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Sixteen multiparous Holstein cows in four blocks of 4 x 4 Latin square over 4-week experimental periods were used to study the effects of seaweed (Saccharina latissima) supplement (with/without) and protein source (rapeseed meal (RSM)/wheat distiller's grain (WDG)) on milk mineral concentrations. Dietary treatments did not affect milk production and basic composition. Feeding seaweed slightly decreased milk Ca and Cu concentrations; whilst increased (by 3.3-fold) milk iodine (I) concentration, due to a higher dietary I supply. Substitution of WDG with RSM increased feed-to-milk transfer of Ca, Na, and Se and decreased that of Mg, P, Fe, and Mn; but only reduced milk Mn and I concentrations (the latter by 27 % as a potential result of increased glucosinolate intake). Seaweed supplement can improve milk I content when cows' I supply/availability is limited, but care should be taken to avoid excess milk I contents that may pose nutritional risks for young children.

A new simple decision-tree (DT) algorithm was developed using the data from a neck-mounted accelerometer for real-time classification of feeding and ruminating behaviours of dairy cows. The performance of the DT was compared to that of a support vector machine (SVM) algorithm and a RumiWatch noseband sensor and the effect of decreasing the sampling rate of the accelerometer on the classification accuracy of the developed algorithms was investigated. Ten multiparous dairy cows were used in this study. Each cow was fitted with a RumiWatch halter and an accelerometer attached to the cow’s collar with both sensors programmed to log data at 10 Hz. Direct observations of the cows’ behaviours were used as reference (baseline data). Results indicate that the two sensors have similar classification performances for the considered behavioural categories (i.e., feeding, ruminating, other activity), with an overall accuracy of 93% for the accelerometer with SVM, 90% for the accelerometer with DT, and 91% for the Rumiwatch sensor. The difference between the predicted and the observed ruminating time (in min/h) was less than 1 min. h (1.5% of the observed time) for the SVM and less than 2 min. h (2.8%) for both DT and the RumiWatch. Similarly, the difference in feeding time was 1.3 min. h (2.1%) for the SVM compared to 2.5 min. h (4.3%) and 2.4 min. h (4.1%) for both RumiWatch and DT, respectively. These preliminary findings illustrate the potential of the collar-mounted accelerometer to classify feeding and ruminating behaviours with accuracy measures comparable to the Rumiwatch noseband sensor.

Whole blood stimulation assay (WBA) has been widely used to study production of the pro-inflammatory cytokine, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) and is considered a relatively good predictor for the in vivo release of TNF-a during endotoximia in dairy cattle. However, it requires a standardized and optimized dose of lipopolysaccharides (LPS) to simulate the in vivo cytokine response during WBA when using killed bacteria. Moreover, if an association between genome (e. g., Quantitative trait loci) and ex vivo TNF-alpha responsiveness can be established; it helps to reduce mastitis in dairy cattle using selective breeding. Three experiment scenarios for pathogen dose, stimulation time and estimation of genetic variables effect in ex vivo TNF-alpha production were carried out to investigate differences of TNF-alpha responsiveness in early lactation in 4, 38 and 40 Danish Holstein Friesian dairy cows respectively. Statistical analysis done using ANOVA, t.test and lm functions in R software. Results showed that, ex vivo TNF-alpha response to E. coli is dose and time dependent and a dose of 2.5 x 10(6) CFU/mL for 3.5 h is optimal for observing TNF-alpha response after ex vivo stimulation.Relatively consistent inter-individual cow differences in the TNF-alpha response ex vivo were observed from week 3 to week 8. No statistically significant association were found between the ex vivo TNF-alpha responsiveness and the two E. call associated mastitis QTLs which may be due to the low number of animals (n =) in the study.

