepted: 03/07/2023] [Indexed: 03/17/2023] Open
Abstract
The present study aimed to investigate the causal relationships between clinical mastitis and some reproductive traits, including success at first insemination (SFI), the number of inseminations to pregnancy (INS), the interval from calving to first service (CTFS), first and last service interval (IFL), and open days (OD) in first-parity Holstein cows. For this purpose, the records of 58 281 first parity Holstein cows were analysed. These data sets were collected from 17 large dairy herds from 2008 to 2017. Recursive Mixed Models (RMMs) were applied and compared with the estimations under Standard Mixed Models. Then, one trivariate and three bivariate Gaussian-threshold models were used for the analyses. Recursive models were applied, considering that clinical mastitis can influence fertility traits. Mastitis is considered a covariate for the reproductive traits to determine their causal relationship. The results of this study indicated that causal effects of mastitis on SFI (on the observed scale, %), CTFS, IFL, OD, and INS were -5.7%, 3.3 days, 12.27 days, seven days, and 0.26 services, respectively. The estimated structural coefficients of the recursive models in the first parity imply that mastitis significantly lengthened the fertility interval and decreased the conception rate. In addition, genetic, residual, and phenotypic correlations between mastitis and the reproductive traits under both models were statistically significant. Results of genetic correlations between mastitis and fertility traits suggest that more incidence of mastitis during lactation is related to the delays in the heat show and pregnancy rate after insemination. In summary, considering the causal effects under RMMs may be advantageous to comprehend complicated relationships between complex traits better.
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13
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Becker V, Stamer E, Spiekers H, Thaller G. Genetic parameters for dry matter intake, energy balance, residual energy intake, and liability to diseases in German Holstein and Fleckvieh dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:9738-9750. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2022-22083] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/15/2022] [Accepted: 07/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
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14
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Diaz-Lundahl S, Heringstad B, Garmo RT, Gillund P, Krogenæs AK. Heritability of subclinical endometritis in Norwegian Red cows. J Dairy Sci 2022; 105:5946-5953. [PMID: 35525611 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-21752] [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: 12/22/2021] [Accepted: 03/02/2022] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Subclinical endometritis (SCE) is highly prevalent in dairy cows, causing negative effects on reproductive outcomes and the producer economy. Genetic selection for animals with better resilience against uterine disease should be prioritized due to both sustainability and animal welfare. Therefore, the aim of the present study was to estimate the heritability of SCE in the Norwegian Red (NR) population. Moreover, future perspectives of the condition as a fertility phenotype for breeding are discussed. A total of 1,642 NR cows were sampled for SCE at the time of artificial insemination, using cytotape. The percentage of polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) in each sample was established by cytology, through the counting of 300 PMN and epithelial cells. The mean percentage of PMN was 5%. Different trait definitions were examined, and SCE was defined as binary traits, based on the following cut-off levels of PMN: Cyto0 = PMN >0, Cyto3 = PMN >3%, Cyto5 = PMN >5%, Cyto10 = PMN >10%, and Cyto20 = PMN >20%. The mean ranged from 0.07 (Cyto20) to 0.59 (Cyto0). We also analyzed PMN as a continuous variable using percent PMN. Information on the animals and herds was obtained from the Norwegian Dairy Herd Recording System. The pedigree of cows with data included a total of 24,066 animals. A linear animal model was used to estimate the heritability. The only trait definition that had an estimated genetic variance larger than the standard error was Cyto5, with an estimated heritability of 0.04. For all other definitions, the genetic variance was not significantly different from zero. A cut-off level of 5% PMN has been established as a general threshold for the definition of SCE in earlier literature. The standard errors of the estimated variance components were relatively large, and results should be interpreted with caution. However, the current study indicates that SCE is heritable at a similar level to that of clinical endometritis and metritis, and has potential as a future fertility phenotype to be used for breeding purposes. A more feasible method to diagnose SCE is needed to establish larger data sets.
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Affiliation(s)
- S Diaz-Lundahl
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway
| | - B Heringstad
- Department of Animal and Aquacultural Sciences, Faculty of Biosciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway; Geno Breeding and AI Association, 2317 Hamar, Norway
| | | | - P Gillund
- Geno Breeding and AI Association, 2317 Hamar, Norway
| | - A K Krogenæs
- Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Department of Production Animal Clinical Sciences, Norwegian University of Life Sciences, 1432 Ås, Norway.
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15
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Barden M, Anagnostopoulos A, Griffiths BE, Bedford C, Winters M, Li B, Coffey M, Psifidi A, Banos G, Oikonomou G. Association between a genetic index for lameness resistance and the incidence of claw horn lesions in Holstein cows. Vet Rec 2022; 191:e1632. [PMID: 35468242 DOI: 10.1002/vetr.1632] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2021] [Revised: 02/15/2022] [Accepted: 03/23/2022] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND This study aimed to determine the association between the lameness advantage genetic index and four outcomes: sole haemorrhage (SH), sole ulcers (SU), white line lesions (WL), and lameness during mobility scoring. METHODS We enrolled 2352 Holstein cows from four predominantly housed dairy herds in the UK. Cows were mobility scored and foot lesions recorded at four time points from before calving to late lactation. Cows were genotyped and genetic indexes were assigned to each cow following national genetic evaluations. Lameness records and genetic indexes were matched for 2107 cows. Four separate multivariable logistic regression models, which included farm and parity as covariables, were used to quantify the association between the lameness advantage index and whether animals were affected by SH, SU, WL, or lameness. RESULTS The odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for one-point increases in the lameness advantage index were 0.79 (0.72-0.86), 0.68 (0.59-0.78), 0.94 (0.84-1.04), and 0.82 (0.74-0.91) for SH, SU, WL, and lameness, respectively. The same trends were present when the sire's lameness advantage index was evaluated in place of the animal's own, although the strength of this association was generally weaker. CONCLUSION The lameness advantage index is associated with SH, SU, and lameness, therefore selection on the lameness advantage index could be considered in herds aiming to reduce lameness. Where genomic testing of heifers is not conducted, sire lameness advantage index may still be effective to reduce SH and SU incidence.
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Affiliation(s)
- Matthew Barden
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, UK
| | - Alkiviadis Anagnostopoulos
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, UK
| | - Bethany E Griffiths
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, UK
| | - Cherril Bedford
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, UK
| | - Marco Winters
- Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board, Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, UK
| | - Bingjie Li
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Mike Coffey
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Androniki Psifidi
- Department of Clinical Science and Services, Royal Veterinary College, North Mymms, Hertfordshire, UK
| | - Georgios Banos
- Animal & Veterinary Sciences, SRUC, Roslin Institute Building, Easter Bush, Midlothian, UK
| | - Georgios Oikonomou
- Department of Livestock and One Health, Institute of Infection, Veterinary and Ecological Sciences, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, UK
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16
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A review on inflammation and angiogenesis as key mechanisms involved in the pathogenesis of bovine cystic ovarian disease. Theriogenology 2022; 186:70-85. [DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2022.04.002] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2022] [Revised: 04/01/2022] [Accepted: 04/05/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
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17
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Mainau E, Llonch P, Temple D, Goby L, Manteca X. Alteration in Activity Patterns of Cows as a Result of Pain Due to Health Conditions. Animals (Basel) 2022; 12:ani12020176. [PMID: 35049798 PMCID: PMC8773241 DOI: 10.3390/ani12020176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/22/2021] [Revised: 01/10/2022] [Accepted: 01/10/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary There are several conditions and diseases considered painful to cattle. One reason for the inconsistency in pain recognition and thus pain relief in cattle is the inadequate ability to identify and assess pain. In fact, both increased and/or reduced daily lying time can be indicative of pain in cattle. This review helps to properly interpret pain in cows through behavioural activity patterns and explores whether pain relief is capable to restore their normal activity. Abstract The main conditions and diseases considered painful in dairy cows are mastitis, lameness, calving (including dystocia and caesarean section) and metritis. The cattle literature reports that deviation from normal daily activity patterns (both increased and/or reduced daily lying time) can be indicative of painful conditions and diseases in cows. This narrative review discusses on how pain due to several health conditions in dairy cows modifies its activity pattern and explores if non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) are capable of restoring it. Divergent outcomes may differ depending upon the painful cause, the severity and the moment, and consequently its interpretation should be properly explained. For instance, cows with clinical mastitis reduced their time lying and increased the number of lying bouts and stepping due to pain caused by the swollen udder when cows are lying. However, lame cows show longer lying times, with a lower number of lying bouts and longer and more variable lying bouts duration, as compared to non-lame cows. When the relationship between painful disorders and daily activity patterns is studied, factors such as parity, bedding type and severity of disease are important factors to take into consideration. The potential benefits of the NSAIDs treatment in painful health disorders depend upon the type of drug administered, its dosage and administration mode, and the time of administration relative to the painful health disorder. This narrative review can be used as a tool to properly interpret and grade pain in cows through behavioural activity patterns and proposes directions for future investigations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva Mainau
- AWEC Advisors SL, Ed. Eureka, Parc de Recerca de la UAB, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain
- Correspondence: ; Tel.: +34-935811352
| | - Pol Llonch
- Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (P.L.); (D.T.); (X.M.)
| | - Déborah Temple
- Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (P.L.); (D.T.); (X.M.)
| | - Laurent Goby
- Boehringer Ingelheim Vetmedica GmbH, Binger Str. 173, 55216 Ingelheim am Rhein, Germany;
| | - Xavier Manteca
- Department of Animal and Food Science, Autonomous University of Barcelona, Bellaterra, 08193 Barcelona, Spain; (P.L.); (D.T.); (X.M.)
