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Microclimatic conditions in facilities for housing and rearing young category of breeding dairy cattle at the first 30 days after birth, have a significant impact on the quality of welfare, especially in intensive production. The parameters most often taken into account when evaluating microclimate conditions are: temperature and air humidity, the mutual relationship of which represents the THI (temperature-humid index) index; speed of air flow; air quality (presence of dust and ammonia) and level of light in the facility. The quality of the microclimate in the facilities is directly influenced by the climatic conditions in the external environment, therefore study period on 2 farms (A and B) with an intensive production system was divided into 4 seasons (autumn, winter, spring and summer). Holstein Friesian calves were observed in the period from birth to 30 days of age. The worst microclimatic conditions were recorded during the summer season on both farms (1129 on farm A and 1114 calves on farm B suffered), while the situation was more favorable during the colder period. Also, the best conditions, on both farms, were provided for calves in the first 7 days of life. The most unfavorable impact was the high air temperature, while the air flow, paradoxically, improved the air quality, especially during that period. The overall welfare quality score was similar on the observed farms, 2.25 on farm A and 2.12 on farm B, which can be considered acceptable. At the same time, it indicates the presence of serious problems, the solution of which must be approached most seriously.

Milk fat content stands out as a crucial production trait in cows, and this study delves into its variability based on various factors. The research investigated how the housing method (large farm or individual producers), origin (domestic-rearing or imported cows), and calving season collectively impact this trait. Cows reared on the farm exhibited a higher milk fat content compared to those raised by individual producers. Additionally, primiparous cows from domestic rearing displayed lower milk fat content than their counterparts of imported origin. Among primiparous cows on the farm, those calving in the summer and autumn produced the highest milk fat content. Conversely, primiparous cows calving in the spring season and raised by individual producers recorded the lowest milk fat content. The statistical analysis revealed a highly significant influence of calving season, with a noteworthy interaction among housing method and origin on the observed trait. The significance ranged from statistically highly significant (P ≤ 0.01) to statistically very highly significant (P ≤ 0.001).

In the last decades, there has been a trend present in the world to increase the size of dairy herds while increasing the yield of milk per head. In addition to environmental and economic benefits, this trend carries certain risks for the welfare of cows because in conditions of increased agglomeration of cattle the possibility of spreading of pathogens is also increased, there are less opportunities for adequate control and cows are exposed to greater selection and production stress. Research of the relationship between herd size and welfare quality parameters is still not sufficient to make relevant conclusions. Starting from that, the aim of this study, conducted in Serbia, is to examine the influence of herd size on parameters related to providing good feeding and housing conditions as important segments of the overall welfare of dairy cows. The assessment of given welfare parameters was done by Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol for Cattle (2009) on 16 dairy farms of different herd sizes (large, medium and small) and housing management. The results indicate that there are significant variations in welfare indicators in each of the observed groups, which is why the size of the herd cannot be taken as a parameter that explicitly determines the quality of welfare. However, individual observation and comparison of welfare parameters between groups indicate that small herds in our production conditions could be identified as the greatest risks to the welfare of cows. In small herds, the highest share of cows of poor (4.62%) and fattened condition (8.76%) was found, as well as the lowest freedom of movement because cows on small farms are mostly reared in a tied system. Average values of indicators: lying down time (6.24s), frequency of collisions with equipment (13.25%) and high dirt contamination of cows (65.6-89.8%) further emphasize the issue of providing comfort in small herds.