Aim of the presented study is to compare the effects of treatment with ammonium molybdate versus ammonium molybdate and phenoxy-2-methyl-2-propionic acid on liver functions in natural copper poisoning of sheep and overall treatment responses in sheep naturally poisoned with copper (Cu). Study was conducted on 80 yearlings aging between 6-9 months. AM + PMPA group (n =50) received ammonium molybdate and PMPA and AM group (n =30) received only ammonium molybdate. First blood samples were collected before the treatments. PMPA was administered once daily intramuscularly at dose of 10 mg/kg for the first three days of the study to AM + PMPA group. AM + PMPA and AM groups both received ammonium molybdate two times with one week interval at dose of 1.34 mg/kg (1 cc per 10 kg BW, of %1.34 ammonium molybdate in saline solution) subcutaneously. Second blood samples were collected from all 80 animals on day 21 of the study. Cu levels were measured in a subgroup of randomly selected 9 (5 from AM + PMPA and 4 from AM group) animals on days 0 and 21 of the study. Mean Cu levels were 158.25 +/- 14 mu g/dl and 156.75 +/- 9 mu g/dlon day 0 and 129 +/- 9 mu g/dl and 154.5 +/- 22 mu g/dl in AM + PMPA and AM group respectively. AST levels decreased from 502 +/- 67.2114 to 168 +/- 10.1 IU/L in AM + PMPA group (P < 0.001) and from 423 +/- 71.1 IU/Lto 202 +/- 17.1 IU/L in AM group (P = 0.005) on day 21 of the study. GGT levels were 250 +/- 24.2 IU/L and 248 +/- 28.1 IU/L on day 0 and decreased to 160 +/- 16.41 U/L and 166 +/- 22.2 IU/L on day 21 in AM + PMPA and AM group with significance of P=0.001 and P=0.037 respectively. Two animals from AM group and one from AM + PMPA group died during the study period. Based on the more pronounced decrease in AST and GGT levels in AM + PMPA group we conclude that PMPA has beneficial effects on liver functions in chronic copper poisoning of sheep probably as a result of decreased lipid peroxidation in hepatocytes and/or increased Cu elimination by cholerectic effects of PMPA.

Mastitis remains the most expensive disease of dairy cows, and antibiotic dry cow therapy (DCT) at dry-off is an important part of mastitis control. Regardless of the infection status, blanket DCT is administered to all quarters of all cows, which is controversial due to the worldwide problem of antimicrobial resistance. Even though selective DCT of only infected cows is a more sustainable approach, choosing animals for treatment is not always straightforward. Our aim was to evaluate whether the herd-level DCT approach is associated with early lactation udder health problems, taking into account the cow characteristics. The information source was 2015?2017 Dairy Herd Improvement data with 7461 multiparous cows from 241 Finnish dairy herds. Information on the herd-level DCT approach was obtained from farmers? questionnaire responses in 2017, and the three different approaches were selective DCT, blanket DCT, and no DCT. The statistical tool for the data analysis was a generalized linear mixed model with a random herd effect for binary outcomes and a linear mixed model with a random herd effect for a continuous outcome. The two binary outcomes were the odds of having high milk somatic cell count (SCC ? 200 000 cells/mL) on the first test-day within 5?45 days in milk (DIM) and the odds of mastitis treatment in early lactation up to 45 DIM. The third outcome was the mean milk lnSCC (? 1000 cells/ mL) within 120 DIM. Selective DCT was the prevailing treatment practice in our data. Blanket DCT was associated with lower SCC after calving. Cows more likely to have high SCC after calving were older cows, cows with high average SCC during the previous lactation, and cows with high milk yield near dry-off. A mastitis treatment in the early lactation was more likely if, during the previous lactation, the cow had high average SCC, high peak milk production, or high milk yield near dry-off. Our findings indicate that DCT is still effective in mastitis control. Cows with high milk yield, especially near dry-off, and cows with persistently high SCC require attention when considering next lactation udder health. Mastitis remains the most expensive disease of dairy cows, and antibiotic dry cow therapy (DCT) at dry-off is an important part of mastitis control. Regardless of the infection status, blanket DCT is administered to all quarters of all cows, which is controversial due to the worldwide problem of antimicrobial resistance. Even though selective DCT of only infected cows is a more sustainable approach, choosing animals for treatment is not always straightforward. Our aim was to evaluate whether the herd-level DCT approach is associated with early lactation udder health problems, taking into account the cow characteristics. The information source was 2015?2017 Dairy Herd Improvement data with 7461 multiparous cows from 241 Finnish dairy herds. Information on the herd-level DCT approach was obtained from farmers? questionnaire responses in 2017, and the three different approaches were selective DCT, blanket DCT, and no DCT. The statistical tool for the data analysis was a generalized linear mixed model with a random herd effect for binary outcomes and a linear mixed model with a random herd effect for a continuous outcome. The two binary outcomes were the odds of having high milk somatic cell count (SCC ? 200 000 cells/mL) on the first test-day within 5?45 days in milk (DIM) and the odds of mastitis treatment in early lactation up to 45 DIM. The third outcome was the mean milk lnSCC (? 1000 cells/ mL) within 120 DIM. Selective DCT was the prevailing treatment practice in our data. Blanket DCT was associated with lower SCC after calving. Cows more likely to have high SCC after calving were older cows, cows with high average SCC during the previous lactation, and cows with high milk yield near dry-off. A mastitis treatment in the early lactation was more likely if, during the previous lactation, the cow had high average SCC, high peak milk production, or high milk yield near dry-off. Our findings indicate that DCT is still effective in mastitis control. Cows with high milk yield, especially near dry-off, and cows with persistently high SCC require attention when considering next lactation udder health.