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18
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The Transition Period Updated: A Review of the New Insights into the Adaptation of Dairy Cows to the New Lactation. DAIRY 2021. [DOI: 10.3390/dairy2040048] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
Recent research on the transition period (TP) of dairy cows has highlighted the pivotal role of immune function in affecting the severity of metabolic challenges the animals face when approaching calving. This suggests that the immune system may play a role in the etiology of metabolic diseases occurring in early lactation. Several studies have indicated that the roots of immune dysfunctions could sink way before the “classical” TP (e.g., 3 weeks before and 3 weeks after calving), extending the time frame deemed as “risky” for the development of early lactation disorders at the period around the dry-off. Several distressing events occurring during the TP (i.e., dietary changes, heat stress) can boost the severity of pre-existing immune dysfunctions and metabolic changes that physiologically affect this phase of the lactation cycle, further increasing the likelihood of developing diseases. Based on this background, several operational and nutritional strategies could be adopted to minimize the detrimental effects of immune dysfunctions on the adaptation of dairy cows to the new lactation. A suitable environment (i.e., optimal welfare) and a balanced diet (which guarantees optimal nutrient partitioning to improve immune functions in cow and calf) are key aspects to consider when aiming to minimize TP challenges at the herd level. Furthermore, several prognostic behavioral and physiological indicators could help in identifying subjects that are more likely to undergo a “bad transition”, allowing prompt intervention through specific modulatory treatments. Recent genomic advances in understanding the linkage between metabolic disorders and the genotype of dairy cows suggest that genetic breeding programs aimed at improving dairy cows’ adaptation to the new lactation challenges (i.e., through increasing immune system efficiency or resilience against metabolic disorders) could be expected in the future. Despite these encouraging steps forward in understanding the physiological mechanisms driving metabolic responses of dairy cows during their transition to calving, it is evident that these processes still require further investigation, and that the TP—likely extended from dry-off—continues to be “the final frontier” for research in dairy sciences.
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May K, Sames L, Scheper C, König S. Genomic loci and genetic parameters for uterine diseases in first-parity Holstein cows and associations with milk production and fertility. J Dairy Sci 2021; 105:509-524. [PMID: 34656355 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20685] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Accepted: 08/27/2021] [Indexed: 12/19/2022]
Abstract
Based on the clinical stage (e.g., vaginal discharge) and bacterial species, several forms of uterine diseases (UD) exist and can be classified as different traits [i.e., different stages of endometritis (EM) and metritis (MET)], which may differ in their genetic background and causal physiological mechanisms. Consequently, the present study aimed to study (1) the effect of UD on 305-d lactation and fertility, (2) the estimation of heritabilities for UD traits using pedigree- and SNP-based relationships, and (3) genome-wide associations to detect significant SNP markers and to infer candidate genes for UD traits. The data set contained herd manager and veterinarian recorded UD traits of 14,810 first-lactating genotyped Holstein cows from 63 large-scale contract herds. Binary defined UD traits (healthy or diseased) according to the clinical stage were endometritis catarrhalis (EM I), endometritis mucopurulenta (EM II), endometritis purulenta (EM III), pyometra (EM IV), endometritis (EM_SOD; superordinate diagnosis = no specific clinical stage defined), and MET. The binary defined trait UDall included all EM and MET diagnoses. The prevalence of UDall was 26.7%. The effect of UD on 305-d lactation and fertility was estimated via linear and generalized linear mixed models. We applied linear single-trait animal models and threshold models to estimate pedigree- and SNP-based heritabilities for UD traits, and bivariate linear models for genetic correlation estimations between UDall with 305-d lactation and fertility traits. A diagnosis for UDall had significant unfavorable effects on the female fertility traits calving interval, interval from calving to first service, days open, and nonreturn rate after 90 d, but was unrelated to 305-d lactation records for production traits milk yield, protein yield, and fat yield. Heritabilities for UDall and EM stages were close to zero, displaying maximal values of 0.05 for pedigree and 0.07 for SNP-based relationship matrices. For MET, pedigree- and SNP-based heritabilities were <0.001 and 0.07, respectively. Genetic correlations ranged from 0.20 to 0.31 between UDall with 305-d milk, protein, and fat yield, and from 0.17 to 0.40 with fertility traits. The GWAS revealed 5 SNP on bovine chromosomes (BTA) 1, 8, 10, 23 for UDall, 5 SNP on BTA 26 for EM I, 1 SNP on BTA 19 for EM II, 4 SNP on BTA 2, 18, 20, 25 for EM III, and 4 SNP on BTA 4, 16, 20 for EM IV above the significance threshold. For EM_SOD, we identified 15 significantly associated SNP on 4 chromosomes, and 4 significant SNP on BTA 3, 20, 22, 28 for MET. Marker associations for UD traits were annotated to 24 potential candidate genes using the ENSEMBL database. Six of these genes were previously reported to be involved in uterine defense mechanisms or in endometritis. Further detected genes contribute to immune response mechanisms during bacterial infections. Different SNP significantly influenced different UD stages, explaining the inter-individual variations in clinical severity of uterine infections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina May
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany.
| | - Lena Sames
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Carsten Scheper
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Sven König
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany
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20
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Hardie LC, Haagen IW, Heins BJ, Dechow CD. Genetic parameters and association of national evaluations with breeding values for health traits in US organic Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci 2021; 105:495-508. [PMID: 34656345 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20588] [Citation(s) in RCA: 7] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/09/2021] [Accepted: 08/24/2021] [Indexed: 01/05/2023]
Abstract
Among other regulations, organic cows in the United States cannot receive antibiotics and preserve their organic status, emphasizing the importance of prevention of illness and benefit of high genetic merit for disease resistance. At the same time, data underlying national genetic evaluations primarily come from conventional cows, drawing concern to the possibility of a genotype by environment interaction whereby the value of a genotype varies depending on the environment, and potentially limits the relevance of these evaluations to organic cows. The objectives of this study were to characterize the genetics of and determine the presence of genotype by environment interaction for health traits in US organic dairy cows. Individual cow health data were obtained from 16 US Department of Agriculture certified organic dairy farms from across the United States that used artificial insemination and maintained detailed records. Data were obtained for the following traits: died, lameness, mastitis, metabolic diseases (displaced abomasum, ketosis, and milk fever), reproductive diseases (abortion, metritis, and retained placenta), transition health events (any health event occurring 21 d before or after parturition), and all health events. Binary phenotypes (1 = diseased, 0 = otherwise) for 38,949 lactations on 19,139 Holstein cows were used. Genotypes from 2,347 cows with 87.5% or greater Holstein breed-based representation were incorporated into single-step multitrait threshold animal models that included stayability (1 = completed lactation, 0 = otherwise). Gibbs sampling was used. Genomic predicted transmitting abilities (gPTA) from national genetic evaluations were obtained for sires for production, fitness, health, and conformation traits. We approximated genetic correlations for sires using these gPTA and our estimated breeding values. We also regressed health phenotypes on cow estimated breeding values and sire gPTA. Heritabilities (± standard error) ranged from 0.03 ± 0.01 (reproductive diseases) to 0.11 ± 0.03 (metabolic diseases). Most genetic correlations among health traits were positive, though the genetic correlation between metabolic disease and mastitis was -0.42 ± 0.17. Approximate genetic correlations between disease resistance for our health trait categories and disease resistance for the nationally-evaluated health traits generally carried the expected sign with the strongest correlation for mastitis (0.72 ± 0.084). Regression coefficients carried the expected sign and were mostly different from zero, indicating that evaluations from primarily conventional herd data predicted health on organic farms. In conclusion, use of national evaluations for health traits should afford genetic improvement for health in US organic herds.
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Affiliation(s)
- L C Hardie
- Department of Animal Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802.
| | - I W Haagen
- Department of Animal Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802
| | - B J Heins
- Department of Animal Science, University of Minnesota, St. Paul 55108
| | - C D Dechow
- Department of Animal Science, Pennsylvania State University, University Park 16802
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21
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Becker VAE, Stamer E, Spiekers H, Thaller G. Residual energy intake, energy balance, and liability to diseases: Genetic parameters and relationships in German Holstein dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 2021; 104:10970-10978. [PMID: 34334207 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2021-20382] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/01/2021] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Residual energy intake (REI) is an often-suggested trait for direct selection of dairy cows for feed efficiency. Cows with lower REI seem to be more efficient but are also in a more severe negative energy balance (EB), especially in early lactation. A negative EB leads to a higher liability to diseases. Due to this fact, this study aims to investigate the genetic relationship between REI and liability to diseases. Health and production data were recorded from 1,370 German Holstein dairy cows from 8 research farms over a period of 2 yr. We calculated 2 phenotypes for REI that considered the following energy sinks: milk energy content, metabolic body weight, body weight change, body condition score, and body condition score change. Genetic parameters were estimated with threshold or linear random regression models from days in milk (DIM) 1 to 305. Heritabilities for REI, EB, and all diseases ranged from 0.12 to 0.39, 0.15 to 0.31, and 0.09 to 0.20, respectively. Genetic correlations between selected DIM for REI and EB were higher for adjacent DIM than for more distant DIM. Pearson correlation coefficients between estimated breeding values (EBV) for REI and EB varied between 0.47 and 0.81; they were highest in mid lactation. Correlations between EBV for all diseases and REI as well as EB were negative, with lowest values in early lactation. Within the first 50 DIM, proportions of diseased days for cows with lowest EBV for REI were almost twice as high as for cows with highest EBV for REI. In conclusion, selecting dairy cows for lower REI should be treated with caution because of an unfavorable relationship with liability to diseases, especially in early lactation.