The Simmental breed of cattle is mostly reared in the central part of the Republic of Serbia, where it makes up about 80% of all breeds. In areas of more intensive cattle production, populations of cattle with pronounced milk yield are reared. In more extensive, as well as hilly and mountainous areas, somewhat less productive animals are raised. The main goal of this study was to examine the variability of genetic correlations of milk and fertility traits on the farms of individual agricultural producers using modern methods, depending on the breeding area, i.e. the region in which they are bred and reared. This study included 2589 controlled Simmental heifers, with lactations concluded during one year. All first calving heifers were housed and reared on agricultural family farms in the area of Central Serbia. The paper examines genetic correlations between the following traits of milk yield and fertility: duration of lactation, milk yield in standard lactation, milk fat content in standard lactation, milk fat yield in standard lactation, yield of 4% FCM in standard lactation, age at first calving, duration of service period. The results of the study of genetic correlations were obtained using mixed LSMLMW models (Harvey 1990). The examined genetic correlations of milk yield and fertility traits in Simmental cows showed pronounced variability depending on the breeding area where the cows are reared.

Visual assessment and recognition of milk performance traits of cows are preliminary indicators of milk yield, longevity, as well as reproductive abilities of the animal, which is very important from the aspect of economy of milk production. Deficiencies in udder traits lead to poorer production, difficult milking and premature weaning of cows from the herd. The paper examines the frequency of desirable scores for a certain trait in first-calving heifers distinguished by way of keeping (heads reared by individual producers/holdings and heads reared on the farm) and by origin (domestic and imported animals), as well as the influence of these two factors on the observed traits. Five udder traits were analyzed: front udder length, rear udder length, rear udder height, central ligament, and udder depth on a total of 954 first-calving Simmental heifers. Observed by the way of rearing, higher frequency of desirable scores for all udder traits were achieved by cows reared on the farm, while according to the origin of cows, higher frequency of desirable scores for all udder traits was achieved by imported cows compared to domestic cows. The influence of factors of housing/keeping and origin, examined by ch2 test on all examined linear scores (frequency of scores) of udder traits was statistically very highly significant (p≤0.001), while the analysis of variance (F test) showed very high significance (p≤0.001) of interaction of origin and method of rearing on the traits of the central ligament and the udder depth, and significance (p≤0.05) on the height of the rear udder, however, no statistical significance (p>0.05) of this interaction was established on other linear scores of udder traits (length of the front and rear udder).

In order to examine the variability of production performance traits (lactation duration, milk yield for the whole lactation, milk yield in standard lactation, milk fat content, milk fat yield in standard lactation, protein content and yield in standard lactation), 954 cows, domestic and imported Simmental populations, were included in the study, with a total of 3641 completed lactations. Cows were located in the area of Toplica district, reared on individual farming households (tied system) and on the farm with intensive farming (free system). Based on the rearing method and origin, animals were divided into four groups: Group 1 (domestic animals reared by individual agricultural producers on individual farming households); Group 2 (imported animals reared by individual agricultural producers on individual farming households); Group 3 (domestic animals reared on the farm) and Group 4 (imported animals reared on the farm). The fourth group of studied cows showed the highest yield and protein content, while the cows of the third group had the longest lactation and the highest milk fat content. All production performance traits varied highly significantly (p≤0.001) under the influence of the combined factor of housing/rearing method and origin.

The aim of the experiment was to investigate the effect of adding flax seed to the cattle diet in the final stage of fattening. A total of 30 male Simmental cattle of uniform initial weight were selected for the trial, which were divided into 2 groups (KON (control) and LS (experimental)). Animals in the control group did not consume flax seed as a dietary supplement, and animals in the experimental group consumed flax seeds in the amount of 3.75% of the concentrated portion of the meal in the last 90 days of fattening, i.e 300 g per day. After slaughtering and cooling, the left carcass side was cut into basic parts according to the Regulation. The study included examination of the tissue fraction of parts of the carcass of the young, determined by dissection. The results of the study showed that the addition of flax seed in the diet had no statistically significant effect on the composition of the carcass parts of the young bulls at the end of the experiment.