Osteochondrosis (OC) develops at a young age and has been associated with lameness and reduced longevity of sows. Early detection of OC is therefore beneficial for selection against OC. Possibly, immunological components within the blood may serve as an indicator for OC development and could therefore be used as a biomarker. Levels of naturally occurring (auto-) antibodies (N[A]Ab) have been associated with homeostatic imbalance and various forms of inflammation, and may have an association with OC. The aim of this study was to investigate possible associations between the presence and levels of N(A)Ab of the IgM and IgG isotypes at an early age with OC in growing gilts at slaughter (24 weeks of age). Plasma samples were obtained from 212 Topigs 20 (Dutch Large White x Dutch Landrace) gilts at 6, 10, and 24 weeks of age and analyzed for N(A)Ab titers against 11 (auto-) antigens using ELISA. After slaughter, the elbow, hock, and knee joints were macroscopically examined for OC status. Due to low prevalence of OC in the elbow joint (5.4%), the elbow joint was not taken into account in analyses. Significant (P=0.05) associations with OC in both the hock joint and at the animal level (all joints combined) were found for IgM titers against chondroitin sulfate A at 6 weeks of age (OR 1.4 and 1.5), actin at 6 weeks of age (OR 1.4 and 1.3), thyroglobulin at 24 weeks of age (OR 1.5 and 1.3), and IgG titers against insulin at 6 weeks of age (OR 1.7 and 1.4). Additionally, significant (P=0.05) associations with OC were found at the knee joint for IgM titers against albumin at 6 weeks of age (OR 2.3), at the hock joint for IgM titers against keyhole limpet hemocyanin at 6 weeks of age (OR 1.4), and at the animal level for IgM titers against actin at 24 weeks of age (OR 1.3). This study indicated for the first time associations between the presence and levels of N(A)Ab at a young age and OC at 24 weeks of age in breeding gilts.

Western Kenya is one of Africa's most densely populated rural areas, characterised by intensive smallholder crop-livestock systems on degraded lands managed with small inputs of mineral fertiliser and animal manure. Competing uses for crop residues and other organic resources often results in poor nutrient cycling efficiencies at farm scale. Modifying livestock feeding, retaining more crop residues in the field, and improving manure management can help conserving considerable amount of nutrients on-farm. To examine to what extent such strategies would be feasible, we analysed whole-farm nutrient cycling efficiencies (NCE) of a range of farms differing in resource-endowment and production orientation, identifying the most efficient farmer strategies considering labour and financial constraints. Nutrient concentration in excreted cattle manure was relatively small (i.e., N