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Affiliation(s)
- V A E Becker
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24098 Kiel, Germany.
| | - E Stamer
- TiDa Tier und Daten GmbH, 24259 Westensee/Brux, Germany
| | - H Spiekers
- Institute for Animal Nutrition and Feed Management, Bavarian State Research Center for Agriculture, 85586 Poing/Grub, Germany
| | - G Thaller
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24098 Kiel, Germany
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22
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Lee YL, Takeda H, Costa Monteiro Moreira G, Karim L, Mullaart E, Coppieters W, Appeltant R, Veerkamp RF, Groenen MAM, Georges M, Bosse M, Druet T, Bouwman AC, Charlier C. A 12 kb multi-allelic copy number variation encompassing a GC gene enhancer is associated with mastitis resistance in dairy cattle. PLoS Genet 2021; 17:e1009331. [PMID: 34288907 PMCID: PMC8328317 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pgen.1009331] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/18/2020] [Revised: 08/02/2021] [Accepted: 06/08/2021] [Indexed: 12/24/2022] Open
Abstract
Clinical mastitis (CM) is an inflammatory disease occurring in the mammary glands of lactating cows. CM is under genetic control, and a prominent CM resistance QTL located on chromosome 6 was reported in various dairy cattle breeds. Nevertheless, the biological mechanism underpinning this QTL has been lacking. Herein, we mapped, fine-mapped, and discovered the putative causal variant underlying this CM resistance QTL in the Dutch dairy cattle population. We identified a ~12 kb multi-allelic copy number variant (CNV), that is in perfect linkage disequilibrium with a lead SNP, as a promising candidate variant. By implementing a fine-mapping and through expression QTL mapping, we showed that the group-specific component gene (GC), a gene encoding a vitamin D binding protein, is an excellent candidate causal gene for the QTL. The multiplicated alleles are associated with increased GC expression and low CM resistance. Ample evidence from functional genomics data supports the presence of an enhancer within this CNV, which would exert cis-regulatory effect on GC. We observed that strong positive selection swept the region near the CNV, and haplotypes associated with the multiplicated allele were strongly selected for. Moreover, the multiplicated allele showed pleiotropic effects for increased milk yield and reduced fertility, hinting that a shared underlying biology for these effects may revolve around the vitamin D pathway. These findings together suggest a putative causal variant of a CM resistance QTL, where a cis-regulatory element located within a CNV can alter gene expression and affect multiple economically important traits.
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Affiliation(s)
- Young-Lim Lee
- Wageningen University & Research, Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Haruko Takeda
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-R & Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Latifa Karim
- GIGA Genomics Platform, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Wouter Coppieters
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-R & Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
- GIGA Genomics Platform, GIGA Institute, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | | | - Ruth Appeltant
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-R & Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Roel F. Veerkamp
- Wageningen University & Research, Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Martien A. M. Groenen
- Wageningen University & Research, Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Michel Georges
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-R & Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Mirte Bosse
- Wageningen University & Research, Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Tom Druet
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-R & Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
| | - Aniek C. Bouwman
- Wageningen University & Research, Animal Breeding and Genomics, Wageningen, the Netherlands
| | - Carole Charlier
- Unit of Animal Genomics, GIGA-R & Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, University of Liège, Liège, Belgium
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Assessment of the Relationship between Postpartum Health and Mid-Lactation Performance, Behavior, and Feed Efficiency in Holstein Dairy Cows. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11051385. [PMID: 34068147 PMCID: PMC8153007 DOI: 10.3390/ani11051385] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/30/2021] [Revised: 04/29/2021] [Accepted: 05/09/2021] [Indexed: 02/02/2023] Open
Abstract
The objective of this study was to investigate the relationships between postpartum health disorders and mid-lactation performance, feed efficiency, and sensor-derived behavioral traits. Multiparous cows (n = 179) were monitored for health disorders for 21 days postpartum and enrolled in a 45-day trial between 50 to 200 days in milk, wherein feed intake, milk yield and components, body weight, body condition score, and activity, lying, and feeding behaviors were recorded. Feed efficiency was measured as residual feed intake and the ratio of fat- or energy-corrected milk to dry matter intake. Cows were classified as either having hyperketonemia (HYK; n = 72) or not (n = 107) and grouped by frequency of postpartum health disorders: none (HLT; n = 94), one (DIS; n = 63), or ≥2 (DIS+; n = 22). Cows that were diagnosed with HYK had higher mid-lactation yields of fat- and energy-corrected milk. No differences in feed efficiency were detected between HYK or health status groups. Highly active mid-lactation time was higher in healthy animals, and rumination time was lower in ≥4th lactation cows compared with HYK or DIS and DIS+ cows. Differences in mid-lactation behaviors between HYK and health status groups may reflect the long-term impacts of health disorders. The lack of a relationship between postpartum health and mid-lactation feed efficiency indicates that health disorders do not have long-lasting impacts on feed efficiency.
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24
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McGovern SP, Weigel DJ, Fessenden BC, Gonzalez-Peña D, Vukasinovic N, McNeel AK, Di Croce FA. Genomic Prediction for Twin Pregnancies. Animals (Basel) 2021; 11:ani11030843. [PMID: 33809801 PMCID: PMC8002547 DOI: 10.3390/ani11030843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/27/2021] [Revised: 02/25/2021] [Accepted: 03/01/2021] [Indexed: 02/07/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Twinning in dairy cattle is caused by many different factors, both genetic (i.e., inherited) and non-genetic (i.e., animal management). In dairy operations, twinning is an undesirable trait associated with other reproductive and metabolic diseases, higher operational costs, and higher rates of culling on farm. The animal welfare and economic impacts have resulted in the development of a genomic prediction for twinning (i.e., TWIN) by Zoetis such that producers can make informed breeding decisions for breeding Holstein females that are less likely to become pregnant with twins in a given lactation. This prediction is included in a holistic breeding tool (i.e., selection index) for producers so that they can improve multiple health, fertility, and production traits in parallel with reducing twinning when making breeding decisions for future generations. The objectives of the present study were (1) to describe how the twinning prediction was developed (and included in a selection index), (2) show that the prediction works effectively using real life farm data, and (3) propose how this genetic tool can be used in collaboration with management practices to proactively reduce twin pregnancies on farm. The results of this study provide evidence that twinning can be proactively managed on dairy farms using genetically powered tools. Abstract Twinning is a multifactorial trait influenced by both genetic and environmental factors that can negatively impact animal welfare and economic sustainability on commercial dairy operations. To date, using genetic selection as a tool for reducing twinning rates on commercial dairies has been proposed, but not yet implemented. In response to this market need, Zoetis (Kalamazoo, MI, USA) has developed a genomic prediction for twin pregnancies, and included it in a comprehensive multitrait selection index. The objectives of this study were to (1) describe a genetic evaluation for twinning in Holstein cattle, (2) demonstrate the efficacy of the predictions, (3) propose strategies to reduce twin pregnancies using this information. Data were retrieved from commercial dairies and provided directly by producers upon obtaining their permission. The twin pregnancies trait (TWIN) was defined as a pregnancy resulting in birth or abortion of twin calves, classified as a binary (0,1) event, and analysed using a threshold animal model. Predictions for a subset of cows were compared to their on-farm twin records. The heritability for twin pregnancies was 0.088, and genomic predicted transmitting abilities ((g)PTAs) ranged from −7.45–20.79. Genetic correlations between TWIN and other traits were low, meaning that improvement for TWIN will not negatively impact improvement for other traits. TWIN was effectively demonstrated to identify cows most and least likely to experience a twin pregnancy in a given lactation, regardless of reproductive protocol used. Effective inclusion of the prediction in a multitrait selection index offers producers a comprehensive tool to inform selection and management decisions. When combined with sound management practices, this presents a compelling opportunity for dairy producers to proactively reduce the incidence of twin pregnancies on commercial dairy operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- Shaileen P. McGovern
- Zoetis Genetics, 333 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA; (S.P.M.); (B.C.F.); (D.G.-P.); (N.V.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Daniel J. Weigel
- Zoetis Outcomes Research, 333 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA;
| | - Brenda C. Fessenden
- Zoetis Genetics, 333 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA; (S.P.M.); (B.C.F.); (D.G.-P.); (N.V.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Dianelys Gonzalez-Peña
- Zoetis Genetics, 333 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA; (S.P.M.); (B.C.F.); (D.G.-P.); (N.V.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Natascha Vukasinovic
- Zoetis Genetics, 333 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA; (S.P.M.); (B.C.F.); (D.G.-P.); (N.V.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Anthony K. McNeel
- Zoetis Genetics, 333 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA; (S.P.M.); (B.C.F.); (D.G.-P.); (N.V.); (A.K.M.)
| | - Fernando A. Di Croce
- Zoetis Genetics, 333 Portage Street, Kalamazoo, MI 49007, USA; (S.P.M.); (B.C.F.); (D.G.-P.); (N.V.); (A.K.M.)
- Correspondence:
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25
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Genetic analysis of daily milk yield variability in Holstein dairy cattle in an experimental herd. Livest Sci 2021. [DOI: 10.1016/j.livsci.2021.104397] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/20/2022]
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26
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Becker VAE, Stamer E, Thaller G. Liability to diseases and their relation to dry matter intake and energy balance in German Holstein and Fleckvieh dairy cows. J Dairy Sci 2020; 104:628-643. [PMID: 33162077 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2020-18579] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/23/2020] [Accepted: 08/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/23/2022]
Abstract
Dairy cow efficiency is increasingly important for future breeding decisions. The efficiency is determined mostly by dry matter intake (DMI). Reducing DMI seems to increase efficiency if milk yield remains the same, but resulting negative energy balance (EB) may cause health problems, especially in early lactation. Objectives of this study were to examine relationships between DMI and liability to diseases. Therefore, cow effects for DMI and EB were correlated with cow effects for 4 disease categories throughout lactation. Disease categories were mastitis, claw and leg diseases, metabolic diseases, and all diseases. In addition, this study presents relative percentages of diseased cows per days in milk (DIM), repeatability, and cow effect correlations for disease categories across DIM. A total of 1,370 German Holstein (GH) and 287 Fleckvieh (FV) primiparous and multiparous dairy cows from 12 dairy research farms in Germany were observed over a period of 2 yr. Farm staff and veterinarians recorded health data. We modeled health and production data with threshold random regression models and linear random regression models. From DIM 2 to 305 average daily DMI was 22.1 kg/d in GH and 20.2 kg/d in FV. Average weekly EB was 2.8 MJ of NEL/d in GH and 0.6 MJ of NEL/d in FV. Most diseases occurred in the first 20 DIM. Multiparous cows were more susceptible to diseases than primiparous cows. Relative percentages of diseased cows were highest for claw and leg diseases, followed by metabolic diseases and mastitis. Repeatability of disease categories and production traits was moderate to high. Cow effect correlations for disease categories were higher for adjacent lactation stages than for more distant lactation stages. Pearson correlation coefficients between cow effects for DMI, as well as EB, and disease categories were estimated from DIM 2 to 305. Almost all correlations were negative in GH, especially in early lactation. In FV, the course of correlations was similar to GH, but correlations were mostly more negative in early lactation. For the first 20 DIM, correlations ranged from -0.31 to 0.00 in GH and from -0.42 to -0.01 in FV. The results illustrate that future breeding for dairy cow efficiency should focus on DMI and EB in early lactation to avoid health problems.
