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This study was aimed to identify genetic diversity in the promoter area and 5' UTR (untranslated region) HSP70 (heat shock protein 70) gene in several beef cattle in Indonesia. A total of 86 blood samples of Bali, Madura, PO (Peranakan Ongole), Limousine, and BB (Belgian Blue) cattle were used in this study. The extracted DNA of all blood samples was then analyzed using the direct sequencing method. The genotyping results showed the presence of five SNP (Single Nucleotide Polymorphism) in the promoter region, namely g.-393T>C, g.-343C>A, g.-202T>C and g.-69T>G and three SNPs at 5' UTR, i.e., g.19A>G, g.45C>T, and g.100_101ins30. The frequency of SNP alleles found in PO, Limousine, and BB cattle was in equilibrium, whereas in Bali and Madura cattle populations, the allele frequency was disequilibrium. In general, the level of diversity of observed alleles ranged from low to high (0.26-1.00), where SNP g.19A>G had the widest variety. It was successfully revealed in this analysis that the SNP g.-69T>G binds to both the NF-Y and CAAT box transcription factor. In addition, the 30 bp (base pair) insertions (g.100_101ins30) that were identified in Bali and Madura cattle have never been reported in previous research studies.

The use of sexed semen to produce purebred replacement heifers allows a large proportion of dairy cows to be mated to beef sires, and quantitative and qualitative improvements to be made to beef production from dairy herds. The major dairy and beef breeds are undergoing rapid genetic improvement as a result of more efficient selection methods, prompting a need to evaluate the meat production of crossbred beef × dairy cattle produced using current genetics. As part of a large project involving 125 commercial dairy farms, we evaluated the combined use of purebreeding with sexed semen and crossbreeding with semen from beef sires, particularly double-muscled breeds. A survey of 1,530 crossbred calves revealed that, whereas purebred dairy calves are destined almost exclusively for veal production, beef × dairy crossbred calves are also destined for beef production after fattening on either the dairy farm of birth or by specialized fatteners. In veal production, compared with Belgian Blue-sired calves (taken as the reference), double-muscled INRA 95-sired calves had a lighter slaughter weight (303 vs. 346 kg), but a greater dressing percent (62.3 vs. 58.4%). Limousin (also known as Limousine)-sired calves had a smaller average daily gain (1.26 vs. 1.34 kg/d), and lighter slaughter (314 vs. 346 kg) and carcass weights (182 vs. 201 kg). Last, Simmental-sired calves had a similar growth rate, but lighter carcass weight (177 vs. 201 kg), smaller dressing percentage (55.3 vs. 58.4%), and smaller muscularity scores (3.25 vs. 3.72). In the case of young bulls and heifers fattened on the dairy farm of birth, Belgian Blue-, Piemontese (also known as Piedmontese)-, and Limousin-sired calves performed similarly; the only exception was that Piemontese-sired calves had a greater dressing percentage. Belgian Blue- and Limousin-sired calves performed similarly when fattened by specialized beef producers. In both veal and beef production, the effects of dam breed were less important than sire breed. Considering the entire project, we can conclude that the combined use of sexed semen for purebreeding and conventional beef semen for terminal crossbreeding improves meat production from dairy herds, especially when the sires are double-muscled beef breeds.

We investigate the use of foreign national origin membership categories in four authentic, Dutch-spoken job interviews with first generation immigrants in Belgium applying for blue collar jobs. We draw on Membership Categorization Analysis and use a multimodal, micro-oriented approach. As such, we aim to uncover the many, often subtle, verbal and non-verbal ways in which these national origin categories are negotiated interactionally. Our findings indicate that because of these categorization mechanisms, the gatekeeping-process of job interviews becomes an even more challenging hurdle for candidates with a migration background especially when they have to compete with candidates with Belgian roots. ispartof: Language And Intercultural Communication vol:21 issue:2 pages:237-259 status: published