The main goal of this research was to examine, using modern methods, the variability of phenotypic correlations of production performances and reproductive properties of Simmental cows reared on the farms of individual agricultural producers, in different breeding areas of the Republic of Serbia. The study of phenotypic correlations of milk performance and fertility properties in different regions of Serbia was carried out on a total of 3.056 primi parous Simmental heifers under control, with lactations completed within one year. The examined animals were reared on different individual farms, and mainly in very different conditions of housing and nutrition, depending on the breeding area. The study of phenotypic correlations included the following milk performance traits: milk yield, milk fat content, milk fat yield, yield of 4% corrected milk; and fertility properties: age at first calving and service period. The results of the study among other things indicate that although the phenotypic correlations between the fertility and milk performance properties show different degrees of variation, they should be taken into account in the final assessment of the breeding value of the animal, so that the breeding selection programs are more comprehensively designes.

The trial was designed in order to examine the impact of flax seed in the nutrition of young cattle/bulls, in the final stage of the fattening. In the trial, 30 bulls of Simmental breed of uniform initial weight were selected, divided into 2 groups (control and experimental). The control animal group did not consume flax seed as a food supplement. Cattle of the experimental group consumed flax seed in an amount of 3.75% (300 g per day) of concentrated meal in the last 90 days of fattening, i.e. 300 g per day. The study included the examination of the fattening performance, slaughter traits and the composition of the bovine carcass. After slaughtering, warm carcass sides, with and without kidneys, were measured individually. Subsequent to period of cooling, the left carcass side it was cut into the main carcass parts according to the Rulebook. The results of the study showed that the addition of flax seed in the diet did not have a statistically significant effect on the body weight of bulls at the end of the trial. It was found that the addition of flax seed in the feed during the final stage of fattening did not have an impact on the differences in the average overall gain of bulls and the feed conversion ratio. Based on the data obtained by cutting of carcass sides to main parts, it was established that feeding with flax seeds had no significant effect on the share of carcass parts.

The farm animal welfare science has undergone a thorny path of development, often disputed because of its lack of measurability and the purpose of existence. At the very beginning, primarily based on moral and ethical attitudes, over time it pointed to the importance of meeting the needs of animals and the consequences of their neglect and exhaustion in the conditions of intensive livestock production. An important segment of its development was the definition and development of methodologies for the assessment of welfare indicators, which made it measurable and accepted as a scientific discipline with the knowledge applicable and useful in modern production systems. This paper is a concise review of the evolution of the animal welfare science, but also an indication of its future in the context of the development of "symbiotic" connections with the concepts of sustainable agriculture and food safety as integral parts of the modern ecological movement arose from a unified concern for the welfare of people and animals, a care for planetary welfare in general.

Problems with legs and various forms of lameness of cows, in intensive milk production, are the third significant problem occuring in this production, after mastitis and reproductive disorders, both globally and in our country. The paper analyzes the incidence of the deformation of legs of 145 cows of the Simmental breed in the Kolubara region, and the influence of paragenetic factors (housing/holding and type of stall/bedding and lactation) on the incidence of deformations. The obtained results show that, of the total number of cows assessed, 3.45% had 'X' position of the front legs, 14.8% had a 'X' position of the hind legs. The convergent position of the front legs was recorded in 35.86%, and divergent in 8.28% of animals. The convergent position of the hind legs was observed in 16.55% of cows, and divergent in 2.76%. The outward position of the front legs was observed in 4.14% of cows, inward position in 11.03%, and broad position in 4.14% of studied cows. Also, 17.24% of the cows had a so called sable like position of hind legs, and 7.59% showed steap angle of hind legs. The pronounced soft front leg pasterns were observed in 7.59% of the cows, and the soft pasterns of the hind legs in 33.79% of the total number of observed cows. The observed changes in the ankles in the shape of swelling were recorded in 1.38% of cattle on the carpal joint and 2.76% on the tarsal ankle. The damaged shoulder and body joint (scabbed shoulder) was observed in 43.45% of the total number of cows evaluated. Scores for the front and hind legs front, back and side views, varied at different levels of significance under the influence of the type of stall/bedding, while the scores for the condition of the hind leg pasterns varied highly significantly (p 0.05) depending on the type of stall/bedding and the method of housing/holding of cows.