The in situ degradation of the washout fraction of starch in six feed ingredients (i.e. barley, faba beans, maize, oats, peas and wheat) was studied by using a modified in situ protocol and in vitro measurements. In comparison with the washing machine method, the modified protocol comprises a milder rinsing method to reduce particulate loss during rinsing. The modified method markedly reduced the average washout fraction of starch in these products from 0.333 to 0.042 g/g. Applying the modified rinsing method, the fractional degradation rate (k d ) of starch in barley, oats and wheat decreased from on average 0.327 to 0.144 h-1 whereas for faba beans, peas and maize no differences in k d were observed compared with the traditional washing machine rinsing. For barley, maize and wheat, the difference in non-fermented starch in the residue between both rinsing methods during the first 4 h of incubation increased, which indicates secondary particle loss. The average effective degradation of starch decreased from 0.761 to 0.572 g/g when using the new rinsing method and to 0.494 g/g when applying a correction for particulate matter loss during incubation. The in vitro k d of starch in the non-washout fraction did not differ from that in the total product. The calculated ratio between the k d of starch in the washout and non-washout fraction was on average 1.59 and varied between 0.96 for oats and 2.39 for maize. The fractional rate of gas production was significantly different between the total product and the non-washout fraction. For all products, except oats, this rate of gas production was larger for the total product compared with the non-washout fraction whereas for oats the opposite was observed. The rate of increase in gas production was, especially for grains, strongly correlated with the in vitro k d of starch. The results of the present study do not support the assumption used in several feed evaluation systems that the degradation of the washout fraction of starch in the rumen is much faster than that of the non-washout fraction.

International audience; The indigenous microflora in raw milk plays an important role in the diversity of cheese flavours and may protect against the growth of pathogens, but the sources of contamination and the factors that might affect the microbial communities in milk are not well known. The objectives of this study were to broaden knowledge of the microbial composition of milk and to assess microbial transfers from the stable to the milk. Air (collected in milking parlour and stable), dust (passively collected using plastic box), cow teat surface, and hay and milk samples were collected in 16 French farms with either stanchion barn or freestall barn configurations and plated on various culture media. Bacterial and fungal colonies were identified using phenotypic and DNA sequencing methods. Results showed that most of the fungal species and environmental bacteria found in the milk were also found in the stable and the milking parlour environments, indicating large microbial transfer from stable to milking parlour then to milk. However, milk from the stanchion barns were more contaminated than milk from freestall barns. Contrasting with other bacterial and fungal species, useful cheese-making bacteria lactobacilli and P- were frequently identified in the milk and on the teat surface but were rarely found in other environments. In conclusion, milk contamination by the stable environment is considerable, even if it is lower in farms with a milking parlour. Besides this environmental contamination, the teat surface remains the main source of useful cheese-making bacteria. (c) 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is infrequently reported in mastitis. Yet, as in many other countries, the prevalence of methicillin resistance among S. aureus from mastitis is currently unknown in Belgium. To elucidate this, the presence of mecA was investigated in 118 S. aureus strains originating from diagnostic mastitis milk samples from 118 different farms experiencing S. aureus mastitis. MRSA strains were characterized by disk diffusion susceptibility testing, spa-typing, MLST and SCCmec-typing. In an additional study, four MRSA-positive farms were selected to assess the in-herd prevalence of MRSA, by sampling all cows in lactation. Isolated MRSA strains were similarly characterized. The mecA gene was detected in 11 (9.3%) of the 118 S. aureus isolates, indicating that nearly 10% of the Belgian farms suffering from S. aureus mastitis have an MRSA problem. The in-herd prevalence varied between 0% and 7.4%. Characterization of the MRSA strains showed that they were all resistant to tetracycline. Additional resistances to macrolides, lincosamides and aminoglycosides were frequently detected. The strains were ST398, spa-types t011 or t567 and had SCCmec-type IVa or V, proving that they belong to the emerging livestock-associated MRSA (LA-MRSA) strains of CC398. Our study shows that after detection in Belgian pigs, horses and poultry, LA-MRSA has also attained Belgian cattle. It is the first report on frequent isolation of LA-MRSA from bovine infections. As the in-herd isolation rate resembles that of regular S. aureus in farms experiencing S. aureus mastitis, the multi-resistance of LA-MRSA strains may cause future treatment problems. ispartof: Veterinary Microbiology vol:144 issue:1 pages:166-171 ispartof: location:Netherlands status: published