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Affiliation(s)
- V A E Becker
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24098 Kiel, Germany.
| | - E Stamer
- TiDa Tier und Daten GmbH, 24259 Westensee/Brux, Germany
| | - G Thaller
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Husbandry, Christian-Albrechts-University, 24098 Kiel, Germany
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27
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De Monte E, Zanon T, Vevey M, Gauly M. Evaluation of the systematic recording of diagnostic data in the Valdostana cattle. ITALIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2020. [DOI: 10.1080/1828051x.2020.1833767] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Erica De Monte
- Facoltà di Scienze e Tecnologie, Libera Università di Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Thomas Zanon
- Facoltà di Scienze e Tecnologie, Libera Università di Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
| | - Mario Vevey
- Associazione Nazionale Allevatori Bovini Razza Valdostana – A.N.A.Bo.Ra.Va, Gressan, Italy
| | - Matthias Gauly
- Facoltà di Scienze e Tecnologie, Libera Università di Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy
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28
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Madureira AML, Poole RK, Burnett TA, Guida TG, Edwards JL, Schrick FN, Vasconcelos JLM, Cerri RLA, Pohler KG. Size and position of the reproductive tract impacts fertility outcomes and pregnancy losses in lactating dairy cows. Theriogenology 2020; 158:66-74. [PMID: 32932186 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.08.022] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/29/2020] [Revised: 08/14/2020] [Accepted: 08/17/2020] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
There are multiple factors that contribute to reduced fertility in lactating dairy cows. Recently, a reproductive tract size and position score (SPS) system was developed as a management tool to identify dairy cows with decreased fertility. The aim of this study was to evaluate the association between the SPS on fertility outcomes such as ovulation failure, pregnancy per artificial insemination (P/AI), concentration of pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAGs), and pregnancy loss in lactating dairy cows. Primiparous and multiparous lactating Holstein cows (n = 869) were enrolled at two locations. Location 1 (Loc. 1) in Minas Gerais, Brazil (n = 613) and location 2 (Loc. 2) in Agassiz, British Columbia, Canada (n = 256). At the time of AI (d 0), cows were classified as SPS (small [SPS1], medium [SPS2], or large [SPS3] sized reproductive tract) and ovulation failure was determined at 48 h and 7 d post-AI via ultrasonography (Loc. 2 only). Blood samples were collected on d 24 and 31 of gestation for quantification of PAGs and pregnancy diagnosis was performed via ultrasonography at d 31 and 60 post-AI (Loc. 1) and at d 31 ± 3 and 60 ± 3 post-AI (Loc. 2). Cows diagnosed pregnant at d 31 post-AI but not pregnant at d 60 were defined to have undergone late embryonic pregnancy loss. Parity was found to impact SPS (P < 0.01), as primiparous cows had a higher frequency of SPS1 and lower frequency of SPS3 when compared with multiparous cows (SPS1: 42.6 vs. 15.0%; SPS3: 7.0 vs. 22.0%, respectively). Cows classified as SPS3 had greater ovulation failure at 48 h (P = 0.04) and 7 d post-AI (P = 0.05). Cows classified as SPS1 had greater P/AI when compared to SPS2 and SPS3 (45.9 ± 3.3 vs. 37.4 ± 2.6 and 29.1 ± 3.5%, respectively; P = 0.004). There was no interaction between parity and SPS on P/AI. Pregnancy loss between 31 and 60 d post-AI was increased in cows classified as SPS3 compared to SPS2 and SPS1 (24.3 ± 0.05 vs. 11.6 ± 0.02 and 9.4 ± 0.02%, respectively; P = 0.04). Cows classified as SPS1 and SPS2 had greater concentrations of PAGs at 31 d post-AI when compared to SPS3 at both Loc.1 (P < 0.01) and Loc. 2 (P < 0.01). There was no interaction between SPS and pregnancy loss on PAGs at 24 and 31 d post- AI for either Loc. 1 (P = 0.75 and P = 0.76, respectively) or Loc. 2 (P = 0.61 and P = 0.81, respectively). In conclusion, cows that were classified as SPS3 had greater ovulation failure, reduced P/AI, similar concentrations of PAG on d 24, but decreased on d 31, and a greater incidence of pregnancy loss. Thus, size and position of the reproductive tract is associated with fertility and this scoring system could be used to make reproductive management decisions on dairy operations.
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Affiliation(s)
- A M L Madureira
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - R K Poole
- Department of Animal Science, Pregnancy and Developmental Programming Area of Excellence, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA
| | - T A Burnett
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - T G Guida
- Department of Animal Production, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, 18168-000, Brazil
| | - J L Edwards
- Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - F N Schrick
- Department of Animal Science, University of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN, 37996, USA
| | - J L M Vasconcelos
- Department of Animal Production, São Paulo State University, Botucatu, 18168-000, Brazil
| | - R L A Cerri
- Applied Animal Biology, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, BC, V6T 1Z4, Canada
| | - K G Pohler
- Department of Animal Science, Pregnancy and Developmental Programming Area of Excellence, Texas A&M University, College Station, TX, 77843, USA.
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29
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Pralle RS, Schultz NE, White HM, Weigel KA. Hyperketonemia GWAS and parity-dependent SNP associations in Holstein dairy cows intensively sampled for blood β-hydroxybutyrate concentration. Physiol Genomics 2020; 52:347-357. [PMID: 32628084 DOI: 10.1152/physiolgenomics.00016.2020] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/17/2022] Open
Abstract
Hyperketonemia (HYK) is a metabolic disorder that affects early postpartum dairy cows; however, there has been limited success in identifying genomic variants contributing to HYK susceptibility. We conducted a genome-wide association study (GWAS) using HYK phenotypes based on an intensive screening protocol, interrogated genotype interactions with parity group (GWIS), and evaluated the enrichment of annotated metabolic pathways. Holstein cows were enrolled into the experiment after parturition, and blood samples were collected at four timepoints between 5 and 18 days postpartum. Concentration of blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) was quantified cow-side via a handheld BHB meter. Cows were labeled as a HYK case when at least one blood sample had BHB ≥ 1.2 mmol/L, and all other cows were considered non-HYK controls. After quality control procedures, 1,710 cows and 58,699 genotypes were available for further analysis. The GWAS and GWIS were performed using the forward feature select linear mixed model method. There was evidence for an association between ARS-BFGL-NGS-91238 and HYK susceptibility, as well as parity-dependent associations to HYK for BovineHD0600024247 and BovineHD1400023753. Candidate genes annotated to these single nuclear polymorphism associations have been previously associated with obesity, diabetes, insulin resistance, and fatty liver in humans and rodent models. Enrichment analysis revealed focal adhesion and axon guidance as metabolic pathways contributing to HYK etiology, while genetic variation in pathways related to insulin secretion and sensitivity may affect HYK susceptibility in a parity-dependent matter. In conclusion, the present work proposes several novel marker associations and metabolic pathways contributing to genetic risk for HYK susceptibility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ryan S Pralle
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Nichol E Schultz
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Heather M White
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
| | - Kent A Weigel
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison, Wisconsin
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30
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Sahar MW, Beaver A, von Keyserlingk MAG, Weary DM. Predicting Disease in Transition Dairy Cattle Based on Behaviors Measured Before Calving. Animals (Basel) 2020; 10:ani10060928. [PMID: 32471094 PMCID: PMC7341500 DOI: 10.3390/ani10060928] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/05/2020] [Revised: 05/21/2020] [Accepted: 05/22/2020] [Indexed: 01/29/2023] Open
Abstract
Simple Summary Dairy cattle often become ill after calving. We developed models designed to predict which cows are likely to become ill based upon measures of the cows’ feeding and competitive behaviors before calving. Our models had high sensitivity (73–71%), specificity (80–84%), positive predictive values (73–77%), and negative predictive values (80–80%) for both cows that had previously calved and for those calving for the first time. We conclude that behaviors at the feed bunk before calving can predict cows at risk of becoming sick in the weeks after calving. Abstract Dairy cattle are particularly susceptible to metritis, hyperketonemia (HYK), and mastitis in the weeks after calving. These high-prevalence transition diseases adversely affect animal welfare, milk production, and profitability. Our aim was to use prepartum behavior to predict which cows have an increased risk of developing these conditions after calving. The behavior of 213 multiparous and 105 primiparous Holsteins was recorded for approximately three weeks before calving by an electronic feeding system. Cows were also monitored for signs of metritis, HYK, and mastitis in the weeks after calving. The data were split using a stratified random method: we used 70% of our data (hereafter referred to as the “training” dataset) to develop the model and the remaining 30% of data (i.e., the “test” dataset) to assess the model’s predictive ability. Separate models were developed for primiparous and multiparous animals. The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve using the test dataset for multiparous cows was 0.83, sensitivity and specificity were 73% and 80%, positive predictive value (PPV) was 73%, and negative predictive value (NPV) was 80%. The area under the ROC curve using the test dataset for primiparous cows was 0.86, sensitivity and specificity were 71% and 84%, PPV was 77%, and NPV was 80%. We conclude that prepartum behavior can be used to predict cows at risk of metritis, HYK, and mastitis after calving.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad W. Sahar
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (M.W.S.); (A.B.); (M.A.G.v.K.)
| | - Annabelle Beaver
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (M.W.S.); (A.B.); (M.A.G.v.K.)
- Department of Animal Production, Welfare and Veterinary Sciences, Harper Adams University, Shropshire TF10 8NB, UK
| | - Marina A. G. von Keyserlingk
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (M.W.S.); (A.B.); (M.A.G.v.K.)
| | - Daniel M. Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver BC V6T 1Z4, Canada; (M.W.S.); (A.B.); (M.A.G.v.K.)