Determining the degree of correlation between two or more traits depends to a large extent on their manifestation. The knowledge of genetic and phenotypic correlations between body characteristics of the animal and product characteristics can help define the breeding goal, but also to define and harmonize the assessment criteria. Although the phenotypic and genetic correlations between the traits of body development and type and the milk yield show different degrees of variation, they should be taken into account in the final assessment of the breeding value of the animal so that the selection programs are more comprehesively defined. The examination of phenotypic correlations of linear assessment scores of the type, milk and fertility traits was performed on a total of 303 cows of the Simental breed in the first three lactations. The examination of phenotypic correlations included the following milk performance properties in the first three standard lactations: milk yield, milk fat content, milk fat yield, yield of 4% corrected milk; also fertility traits: age at current calving and service period in each lactation; while the linear type scoring included a group of traits: type or frame, muscularity, fundament, udder.

Visual evaluation and recognition of dairy traits of cows are preliminary indicators of milk yield, longevity, and reproductive ability of the individual animal, which is very important from the aspect of the economics of milk production. The deficiencies in the fundament traits lead to poor production, poor health and premature culling of cows from the herd. The paper examines the frequency of preferred scores of a certain trait in the first calving heifers according to the housing method (animals reared by individual agricultural producers and farm animals) and their origin (domestic and imported animals), as well as the impact of these two factors on the observed properties. Four fundament traits were analysed: the position of the hind legs, the development of the hocks/joints, the pastern joints and the height of the feet on a total of 954 first-calving Simmental heifers. Observed by the housing method, the higher frequency of the preferred scores for all of the fundament traits, was achieved by the farm cows, while according to the origin of the cows, the higher frequency of the preferred scores for all of the fundament traits was realized by imported animals in relation to domestic cows. The influence of the factors of the housing method and origin of animals examined by χ2 test on all the tested linear scores (frequency of scores) of the fundament traits was statistically very significant (p≤0.001), while the analysis of the variance (F test) determined high significance (p≤0.001) of the interaction between the origin and housing method on the height of the feet, as well as significant effect (p≤0.05) on the position of the hind legs, while on other linear scores of the fundament traits it did not exhibit statistical significance (p>0.05).

The paper presents the results of a comparative examination of the beef quality obtained from females of two genotype groups: domestic Simmental breed (A) and its crosses with Charolais breed. The sample included a total of 20 heads, 10 in each group. Cattle were slaughtered at the same age with uniform body weights. After slaughtering, warm carcass sides were individually weighed, with and without kidney fat. After cooling, the left carcass sides were cut into the basic parts according to the Rulebook and the three-rib cut was cut off from the back part (9-10-11 rib). The content of tissues in the three-rib cut was statistically different among the groups, the content of muscle tissue was significantly higher (p

The aim of the present study was to obtain relevant results related to the basic indicators of fertility and milk yield of Simmental cows, in production conditions on farms of agricultural producers, using appropriate mathematical and statistical procedures, i.e. to determine the influence of bull sires originating from Serbia, Austria and Germany on the implementation of the main breeding program and improvement of production traits of Simmental cows on the territory of Šumadija district. The study of the effect of bull sires who are originally from Serbia, Austria and Germany on performance traits of Simmental cows included a total of 303 cows in first three lactations. Milk production of cows descendents of bulls from the German population was higher compared with the production of cows originating from Austria in the first lactation by 58.29 kg and in the third by 67.72 kg, but in the second it was lower by 12.31 kg. The variability of age at first calving ranged from 766.93 (cows progeny of domestic bulls) to 813.06 days (cows progeny Austrian bulls). Average duration of service period had the interval of variation of 86.80 in cows from domestic bulls in the third lactation to 109.88 days in cows originating from Austrian bulls in the first lactation.