Mixed crop¿livestock systems have a crucial role to play in meeting the agricultural production challenges of smallholder farmers in sub-Saharan Africa. Sweet potato is seen as a potential remedial crop for these farmers because of its high productivity and low input requirements, while its usefulness for both food and feed (dual-purpose) make it attractive in areas where land availability is declining. In this paper, we develop and apply a `minimum-data¿ methodology to assess ex ante the economic viability of adopting dual-purpose sweet potato in Vihiga district, western Kenya. The methodology uses and integrates available socio-economic and bio-physical data on farmers¿ land use allocation, production, and input and output use. Spatially heterogeneous characteristics of the current system regarding resources and productivity are analyzed to assess the profitability of substituting dual-purpose sweet potato for other crops currently grown for food and feed. Results indicate that a substantial number of farmers in the study area could benefit economically from adopting dual-purpose sweet potato. Depending on assumptions made, the adoption rate, expressed as the percentage of the total land under adopting farms, is between 55% and 80%. The analysis shows that the adoption rate is likely to vary positively with the average total yield of dual-purpose sweet potato, the harvest index (the ratio between tuber and fodder yields), the price of milk, and the nutritional value of available fodder. This study demonstrates the usefulness of the minimum-data methodology and provides evidence to support the hypothesis that dissemination of the dual-purpose sweet potato could help improve the livelihoods of smallholder farmers operating in mixed crop¿livestock systems in east Africa.

Increased genetic selection over the past 40 years has resulted in a dairy cow with an improved biological efficiency for producing milk but with an associated reduced fertility. Embryo loss is the greatest factor contributing to the failure of a cow to conceive. The extent and timing of embryo loss indicates that 70% to 80% of this loss occurs in the first 2 weeks after artificial insemination (AI). This is the period when a number of critical phases in embryo development occur and where protein accretion, substrate utilization and embryo metabolism increase dramatically. During this time the early embryo is completely dependent on the oviduct and uterine environment for its survival and it is likely that the embryo requires an optimal uterine environment to ensure normal growth and viability. There is increasing evidence of an association between the concentration of systemic progesterone and early embryo loss and that progesterone supplementation of cows, particularly those with low progesterone, can reduce this loss. While progesterone is known to affect uterine function and embryo growth, little is known about the uterus during the period of early embryo loss and how this is affected by changes in the concentration of systemic progesterone. The expression of uterine genes encoding the transport protein retinol binding protein (RBP) and the gene for folate binding protein (FBP) appear to be sensitive to changes in systemic progesterone, particularly during the early luteal phase of the cycle. Uterine concentrations of proteins also seem to be regulated by stage of cycle; however, their relationship with the systemic concentration of progesterone is unclear. There is an urgent need to characterize the uterine environment from a functional perspective during the early part of the luteal phase of the cycle, particularly in the high-producing cow, in order to understand the factors contributing to early embryo loss and in order to devise strategies to minimize or reduce this loss.

The fatty acid (FA) composition of cows milk has become less favorable to human health in the last four decades due to changed feeding and management practices, notably higher proportions of concentrates and silages in diets with less grazing. Essential FA and conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) concentrations have generally declined and, with more `low-fat¿ dairy products, human intake of these FA has declined even further since ruminant food products are the main source of human CLA intake. Changing societal drivers and consumer demands require dairy production systems that provide food products through sustainable production systems. Milk FA were examined in milk produced in different regions of the world, in the different seasons of the year, and under different feeding systems. FA levels were examined in forages, concentrates and milk. Milk from cows fed fresh green forage, especially those grazing grass, had a much higher unsaturated:saturated FA proportion, with more polyunsaturated FA and more CLA (in particular C18:2 cis-9, trans-11), than milk from silage-fed cows. Farmers from some dairy cooperatives in The Netherlands that produce milk from grazed grass now receive a premium payment in addition to the base milk price, so that primary producers can benefit from the higher market value at the end of the production chain.