- Correspondence:
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31
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Parker Gaddis KL, VanRaden PM, Cole JB, Norman HD, Nicolazzi E, Dürr JW. Symposium review: Development, implementation, and perspectives of health evaluations in the United States. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:5354-5365. [PMID: 32331897 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17687] [Citation(s) in RCA: 13] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/30/2019] [Accepted: 02/29/2020] [Indexed: 12/28/2022]
Abstract
The rate at which new traits are being developed is increasing, leading to an expanding number of evaluations provided to dairy producers, especially for functional traits. This review will discuss the development and implementation of genetic evaluations for direct health traits in the United States, as well as potential future developments. Beginning in April 2018, routine official genomic evaluations for 6 direct health traits in Holsteins were made available to US producers from the Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding (Bowie, MD). Traits include resistance to milk fever, displaced abomasum, ketosis, clinical mastitis, metritis, and retained placenta. These health traits were included in net merit indices beginning in August 2018, with a total weight of approximately 2%. Previously, improvement of cow health was primarily made through changes to management practices or genetic selection on indicator traits, such as somatic cell score, productive life, or livability. Widespread genomic testing now allows for accelerated improvement of traits with low heritabilities such as health; however, phenotypes remain essential to the success of genomic evaluations. Establishment and maintenance of data pipelines is a critical component of health trait evaluations, as well as appropriate data quality control standards. Data standardization is a necessary process when multiple data sources are involved. Model refinement continues, including implementation of variance adjustments beginning with the April 2019 evaluation. Mastitis evaluations are submitted to Interbull along with somatic cell score for international validation and evaluation of udder health. Additional areas of research include evaluation of other breeds for direct health traits, use of multiple-trait models, and evaluations for additional functional traits such as calf health and feed efficiency. Future developments will require new and continued cooperation among numerous industry stakeholders. There is more information available than ever before with which to make better selection decisions; however, this also makes it increasingly important to provide accurate and unbiased information.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - P M VanRaden
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705
| | - J B Cole
- Animal Genomics and Improvement Laboratory, Agricultural Research Service, USDA, Beltsville, MD 20705
| | - H D Norman
- Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, Bowie, MD 20716
| | - E Nicolazzi
- Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, Bowie, MD 20716
| | - J W Dürr
- Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding, Bowie, MD 20716
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Saed H, Ibrahim H, El-khodery S, Youssef M. Prevalence and potential risk factors of hypocalcaemia in dairy cows during transition period at Northern Egypt. ACTA ACUST UNITED AC 2020. [DOI: 10.35943/mvmj.2020.21.104] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/23/2022]
Abstract
Objective: To identify the most prevalent diseases of transition period in dairy cows and to highlight on risk factors supposed to play a crucial role in the prevalence of hypocalcaemia.
Design: Case-control study
Animals: 179 transition dairy cows belonged to five farms.
Procedures: Clinical examination and serum analyses were the key to diagnose the transition disorders in the investigated cows. Cutoff points for serum analytes (Ca, Ph, Mg, PTH, glucose, K, Na and Cl) were set. A questionnaire was constructed to identify the possible risk factors associated with hypocalcaemia on both farm level and cow level.
Results: Frequency test revealed the prevalence of hypocalcaemia to be (48.04%), hypophosphatemia (40.22%), hypomagnesaemia (33.52%) hypoglycemia (29.05%), hypokalemia (58.1%), clinical ketosis (5.59%) and abomasal displacement (1.12%). Moreover, prevalence of post parturient septic metritis was (26.81%), retained placenta (23.46%) and clinical mastitis was (18.99%). Generally, hypocalcaemia was significantly associated with other concurrent diseases (P ≤ 0.05). Levels of serum PTH, glucose, K and Na were significantly related to occurrence of hypocalcaemia with p values: 0.006, 0.001, 0.019 and 0.001, respectively. Impact of diet, housing criteria and periodical health monitoring by metabolic profile test were found to affect significantly on incidence of hypocalcaemia on farm level with p value ≤ 0.008 for all. On cow level, age of cows, parity, body condition score, stage of transition period, daily milk yield and previous transition period disorders were found to have a significant effect on occurrence of hypocalcaemia at p value ≤ 0.001 for each item.
Conclusion and clinical relevance: Results of the current study point toward the importance of usual monitoring of transition period disorders in dairy cows, besides identifying potential risks and consequences of hypocalcaemia in an attempt to construct control measures for them, that in-turn would increase dairy herd profitability.
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Pralle RS, White HM. Symposium review: Big data, big predictions: Utilizing milk Fourier-transform infrared and genomics to improve hyperketonemia management. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:3867-3873. [PMID: 31954582 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17379] [Citation(s) in RCA: 14] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2019] [Accepted: 11/14/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Negative animal health and performance outcomes are associated with disease incidences that can be labor-intensive, costly, and cumbersome for many farms. Amelioration of unfavorable outcomes through early detection and treatment of disease has emphasized the value of improving health monitoring. Although the value is recognized, detecting hyperketonemia (HYK) is still difficult for many farms to do practically and efficiently. Increasing data streams available to farms presents opportunities to use data to better monitor cow and herd health; however, challenges remain with regard to validating, integrating, and interpreting data. During the transition to lactation period, useful data are presented in the form of milk production and composition, milk Fourier-transform infrared (FTIR) wavelength absorbance, cow management records, and genomics, which have been employed to monitor postpartum onset of HYK. Attempts to predict postpartum HYK from test-day milk and performance variables incorporated into multiple linear regression models have demonstrated sufficient accuracy to monitor monthly herd prevalence; however, they lacked the sensitivity and specificity for individual cow diagnostics. Subsequent artificial neural network prediction models employing FTIR data and milk composition variables achieved 83 and 81% sensitivity and specificity for individual cow diagnostics. Although these results fail to reach the diagnostic goals of 90%, they are achieved without individual cow blood samples, which may justify acceptance of lower performance. The caveat is that these models depend on milk analysis, which is traditionally done every 4 weeks. This infrequent sampling allows for a single diagnostic sample for about half of the fresh cows. Benefits to farms are greatly improved if postpartum cows can be milk-tested weekly. Additionally, this allows for close monitoring of somatic cell count and may open the door for use of other herd health monitoring tools. Future improvements in these models may be achievable by maximizing sensitivity at the expense of specificity and may be most economical in disorders for which the cost of treatment is less than that of mistreating (e.g., HYK). Genomic predictions for HYK may be improved by incorporating genome-wide associated SNP and further utilized for precision management of HYK risk groups. Development and validation of HYK prediction models may provide producers with individual cow and herd-level management tools.
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Affiliation(s)
- R S Pralle
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706
| | - H M White
- Department of Dairy Science, University of Wisconsin-Madison 53706.
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Sheldon IM, Molinari PCC, Ormsby TJR, Bromfield JJ. Preventing postpartum uterine disease in dairy cattle depends on avoiding, tolerating and resisting pathogenic bacteria. Theriogenology 2020; 150:158-165. [PMID: 31973964 DOI: 10.1016/j.theriogenology.2020.01.017] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2020] [Accepted: 01/11/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
Up to forty percent of dairy cows develop metritis or endometritis when pathogenic bacteria infect the uterus after parturition. However, resilient cows remain healthy even when exposed to the same pathogens. Here, we provide a perspective on the mechanisms that dairy cows use to prevent postpartum uterine disease. We suggest that resilient cows prevent the development of uterine disease using the three complementary defensive strategies of avoiding, tolerating and resisting infection with pathogenic bacteria. Avoidance maintains health by limiting the exposure to pathogens. Avoidance mechanisms include intrinsic behaviors to reduce the risk of infection by avoiding pathogens or infected animals, perhaps signaled by the fetid odor of uterine disease. Tolerance improves health by limiting the tissue damage caused by the pathogens. Tolerance mechanisms include neutralizing bacterial toxins, protecting cells against damage, enhancing tissue repair, and reprogramming metabolism. Resistance improves health by limiting the pathogen burden. Resistance mechanisms include inflammation driven by innate immunity and adaptive immunity, with the aim of killing and eliminating pathogenic bacteria. Farmers can also help cows prevent the development of postpartum uterine disease by avoiding trauma to the genital tract, reducing stress, and feeding animals appropriately during the transition period. Understanding the mechanisms of avoidance, tolerance and resistance to pathogens will inform strategies to generate resilient animals and prevent uterine disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Martin Sheldon
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, United Kingdom.
| | - Paula C C Molinari
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0910, United States
| | - Thomas J R Ormsby
- Institute of Life Science, Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Singleton Park, Swansea, SA2 8PP, United Kingdom
| | - John J Bromfield
- Department of Animal Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611-0910, United States
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35
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Shabalina T, Yin T, König S. Influence of common health disorders on the length of productive life and stayability in German Holstein cows. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:583-596. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-16985] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/18/2019] [Accepted: 09/11/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022]
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36
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Fan P, Bian B, Teng L, Nelson CD, Driver J, Elzo MA, Jeong KC. Host genetic effects upon the early gut microbiota in a bovine model with graduated spectrum of genetic variation. THE ISME JOURNAL 2020; 14:302-317. [PMID: 31624342 PMCID: PMC6908690 DOI: 10.1038/s41396-019-0529-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 50] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/13/2019] [Revised: 08/27/2019] [Accepted: 09/13/2019] [Indexed: 12/14/2022]
Abstract
Multiple synergistic factors affect the development and composition of mammalian gut microbiota, but effects of host genetics remain unclear. To illuminate the role of host genetics on gut microbiota, we employed animals with a graduated spectrum of genetic variation with minimal environmental influences. We bred 228 calves with linearly varying breed composition from 100% Angus (Bos taurus) to 100% Brahman (Bos indicus), as a proxy for genetic variation, and then raised the offspring in the same environment with identical diets. We hypothesized each breed would harbor distinct gut microbiota due to genetic influence. We found that the gut microbiota of preweaning calves at 3 months old is significantly affected by host genetics, profoundly by paternal genome. We also demonstrate that single nucleotide polymorphisms in host mucin-encoding genes, critical for gut mucosal health, are significantly correlated with both breed composition and mucin-degrading gut bacteria. We further demonstrate host genetics indirectly changes gut microbiota composition via microbe-microbe interactions. These findings indicate a strong contribution by host genetics in shaping the gut microbiota during early life stages, shedding light on impact of animal breeding on gut microbiota, which is associated with animal growth and health.