The aim of this study was to analyze the overall welfare state on Serbian dairy farms, as well to suggest measures for its improvement. The assessment was done according to Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol for Dairy Cows on 16 selected commercial farms in which the cows of Simmental and Holstein-Friesian breeds were reared (N=4833). Welfare state on each farm was evaluated by relevant measures that indicated insurance of appropriate feeding, housing, health and behavior as basic principles of welfare. Overall score (0-100 points) enabled finally categorization of farms into one of four welfare category (not classified, acceptable, enhanced and excellent).Based on results, half of the farms were assigned to acceptable, and other half to enhanced welfare category. Housing conditions on the majority of farms (63%) were assessed as unacceptable (≤20 points) due to poor hygiene and discomfort. Cows were kept tied continuously on more than one third of farms which together with lack of pasture (17 days/year on average) restricting their comfort and freedom of movement. This may be also linked to low scored behavioral insurance (32points), especially inability to express its natural forms (6.7 points).Health condition was estimated as acceptable, but endangered welfare by high incidence of laminitis (38%), distocya (4.2%) and mortality (6.7%). Commonly performed dehorning procedure (79%) without anesthetic/analgesic application caused pain and stress in affected animals. Overall assessment score (2.5/5) showed the need for improvement in all areas of dairy cows' welfare, especially in terms of their housing and management.

The total number of potentially toxigenic molds (fungi), total aflatoxins, zearalenone (ZON), and deoxynivalenol (DON), as well as the joint appearance of ZON and DON have been investigated in 67 samples of cattle feed (concentrate (n=21), silage of whole maize plant (n=18), beet pulp (n=4), brewer's malt (n=2), alfalfa and grass (n=1), alfalfa hay (n=12), meadow hay (n=7), pea and oat hay (n=1), and red clover hay (n=1) originating from private farms from 10 districts of the Republic of Serbia. The total number of fungi per 1 g feed ranged from 0 (silage of brewer’s malt) to 12 x 104 (concentrate). Eight fungi genus species have been identified: Acremonium, Alternaria, Aspergillus, Fusarium, Mucor, Penicillum, Rhizopus and Trichoderma. The presence of ZON (100%) was established in all the examined cattle feed samples, while 98.5% samples were contaminated with total aflatoxins and 92.5% samples were DON positive. The joint appearance of ZON and DON was established in 92.5% samples. ZON was present in the highest average concentration in the sample of alfalfa and grass silage (2477.5 μg kg-1) and in the lowest in beet pulp silage samples (64.9 μg kg-1). Total aflatoxins were established in the highest average concentration in the pea and oat hay silage sample (7.9 μg kg-1) and in the lowest average concentration in beet pulp silage samples (1.6 μg kg-1). DON was detected in the highest average concentration in concentrate samples (694.2 μg kg-1) and in the lowest average concentration in the red clover hay sample (11.0 μg kg-1), while DON was not detected in brewer's malt silage samples (0.0 μg kg-1). In all the examined cattle feed samples, between moisture content (up to 20%) and the concentration of examined mycotoxins, a negative correlation was established (r=-0.26) with total aflatoxins and a positive correlation with ZON (r=0,36) and DON (r=0,60). Furthermore, a positive correlation (r=0.22) was established between ZON and DON concentrations. [Projekat Ministarstva nauke Republike Srbije, br. TR-31023 i br. TR-31053]