The use of specialized meat breeds in cattle breeding programs is considered very promising for improving herds' productivity. However, in animal genotype, along with genes that positively affect the productivity signs, there are genes whose mutations, known as genetic defects, negatively affect the health of animals. The aim of the study was the screening of the Russian populations of Aberdeen Angus, Hereford and Belgian Blue cattle on gene mutations associated with the genetic defects of arthrogryposis multiplex (AM), osteopetrosis (OS), developmental duplication (DD), double muscling (M1), hypotrichosis (HY) and maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) as well as the F94L polymorphism of myostatin gene (MSTN) linked with the gene responsible for less fat content in the carcass by means of DNA analysis. In the article, test systems based on the polymerase chain reaction method are presented. The analysis of the Aberdeen Angus (n=4480) population has revealed 0.19 ± 0.09 % animal M1 carriers, 0.53 ± 0.03 % OS carriers, 1.92 ± 0.09 % AM carriers and 9.00 ± 0.20 % DD carriers. The genotyping of Hereford cattle of Russian populations (n=525) has not revealed any individual carriers of MSUD or HY genetic defects. All of the Belgian Blue population (n=92) animals were heterozygous M1 carriers. The study of the F94L MSTN polymorphism has demonstrated extremely high frequencies of the desirable A allele (0.93 and 0.90) in two Aberdeen Angus populations with an average mean of 0.63 ± 0.08, which was 32 % higher compared to the Belgian Blue population. The results suggest the high genetic potential of the Aberdeen Angus and Belgian Blue cattle, but the existence in the genotypes of the mutant alleles associated with hereditary diseases indicates the risk of uncontrolled use of these breeds.

The use of sexed semen to produce purebred replacement heifers allows a large proportion of dairy cows to be mated to double-muscled sires and for quantitative and qualitative improvements to be made to beef production from dairy herds. A survey of 1,285 crossbred calves showed that they are destined not only for veal production (like purebred dairy calves) but also for beef production. Crossbred calves obtained from Belgian Blue sires (sold on average at 34 d of age and 64 kg of weight) had a higher market value (€363/calf) than those obtained from double-muscled INRA 95 sires (€297/calf, used for veal production) and from Limousin sires (€216/calf for veal and €271/calf for beef production). As a sire breed, Simmental did not differ significantly from Belgian Blue, but as a dam breed, the crossbred calves fetched a higher price (€5.11/kg) than when Holstein was the dam breed (€4.50/kg). Compared with heifer calves, crossbred bull calves at sale were younger (34.1 vs. 37.2 d) and heavier (64.0 vs. 62.6 kg of live weight), fetched a higher price (€5.13 vs. €4.99/kg), and had a greater value (€328 vs. €312/calf). As the value of purebred dairy calves was about €80 to €100/calf, we are able to confirm that the combined use of sexed semen for pure-breeding and conventional beef semen for terminal crossbreeding can increase the income from dairy farms, especially when the sires are double-muscled beef bulls.

The study was conducted to investigate some reproductive traits of Holstein cattle inseminated with imported sexed male Belgian Blue semen and the growth characteristics of calves in Aydin province of Turkey. Totally 82 Holstein cattle including 29 heifers and 53 cows were inseminated. After the inseminations, some reproductive (the number of insemination per conception, conception rate, the dystocia rate, the rate of stillbirth) values were determined in the enterprises. The birth weights of the male calves were determined and in the following periods, the chest girth and body length values were determined for 6 months of age. In the study, it was observed that the average age of the first insemination was 14.05 months for heifers and 38.11 months for cows (P < 0:05). While more than half of the cows (52.08%) became pregnant in the first insemination, a great majority of the pregnancies (69.03%) of heifers occurred in the second inseminations (P < 0:05). The number of inseminations per conception were 2.13 and 1.79 for heifers and cows, respectively. While the conception rate was determined as 47.76% and 55.62% for heifers and cows respectively, dystocia rate were 43.10% and 25.75%, respectively. The average birth weight of the male calves were found as 42.75 kg and the 90th and 180th day live weights were 106.22 kg and 154.16 kg, respectively. While, the height at withers, body length and chest girth values were detected as 80.60 cm, 78.28 cm, 81.04 cm at birth, the same measurements were 94.45 cm, 94.22 cm and 109.79 cm; 108.46 cm, 110.88 cm and 129.45 cm for the 90th and 180th day, respectively. The corresponding study has clearly shown that the application in the project can create a dramatical meaning in dairy farms. This application can be used in dairy farms in a certain period to whole herd or a part of it. © 2022 Academic Publishing House. All rights reserved.