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Affiliation(s)
- Peixin Fan
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Beilei Bian
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Lin Teng
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Corwin D Nelson
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - J Driver
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Mauricio A Elzo
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA
| | - Kwangcheol C Jeong
- Emerging Pathogens Institute, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
- Department of Animal Sciences, Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL, 32611, USA.
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37
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Sahar MW, Beaver A, Weary DM, von Keyserlingk MAG. Feeding behavior and agonistic interactions at the feed bunk are associated with hyperketonemia and metritis diagnosis in dairy cattle. J Dairy Sci 2020; 103:783-790. [PMID: 31668443 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-16278] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/09/2019] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Hyperketonemia and metritis are common in the weeks after calving. This study tested if feeding and agonistic behaviors before calving were associated with the development of hyperketonemia (HYK) and metritis after calving. Holstein cows on 5 commercial farms were monitored for HYK (as identified using a cow-side β-hydroxybutyrate test) and metritis (using visual and olfactory assessment of vaginal discharge); both tests were conducted twice a week for 2 wk. Based on this assessment, we selected a balanced sample of cows that remained healthy (no signs of illness; n = 20), cows diagnosed with either HYK (n = 20) or metritis (n = 20), and cows with both HYK and metritis (n = 20). Video recordings from the 8 wk before calving (scored every 2 wk for 90 min immediately after fresh feed delivery) were used to evaluate feeding behavior and competition at the feed bunk. Feeding behavior before calving was associated with postpartum diagnosis of HYK and metritis. Specifically, cows that spent less time eating had higher odds of HYK and metritis. Odds of remaining healthy (compared with becoming sick with at least 1 condition) increased by 1.3 times for every additional 15 min spent eating. Additionally, cows that were involved in fewer agonistic interactions prepartum were more likely to be diagnosed with both conditions during the postpartum period. Odds of remaining healthy (compared with becoming sick with at least one condition) increased by 1.9 times for every 6 additional interactions. We conclude that prepartum feeding and agonistic behaviors can be used to identify animals at risk of HYK and metritis postpartum.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mohammad W Sahar
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Annabelle Beaver
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Daniel M Weary
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4
| | - Marina A G von Keyserlingk
- Animal Welfare Program, Faculty of Land and Food Systems, University of British Columbia, Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, V6T 1Z4.
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38
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May K, Bohlsen E, König S, Strube C. Fasciola hepatica seroprevalence in Northern German dairy herds and associations with milk production parameters and milk ketone bodies. Vet Parasitol 2019; 277:109016. [PMID: 31901738 DOI: 10.1016/j.vetpar.2019.109016] [Citation(s) in RCA: 22] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/16/2019] [Revised: 12/15/2019] [Accepted: 12/20/2019] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
Infections with the liver fluke Fasciola hepatica remain a serious problem in dairy herds causing significant production losses. In sheep, a strong relationship between F. hepatica infections and an increase in serum ketone bodies due to reduced feed intake and liver damage was demonstrated. We hypothesized that F. hepatica infections might contribute to an increase in milk ketone bodies in dairy herds. Thus, the objective of the study was to estimate the association between F. hepatica bulk tank milk (BTM) antibodies and milk production parameters (milk yield, milk protein, fat yield), somatic cell count (SCC) and the milk ketone bodies ß-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) and acetone, inferred from Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometry, via linear mixed model analysis. A further aim was to follow up the F. hepatica seroprevalence in dairy herds in the northern German region East Frisia. We collected BTM samples between October and December from 1022 herds in 2017 and 1318 herds in 2018. Overall, 33.1 % of the herds tested positive in 2017 and 37.0 % in 2018, showing decreased F. hepatica seroprevalences compared to prior seroprevalence studies in the same region in 2010, 2008 and 2006 (> 45 % positive herds). We estimated a significant negative association (P < 0.001) between herd F. hepatica infection category and average milk yield with a loss of -1.62 kg per cow per day in strongly infected herds compared to BTM ELISA negative herds. Moreover, F. hepatica infection category had a significant effect on herd average milk protein and fat yield (P < 0.001), showing a decrease of 0.06 kg for both parameters from BTM ELISA negative herds to strongly infected herds. No significant association with milk SCC was found (P = 0.664). Regarding ketone bodies, we estimated significant higher average BHB values in strongly infected herds compared to the other three infection categories in the model analysis (P = 0.002). The association between F. hepatica infection category and acetone values was not significant (P = 0.079). Besides primary ketosis, fasciolosis should be considered as differential diagnosis in dairy herds with increased BHB values.
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Affiliation(s)
- Katharina May
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany.
| | - Ernst Bohlsen
- State Control Association for Milk Recording, Landeskontrollverband (LKV) Weser-Ems e.V., 26789 Leer, Germany
| | - Sven König
- Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics, Justus-Liebig-University of Gießen, 35390 Gießen, Germany
| | - Christina Strube
- Institute for Parasitology, Centre for Infection Medicine, University of Veterinary Medicine Hannover, Buenteweg 17, 30559 Hannover, Germany
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39
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Gonzalez-Peña D, Vukasinovic N, Brooker JJ, Przybyla CA, Baktula A, DeNise SK. Genomic evaluation for wellness traits in US Jersey cattle. J Dairy Sci 2019; 103:1735-1748. [PMID: 31837791 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-16903] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2019] [Accepted: 10/17/2019] [Indexed: 01/01/2023]
Abstract
The number of Jersey cows in the United States has been steadily increasing in recent years according to Council on Dairy Cattle Breeding statistics. To help producers reduce the risk of health disorders in their Jersey animals, Zoetis has developed genomic predictions for wellness traits in Jersey cattle using producer-recorded data. The traits included mastitis (MAST), metritis, retained placenta, displaced abomasum (DA), ketosis, lameness, and milk fever in cows and respiratory disease, scours, and calf livability (DEAD) in calves. Phenotypic data on health events, pedigree, and genotypes were collected directly from producers upon obtaining their permission. Each trait was defined as a binary event, having a value of 1 if an animal has been recorded with a disorder and 0 otherwise. The number of phenotypic records ranged from 216,166 for DA to 628,958 for MAST for cow traits and from 186,505 for scours to 380,429 for DEAD for calf traits. The number of genotyped animals was 41,271. All traits were analyzed using a univariate threshold animal model. The model for cow wellness traits included the fixed effect of parity and random effects of herd × year × season of calving, animal, and permanent environment. The model for calf wellness traits included the fixed effect of year of birth × calving season × region and random effects of herd × year of birth and animal. A total of 45,163 SNP were used in genomic analyses. Animals genotyped with low-density chips were imputed to the required number of markers. All analyses were based on the single-step genomic BLUP. Heritabilities ranged from 0.061 for DA to 0.120 for lameness. Predicted transmitting abilities were expressed in percentage points as deviations from the average estimated probability of a disorder in the base population. Reliabilities of genomic predicted transmitting abilities had average values between 32% (DA) and 51% (MAST and DEAD). The results indicate that a direct evaluation of cow and calf wellness traits under a genomic threshold model is feasible and offers predictions with average reliabilities comparable with other lowly heritable traits for Jersey cattle.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | - A Baktula
- Zoetis Genetics, Kalamazoo, MI 49007
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40
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Martin P, Baes C, Houlahan K, Richardson C, Jamrozik J, Miglior F. Genetic correlations among selected traits in Canadian Holsteins. CANADIAN JOURNAL OF ANIMAL SCIENCE 2019. [DOI: 10.1139/cjas-2018-0190] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/22/2022]
Abstract
In the Canadian dairy industry, there are currently over 80 traits routinely evaluated, and more are considered for potential selection. Particularly, in the last few years, recording has commenced for several new phenotypes required to introduce novel traits with high economic importance into the selection program. However, without a systematic estimation of the genetic correlations that exist among traits, the potential results of indirect selection are unknown. Therefore, 29 traits representative of the trait diversity for first lactation Canadian animals were selected. Their two-by-two genetic correlations were estimated from a dataset of 62 498 first lactation Holstein cows, using a Markov Chain Monte Carlo Gibbs sampling approach. The general tendencies among the groups of traits confirm that production traits are negatively correlated with fertility traits and that functional traits are positively correlated with one another. The association of udder depth with fertility and disease resistance has also been highlighted. This contribution offers a comprehensive overview of current estimates across traits and includes correlations with novel traits that constitute an original addition to the literature. These new estimates can be used for newly developed genomic evaluation models and possibly lead to more accurate estimations of the dairy cows’ overall genetic merit.