Copyright of Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry is the property of Institute for Animal Husbandry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Copyright of Züchtungskunde is the property of Verlag Eugen Ulmer and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The study of the link between genes controlling protein polymorphism and milk performance traits of domestic animals has great economic importance from a selection point of view, as it reduces the generation interval, leading to increased productivity in livestock. The objective of this paper was to establish the influence of genetic β -lactoglobulin polymorphism on the quantity and quality of milk of the simmental breed in Serbi?. For the research blood samples were taken from a total of 157 Simmental cows. The genotypes of Simmental cows for β-lactoblobulin and their effect on quantitative milk performance traits were determined using the PCRRFLP analysis. The variability of traits influenced by the genetic polymorphism of β-lactoblobulin was statistically very highly significant (p <0.0001) for milk yield in standard lactation and milk fat and protein yields, while it showed no statistically significant variability (p> 0.05) for content of milk fat and protein. The AB genotype cows achieved a 121 kg and 338 kg increase in milk production compared to the BB genotype and AA genotype cows, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry is the property of Institute for Animal Husbandry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The objective of this study was to determine the frequency of the κ-casein and β-lactoglobulin genotypes in the Simmental cattle in Serbia and compare it with the frequency according to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium law. Blood samples were taken from a total of 157 cows of the Simmental breed in Toplica and Rasina districts. Of the 157 cows included in this study, the AA κ-casein genotype was found in 53 cows, which makes a frequency of 33.80%, the AB genotype in 81 cows or 51.60% and the BB genotype in 23 cows or 14.60%. The allelic frequency A was 59.60%, while allele B had a frequency of 40.40%. In regard to the frequency of genotypes and β-lactoglobulin alleles for the total studied population of cows obtained for AA, AB and BB genotypes for β-lactoglobulin, was 33.10%, 49.70% and 17.20%, respectively, which means that 52 animals had genotype AA, 78 genotype AB and 27 genotype BB. The frequency of alleles A and B resulting from the incidence of genotypes was 58.00% for allele A and 42.00% for allele B. The specified frequencies for both protein fractions statistically differed significantly from the frequency according to the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium law, which confirmed the absence of equilibrium in the examined population. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry is the property of Institute for Animal Husbandry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Diseases and mortality of dairy cows are significant problems from the aspect of welfare as well as the economy of production. Monitoring and analysis of health and welfare conditions on farms are important prerequisites for their improvement. This paper presents an analysis of health and welfare condition on dairy farms in Republic of Serbia. The study was conducted on 16 commercial farms with total number of 4833 milking cows of Simmental and Holstein Friesian rase. The evaluation of health and welfare indicators was done according to Welfare Quality® Assessment Protocol for Cattle. Results obtained in this study showed that largest share of farms was estimated as enhanced (56.25%) and acceptable (43.75%) in terms of overall health state. The incidences for majority of the diseases below the set alert thresholds indicated no severe risk for dairy cows' welfare on examined farms. The exceptions were determined incidences of laminitis (37.65%), dystocia (4.18%) and mortality rate (6.70%) which nevertheless corresponds to their growing trend in the dairy farming. Although health of skin was evaluated as acceptable almost every fifth cow had at least a portion of the skin without hair while the presence of skin lesions was much less common (6.49%). With high share of dehorned cows in herd (78.9%) another serious welfare risk is the common practice of dehorning without aesthetics and/or analgesics implementation. Analyzing indicators of health and welfare on Serbian dairy farms it could be assumed that the most important risks derived from poor housing conditions and management omissions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Biotechnology in Animal Husbandry is the property of Institute for Animal Husbandry and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of κ-casein (κ-CN) and β-lactoglobulin (β-Lg) genotypes in the autochtonous (Busha) and dairy (Holstein-Friesian, HF) cattle breeds with PCR-RFLP (polymerase chain reaction - restriction fragment length polymorphism). For the amplification of κ-CN and β-Lg gene fragments specific primers were used. After digestion with specific endonucleases genotypes were determined for both genes in 18 Busha and 19 HF cows. The results showed that κ-CN gene was represented with the AA genotype in 31.58 % HF cows, AB in 52.63 % cows, whilst the genotype BB was found in 15.79 % cows only. Among the examined Busha cattle 44.44 % cows had AA genotype and 55.56 % genotype AB for κ-CN. As for β-Lg gene in HF breed, AA genotype was found in 26.31 % cows, AB in 63.16 % and BB in 10.53 % cows. In Busha cows the following genotypes were established for β-Lg gene: AA in 44.44 % cows and AB in 55.56 %, whilst BB genotype was not found. These results indicate that Busha cows had a higher presence of A allelic forms of both genes (k-CN and β-lactoglobulin) than HF cows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]