In vitro fermentation characteristics of soluble, washout, and non-washout fractions separated from barley and maize and their technologically processed (i.e., pressure toasting, pelleting and their combination) products were measured. The aim was to establish whether the soluble equaled the washout fraction, whether these fractions are rapidly and completely fermented, and whether their fermentation characteristics are the same. A simple fractionation method was developed to separate the whole grain into a soluble fraction, a washout fraction, an insoluble washout fraction, and a non-washout fraction. Proximate analysis of the different fractions revealed in the soluble fraction a large (>400 g kg¿1 DM) residual organic matter component of unknown origin, while the insoluble washout fraction contained between 800 and 900 g starch/kg DM. Fermentation characteristics of all fractions as well as the whole grain were measured for 72 h using gas and volatile fatty acids (VFA) production in vitro. After fractionation, gas and VFA production profiles of the fractions with different chemical compositions were found to be different. Based on gas production profiles it was shown that the soluble fraction was easily fermentable and was fermented faster than the insoluble washout and the non-washout fraction. Differences were however much smaller than anticipated, which would suggest that the extent of fermentation of washout fractions in the rumen is incomplete. The maximum gas and VFA production from the soluble fraction was always lower than that of the insoluble washout, and the non-washout fraction. The combination of pressure toasting and pelleting reduced fermentability both in terms of gas and VFA production compared with the other treatments.

Two experiments were conducted to evaluate the effects on milk composition of transition from a fresh grass diet on pasture to a winter diet of mixed grass/maize silage. In trial 1, the change in milk fatty acid profile for six dairy cows in mid-lactation was followed via analysis of milk samples collected from individual cows on days 0, 2, 6 and 14 after the transition of diet. In trial 2, milk of 12 cows was analysed on days 0 and 4 after transition. In trial 1, dry matter intake and milk production did not change during the experiment. After transition, the average milk fat content increased from 43.7 g/kg on day 0 to 54.9 g/kg on day 14 and the milk fatty acid composition altered within two days. The largest changes occurred in the proportions of C 14:0 (from 89 g/kg milk fat on day 0 to 117 g/kg on day 14), C 16:0 (226-348 g/kg), C18:0 (110-88 g/kg) and C18:1 cis-9 (238-170 g/kg). The average content of conjugated linoleic acid (CLA) decreased from 24.3 g/kg milk fat on day 0 to 4.4 g/kg on day 14, while the proportion of the beneficial n-7 fatty acid (FA) rumenic acid declined from 0.95 to 0.85 of total CLA. Vaccenic acid contents decreased linearly with CLA contents. Two days after transition large changes had occurred, whereas the changes between day 6 and day 14 were relatively small. These results were confirmed by the results of trial 2, which also indicated that most changes actually took place within four days after transition. The milk fatty acid profile of grazing cows was more favourable from a consumer health perspective than that of silage-fed cows. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

(Co)variance components for milk yield, body condition score (BCS), body weight (BW), BCS change and BW change over different herd-year mean milk yields (HMY) and nutritional environments (concentrate feeding level, grazing severity and silage quality) were estimated using a random regression model. The data analysed included records from 7478 multiparous upgraded Holstein–Friesian dairy cows. There were G×E interactions for BCS across all environments and for BW change across different concentrate levels and silage quality environments. There was a three-fold increase in the genetic standard deviation (S.D.) for BCS change to day 60 of lactation (CS60-5) and a doubling of the genetic S.D. for BCS at day 5 (CS5) as silage quality improved. The genetic variance for CS60-5 increased as concentrate level increased and as grazing severity became tighter. There was significant re-ranking of animals for milk yield, CS5 and CS60-5 over the different HMY environments; genetic correlations fell to −0.60 between extreme HMY environments for CS60-5 and were as low as 0.41 for CS5 across different HMY environments.

The relationship between somatic cell scores (SCS) and longevity was assessed for Italian Holstein–Friesian dairy cows using survival analysis. The data of somatic cell count (SCC) test day information of 512 979 cows were provided by nine provinces from Northern Italy. Pedigree information was extracted from the national herd book. Two survival models were run: a model similar to the one used for genetic evaluation on length of productive life, and a second one adding the phenotypic level of ten classes of test-day SCS of the cow. A cow with a test-day in the highest class of phenotypic level for SCS had more than three times greater risk of being culled when compared to risk for the class with the lowest SCS level. The genetic correlation between the risk of being culled and SCS was estimated to be 0.31, based on the correlation between sire EBV. The rank of bulls resulting from the genetic evaluation on survival did not change significantly with the inclusion of SCS in the model (rank correlation of 0.98). It is concluded that the phenotypic level of SCS plays an important role in culling decision of farmers of Italian Holstein–Friesian dairy cows and SCS is genetically associated to the functional longevity of cows.