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Affiliation(s)
- P. Martin
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
- Génétique Animale et Biologie Intégrative (GABI), Institut National de la Recherche Agronomique (INRA), AgroParisTech, Université Paris-Saclay, 78352 Jouy-en-Josas, France
| | - C. Baes
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - K. Houlahan
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - C.M. Richardson
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
| | - J. Jamrozik
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
- Canadian Dairy Network, Guelph, ON N1K 1E5, Canada
| | - F. Miglior
- Centre for Genetic Improvement of Livestock, Department of Animal Biosciences, University of Guelph, Guelph, ON N1G 2W1, Canada
- Canadian Dairy Network, Guelph, ON N1K 1E5, Canada
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41
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Kelly E, McAloon CG, O'Grady L, Duane M, Somers JR, Beltman ME. Cow-level risk factors for reproductive tract disease diagnosed by 2 methods in pasture-grazed dairy cattle in Ireland. J Dairy Sci 2019; 103:737-749. [PMID: 31733853 DOI: 10.3168/jds.2019-17064] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/04/2019] [Accepted: 09/19/2019] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The cow-side diagnosis of reproductive tract disease (RTD) involves identifying the presence of purulent vaginal discharge (PVD) and ultrasonographic endometritis (UE). The objectives of our study were to obtain prevalence estimates for RTD diagnosed by 2 methods (PVD and UE scoring) and to investigate the risk factors for increased probability of RTD if these methods are used in isolation or in combination. Our retrospective observational cohort study tested the hypothesis that RTD assessed by 2 methods would have similar risk factors, and that those would be mainly cow- and calving-related factors. We analyzed data from 5,049 pre-breeding examinations (PBE) from 2,460 spring-calved cows on 8 farms between 2014 and 2018. Cow-related details assessed were days in milk at PBE, breed, lactation number, dry period length, body condition score at calving and PBE, 305-d milk yield, predicted transmitting ability for production and fertility, the presence of a corpus luteum at PBE, and positive diagnosis the previous year. Calving details assessed were type of sire, calf sex, twinning, stillbirth, calving difficulty score, and retained fetal membranes. We conducted statistical analyses using 4 multivariable logistic regression models to identify the risk of RTD diagnosed by (1) PVD in isolation, (2) UE in isolation, (3) the presence of either PVD or UE; and (4) the presence of both PVD and UE. We accounted for herd, cow, and year as random effects in all 4 models. The overall prevalence of RTD in models 1, 2, 3, and 4 were 7.5, 6.7, 11.6, and 2.6%, respectively. Days in milk at PBE, the interaction between days in milk and retained fetal membranes, twinning, and the predicted transmitting ability for calving interval were consistently significant risk factors for positive scores in all 4 models. Considerable calving difficulty [adjusted odds ratio (AOR) = 13.64], Holstein Friesian dam breed (AOR = 2.58), first lactation (AOR = 2.39), and body condition score at PBE (AOR = 1.64) were risk factors for a positive PVD score but not for a positive UE score. Fifth lactation (AOR = 1.69), a beef-sired calf (AOR = 1.46), and the absence of a corpus luteum at PBE (AOR = 1.57) were risk factors for a positive UE score but not for a positive PVD score. These results support the hypothesis that most of the risk factors for PVD and UE are the same but some are distinctly different, implying that in some instances the 2 methods diagnose separate components of the RTD complex.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Kelly
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland.
| | - C G McAloon
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - L O'Grady
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - M Duane
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - J R Somers
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
| | - M E Beltman
- School of Veterinary Medicine, University College Dublin, Belfield, Dublin 4, Ireland
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42
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Menezes ESB, Badial PR, El Debaky H, Husna AU, Ugur MR, Kaya A, Topper E, Bulla C, Grant KE, Bolden-Tiller O, Moura AA, Memili E. Sperm miR-15a and miR-29b are associated with bull fertility. Andrologia 2019; 52:e13412. [PMID: 31671225 DOI: 10.1111/and.13412] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/10/2019] [Revised: 07/26/2019] [Accepted: 08/06/2019] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
MicroRNAs modulate male fertility by regulating gene expression. In this study, dynamics of sperm miR-15a, miR-29b and miR-34a from high fertility (HF) and low fertility (LF) bulls using RT-qPCR were evaluated. Bioinformatic tools were employed to ascertain genes of interest of the sperm miRNAs. The expression levels of p53, BCL2, BAX and DNMT1 in bull spermatozoa were determined by immunoblotting. MicroRNA levels of miR-15a and miR-29 were higher in LF sires when compared with those present in HF bulls. Expression levels of miR-34a did not differ between the two groups. We found an inverse correlation between miR-15a and bull fertility. MiR29-b was also negatively associated with fertility scores. BCL2 and DNMT1 were higher in HF bulls while BAX was higher in the LF group. Our data showed a positive correlation between BCL2 and bull fertility. In addition, DNMT1 was positively associated with bull fertility. Furthermore, levels of BAX were negatively linked with bull fertility scores. Identification of miRNAs found in the spermatozoa of sires with different in vivo fertility helps understand the alterations in the fertilising capacity from cattle and other mammals. These potential biomarkers can be used in reproductive biotechnology as fertility markers to assess semen quality and predict male fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- Erika S B Menezes
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Peres Ramos Badial
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Hazem El Debaky
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Asma Ul Husna
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.,Department of Zoology, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Muhammet Rasit Ugur
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Abdullah Kaya
- URUS Group LP, Madison, WI, USA.,Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | | | - Camilo Bulla
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Kamilah E Grant
- Center for Biotechnology and Department of Agriculture School of Agriculture & Applied Sciences, Alcorn State University, Lorman, MS, USA
| | - Olga Bolden-Tiller
- Department of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences, Tuskegee University, Tuskegee, AL, USA
| | - Arlindo A Moura
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Erdoğan Memili
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
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43
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Kutchy NA, Menezes ESB, Ugur MR, Ul Husna A, ElDebaky H, Evans HC, Beaty E, Santos FC, Tan W, Wills RW, Topper E, Kaya A, Moura AA, Memili E. Sperm cellular and nuclear dynamics associated with bull fertility. Anim Reprod Sci 2019; 211:106203. [PMID: 31785643 DOI: 10.1016/j.anireprosci.2019.106203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/26/2019] [Revised: 09/18/2019] [Accepted: 10/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
The objective of this study was to ascertain cellular characteristics and the dynamics of the sperm chromatin proteins protamine 1 (PRM1) and protamine 2 (PRM2) in the sperm of Holstein bulls having a different fertility status. Important sperm variables were analyzed using computer-assisted sperm analysis (CASA). Sperm membrane, acrosome status, DNA integrity were also assessed using propidium iodide (PI), fluorescein isothiocyanate conjugated to Arachis hypogaea (FITC-PNA), and acridine orange (AO) followed by flow cytometry. In addition, abundances of PRM1 and PRM2 were analyzed using flow cytometry experiments. Differences in sperm decondensation capacity were assessed in bulls of varying fertility using a decondensation assay. As determined using CASA, average pathway velocity, amplitude of lateral head displacement and straightness were different (P < 0.05) for sperm from high and low fertility bulls. There, however, were no differences between the high and low fertility bulls for characteristics of sperm plasma membrane, acrosome, and DNA integrity (P > 0.05). Relative abundances of PRM1 and PRM2 in sperm from the high and low fertility bulls were inversely related (P < 0.0001). Percentages of decondensed sperm were different between high and low fertility bulls (P < 0.0001) and total numbers of decondensed sperm were greater in low fertility bulls than high fertility bulls (R2 = 0.72). Results of the present study are significant because molecular and morphological phenotypes of sperm that were detected affect fertility in livestock species.
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Affiliation(s)
- Naseer A Kutchy
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Erika S B Menezes
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Muhammet R Ugur
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Asma Ul Husna
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA; Department of Zoology, Pir Mehr Ali Shah Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Hazem ElDebaky
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA; National Research Center, Cairo, Egypt
| | - Holly C Evans
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Emily Beaty
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Fagner C Santos
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA; Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Wei Tan
- Flow Cytometry Core Facility, College of Veterinary Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | - Robert W Wills
- Department of Pathobiology and Population Medicine, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA
| | | | - Abdullah Kaya
- Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Faculty of Veterinary Medicine, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Arlindo A Moura
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Erdogan Memili
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Mississippi State, MS, USA.
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44
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Sánchez-Molano E, Bay V, Smith RF, Oikonomou G, Banos G. Quantitative Trait Loci Mapping for Lameness Associated Phenotypes in Holstein-Friesian Dairy Cattle. Front Genet 2019; 10:926. [PMID: 31636655 PMCID: PMC6787292 DOI: 10.3389/fgene.2019.00926] [Citation(s) in RCA: 19] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/10/2018] [Accepted: 09/05/2019] [Indexed: 01/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Lameness represents a significant challenge for the dairy cattle industry, resulting in economic losses and reduced animal health and welfare. The existence of underlying genomic variation for lameness associated traits has the potential to improve selection strategies by using genomic markers. Therefore, the aim of this study was to identify genomic regions and potential candidate genes associated with lameness traits. Lameness related lesions and digital cushion thickness were studied using records collected by our research team, farm records, and a combination of both. Genome-wide analyses were performed to identify significant genomic effects, and a combination of single SNP association analysis and regional heritability mapping was used to identify associated genomic regions. Significant genomic effects were identified for several lameness related traits: Two genomic regions were identified on chromosome 3 associated with digital dermatitis and interdigital hyperplasia, one genomic region on chromosome 23 associated with interdigital hyperplasia, and one genomic region on chromosome 2 associated with sole haemorrhage. Candidate genes in those regions are mainly related to immune response and fibroblast proliferation. Quantitative trait loci (QTL) identified in this study could enlighten the understanding of lameness pathogenesis, providing an opportunity to improve health and welfare in dairy cattle with the addition of these regions into selection programs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enrique Sánchez-Molano
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
| | - Veysel Bay
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Bandirma Sheep Research Institute, The Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Balikesir, Turkey
| | - Robert F Smith
- Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Georgios Oikonomou
- Institute of Infection and Global Health, University of Liverpool, Liverpool, United Kingdom.,Institute of Veterinary Science, University of Liverpool, Leahurst Campus, Liverpool, United Kingdom
| | - Georgios Banos
- The Roslin Institute and R(D)SVS, University of Edinburgh, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom.,The Roslin Institute Building, Scotland's Rural College, Easter Bush, Edinburgh, United Kingdom
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45
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Griffin S, Healey GD, Sheldon IM. Isoprenoids increase bovine endometrial stromal cell tolerance to the cholesterol-dependent cytolysin from Trueperella pyogenes. Biol Reprod 2019; 99:749-760. [PMID: 29688258 PMCID: PMC6203874 DOI: 10.1093/biolre/ioy099] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/12/2018] [Accepted: 04/23/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022] Open
Abstract
Preventing postpartum uterine disease depends on the ability of endometrial cells to tolerate the presence of the bacteria that invade the uterus after parturition. Postpartum uterine disease and endometrial pathology in cattle are most associated with the pathogen Trueperella pyogenes. Trueperella pyogenes secretes a cholesterol-dependent cytolysin, pyolysin, which causes cytolysis by forming pores in the plasma membrane of endometrial stromal cells. The aim of the present study was to identify cell-intrinsic pathways that increase bovine endometrial stromal cell tolerance to pyolysin. Pyolysin caused dose-dependent cytolysis of bovine endometrial stromal cells and leakage of lactate dehydrogenase into supernatants. Cell tolerance to pyolysin was increased by inhibitors that target the mevalonate and cholesterol synthesis pathway, but not the mitogen-activated protein kinase, cell cycle, or metabolic pathways. Cellular cholesterol was reduced and cell tolerance to pyolysin was increased by supplying the mevalonate-derived isoprenoid farnesyl pyrophosphate, or by inhibiting farnesyl-diphosphate farnesyltransferase 1 or geranylgeranyl diphosphate synthase 1 to increase the abundance of farnesyl pyrophosphate. Supplying the mevalonate-derived isoprenoid geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate also increased cell tolerance to pyolysin, but independent of changes in cellular cholesterol. However, geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate inhibits nuclear receptor subfamily 1 group H receptors (NR1H, also known as liver X receptors), and reducing the expression of the genes encoding NR1H3 or NR1H2 increased stromal cell tolerance to pyolysin. In conclusion, mevalonate-derived isoprenoids increased bovine endometrial stromal cell tolerance to pyolysin, which was associated with reducing cellular cholesterol and inhibiting NR1H receptors.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sholeem Griffin
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - Gareth D Healey
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
| | - I Martin Sheldon
- Swansea University Medical School, Swansea University, Swansea, UK
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46
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Menezes EB, Velho ALC, Santos F, Dinh T, Kaya A, Topper E, Moura AA, Memili E. Uncovering sperm metabolome to discover biomarkers for bull fertility. BMC Genomics 2019; 20:714. [PMID: 31533629 PMCID: PMC6749656 DOI: 10.1186/s12864-019-6074-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2018] [Accepted: 08/30/2019] [Indexed: 02/08/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Subfertility decreases the efficiency of the cattle industry because artificial insemination employs spermatozoa from a single bull to inseminate thousands of cows. Variation in bull fertility has been demonstrated even among those animals exhibiting normal sperm numbers, motility, and morphology. Despite advances in research, molecular and cellular mechanisms underlying the causes of low fertility in some bulls have not been fully elucidated. In this study, we investigated the metabolic profile of bull spermatozoa using non-targeted metabolomics. Statistical analysis and bioinformatic tools were employed to evaluate the metabolic profiles high and low fertility groups. Metabolic pathways associated with the sperm metabolome were also reported. Results A total of 22 distinct metabolites were detected in spermatozoa from bulls with high fertility (HF) or low fertility (LF) phenotype. The major metabolite classes of bovine sperm were organic acids/derivatives and fatty acids/conjugates. We demonstrated that the abundance ratios of five sperm metabolites were statistically different between HF and LF groups including gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA), carbamate, benzoic acid, lactic acid, and palmitic acid. Metabolites with different abundances in HF and LF bulls had also VIP scores of greater than 1.5 and AUC- ROC curves of more than 80%. In addition, four metabolic pathways associated with differential metabolites namely alanine, aspartate and glutamate metabolism, β-alanine metabolism, glycolysis or gluconeogenesis, and pyruvate metabolism were also explored. Conclusions This is the first study aimed at ascertaining the metabolome of spermatozoa from bulls with different fertility phenotype using gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. We identified five metabolites in the two groups of sires and such molecules can be used, in the future, as key indicators of bull fertility.
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Affiliation(s)
- E B Menezes
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, 4025 Wise Center, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA
| | - A L C Velho
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, 4025 Wise Center, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - F Santos
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, 4025 Wise Center, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.,Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - T Dinh
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, 4025 Wise Center, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA
| | - A Kaya
- Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - E Topper
- Alta Genetic Inc., Watertown, WI, USA
| | - A A Moura
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - E Memili
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, 4025 Wise Center, Mississippi State, MS, 39762, USA.
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47
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Ugur MR, Kutchy NA, de Menezes EB, Ul-Husna A, Haynes BP, Uzun A, Kaya A, Topper E, Moura A, Memili E. Retained Acetylated Histone Four in Bull Sperm Associated With Fertility. Front Vet Sci 2019; 6:223. [PMID: 31417913 PMCID: PMC6685445 DOI: 10.3389/fvets.2019.00223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/03/2019] [Accepted: 06/19/2019] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Bull fertility, ability of the sperm to fertilize and activate the egg and support embryo development, is vital for cattle reproduction and production. Even though majority of histones are replaced by protamines, some histones are retained in sperm. It is known that chromatin remodeling during spermatogenesis results in dynamic changes in sperm chromatin structure through post-translational modifications (PTM) of sperm histones, which are important for regulation of gene expression. However, amounts of sperm Histone 4 (H4), its acetylated form (H4 acetyl), and to what extent these molecular attributes influence sperm chromatin structure and bull fertility are unknown. These gaps in the knowledge base are important because they are preventing advances in the fundamental science of bovine male gamete and improvement of bull fertility. The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that expression dynamics as well as PTM of sperm H4 are associated with bull fertility. Flow cytometry was utilized to quantify H4 and H4 acetylated form in sperm from seven high and seven low fertility Holstein bulls. The results indicated that the average number of cells with H4 or H4 acetyl expression in high and low fertility bull sperm were 34.6 ± 20.4, 1.88 ± 1.8, 15.2 ± 20.8, and 1.4 ± 1.2, respectively. However, the sperm enriched in both H4 and H4 acetyl were different between high and low fertility groups (3.5 ± 0.6; 1.8 ± 0.8; P = 0.043). The localization and detection of H4 and H4 acetylation were measured by immunocytochemistry which revealed that H4 and H4 acetylation were equally distributed in the sperm head of high and low fertility sires. Western blotting results confirmed the presence of the H4 and its acetylated form in the sperm. Bioinformatics studies demonstrated that H4 is highly conserved among mammalians, and have significant gene ontology on spermatogenesis, early embryo implantation, and sperm capacitation. The results are significant because it demonstrates the replacement of canonical histone H4 into modified H4 acetylation in sperm and regulate its dynamics which is crucial for bull fertility and reproductive biotechnology. These findings advance fundamental science of mammalian early development and reproductive biotechnology.
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Affiliation(s)
- Muhammet Rasit Ugur
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Naseer Ahmad Kutchy
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States.,Department of Genetics, School of Medicine, Yale University, New Haven, CT, United States
| | - Erika Bezerra de Menezes
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Asma Ul-Husna
- Department of Zoology, Pir Mehr Ali Shah-Arid Agriculture University, Rawalpindi, Pakistan
| | - Bethany Peyton Haynes
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
| | - Alper Uzun
- Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University, Providence, RI, United States.,Department of Pediatrics, Women and Infants Hospital of Rhode Island, Providence, RI, United States.,Center for Computational Molecular Biology, Brown University, Providence, RI, United States
| | - Abdullah Kaya
- Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | | | - Arlindo Moura
- Department of Animal Science, Federal University of Ceará, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Erdogan Memili
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, MS, United States
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48
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Velho A, Wang H, Koenig L, Grant KE, Menezes ES, Kaya A, Moura A, Memili E. Expression dynamics of Integrin Subunit Beta 5 in bovine gametes and embryos imply functions in male fertility and early embryonic development. Andrologia 2019; 51:e13305. [PMID: 31090238 DOI: 10.1111/and.13305] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2019] [Revised: 03/04/2019] [Accepted: 03/25/2019] [Indexed: 12/25/2022] Open
Abstract
Integrins have been shown to act as signalling receptors, and they primarily recognise extracellular matrix ligands on the oocyte surface. However, their possible roles in oocyte activation and embryo development are not clearly understood. The objectives of this study were to evaluate expression of Integrin Subunit Beta 5 (ITGβ5) in bovine sperm, oocytes, and early embryos and to ascertain the evolutionary conservation of ITGβ5. To accomplish these objectives, we used western blotting to study expression levels of ITGβ5 protein in sperm and RT-qPCR to determine expression levels of ITGβ5 transcripts in oocytes and embryos. We have also used bioinformatic analysis to determine the evolutionary conservation of the ITGβ5 protein among various species. Western blotting showed that ITGβ5 protein was detectable in bull sperm. Moreover, results of RT-qPCR showed that levels of ITGβ5 were significantly higher in the two-cell embryos, followed by the 8-16-cell embryos. However, no significant difference in expression levels were noted for the morula and blastocyst stages as compared to MII oocytes. Bioinformatic analysis revealed that ITGβ5 is conserved among various species. We conclude that expression of ITGβ5 in bovine gametes and embryos implies an important role in fertilisation and embryogenesis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana Velho
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi.,Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Hongfeng Wang
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
| | - Leslie Koenig
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
| | - Kamilah E Grant
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
| | - Erika S Menezes
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
| | - Abdullah Kaya
- Department of Reproduction and Artificial Insemination, Selcuk University, Konya, Turkey
| | - Arlindo Moura
- Department of Animal Sciences, Federal University of Ceara, Fortaleza, Brazil
| | - Erdogan Memili
- Department of Animal and Dairy Sciences, Mississippi State University, Starkville, Mississippi
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49
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Costa A, Egger-Danner C, Mészáros G, Fuerst C, Penasa M, Sölkner J, Fuerst-Waltl B. Genetic associations of lactose and its ratios to other milk solids with health traits in Austrian Fleckvieh cows. J Dairy Sci 2019; 102:4238-4248. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2018-15883] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/19/2018] [Accepted: 01/04/2019] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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50
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Gonzalez-Peña D, Vukasinovic N, Brooker J, Przybyla C, DeNise S. Genomic evaluation for calf wellness traits in Holstein cattle. J Dairy Sci 2019; 102:2319-2329. [DOI: 10.3168/jds.2018-15540] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/10/2018] [Accepted: 11/12/2018] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
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