The influence of modifying a traditional 24-mo dairy steer calf to beef production system on the fatty acid composition of the longissimus muscle and its potential to authenticate beef provenance was examined. Fifty-four male calves (n = 18 per sire breed), progeny of Holstein-Friesian cows mated with Holstein-Friesian (HF), Aberdeen Angus (AA) and Belgian Blue (BB) bulls were at pasture from March until August of their second year when they were assigned to a 3 (breed types) × 3 (finishing strategies) factorial experiment. The three finishing strategies were (i) pasture only for a further 94 d prior to slaughter (21 mo of age) (Grass), (ii) concentrates ad libitum indoors for 94 d prior to slaughter (21 mo of age) (EC) and (iii) pasture only for a further 94 d followed by concentrates ad libitum indoors for 98 d prior to slaughter (24 mo of age) (LC). Compared to EC, muscle from Grass had a lower intramuscular fat concentration and omega-6: omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acid (PUFA) ratio and higher proportion of conjugated linoleic acid. A longer period at pasture pre-concentrate finishing increased the concentration of omega-3 PUFA which was still lower than in Grass. To maximise the omega-3 PUFA concentration, a late-maturing breed is more appropriate while to maximise conjugated linoleic acid, an early-maturing breed is more appropriate and both should be finished on grass. Chemometric analysis confirmed that the fatty acid profile can authenticate “Grass-Finished” beef per se and has potential to distinguish “Concentrate-Finished” beef based on the length of grazing prior to finishing, but not distinguish between sire breeds.

Quantifying the level of linkage disequilibrium (LD), non-random association of alleles at two or more loci, is important to determine the number of markers needed for genomic selection. The aims of this study were to evaluate the extent of LD in Dual-Purpose Belgian Blue (DPBB) and to compare the level of LD in DPBB with that of Walloon Holstein. Data of 28,427 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP), located on 29 Bos taurus autosomes (BTA), of 639 DPBB and 398 Holstein bulls were used. The level of LD between pairwise SNPs separated by up to 10 Mb was evaluated, separately for each breed, using the squared correlation of the alleles at two loci. The analysis of molecular variance showed that the percentage of variation within populations (85.48%) was higher than between populations (14.52%). However, permutation tests showed a significant genetic differentiation between the two studied populations (p 0.30) within a genomic distance of ≤0.10 Mb between SNPs was 18.58% and 28.23% in DPBB and Holstein bulls, respectively. In both breeds, the effective population size decreased over generations; however, the decline was greater in DPBB than that in Holstein. Based on results, it can be concluded that at least 68,000 SNPs are needed for implementing genomic selection in DPBB cattle with enough accuracy.

The Belgian Blue (BB) cattle breed has been well-known for double muscling. The importation of BB cattle is mainly to increase beef production. A study was done to analyze birth weight and body measurements of newborn crossbred BB calves. Data were collected from Cattle Breeding Centre (Baturaden, Padangmangatas and Sembawa) and Livestock Embryo Centre (Cipelang). The crossbred BB calves were produced by crossing of BB bull and some breed cows (Ongole grade, Friesian Holstein, Simental, Brahman, and Limousine) through artificial insemination. A total of 286 crossbred BB calves from five different crossbreds born in 2018-2019 were used in this study. Data of birth weight (BW), chest girth (CG), body length (BL) and body height (BH) were analyzed using a linear model with genotype, calf sex, and their interaction as sources of variation. Results showed that BW and body measurements were significantly affected by genotypes of the calf (P

The beef production has recently decreased till critical level in Ukraine. Its main part is produced from dairy cattle, whose quantity has tendency to decrease annually. The amount of beef cattle has reduced in 4,6 times for last 5 years and contains 28 thousand of heads. As a result – almost total beef self-production deficiency in structure of meat products consumption by Ukrainian citizens. Since 2017, due to purchasing price has been increasing for cattle, beef production from unprofitable has become profitable (3,4%). Husbandries, that are responsible for dairy cattle have been paying more attention to young cattle fattening to get meat. For increasing meat productivity of dairy cattle, industrial crossing with beef bulls has been obtained (Hereford, Aberdeen Angus, Charollais, Limousine, etc). Animal breeders pay more attention to prospective Belgian blue beef cattle because of excellent meat qualities. In conditions of Ukraine, in industrial crossing, this breed started to be used last time. Experimental husbandry “Gontarovka”, Volchansky district, Kharkov region is a stud farm of Ukrainian black-and-white dairy breeding. Approximately 20-30% of cows in milking herd are culled annually for different reasons. For investigation, cows that were clinically healthy were fertilized by bulls of Belgian blue beef cattle and, in February 2019 crossbred progeny has been obtained. The aim of our investigation is to estimate vital meat productivity of bulls and heifers at given stage of development of Ukrainian black-and-white dairy breed and crossbreeds, obtained from industrial crossing at raising by technology of dairy cattle breeding, i.e without suckling. The conditions of feeding and maintenance of young experimental group cattle were similar. It has been established, that cow parturitions of Ukrainian black-and-white dairy breed were without complications. Most live weight of stud bulls of Belgian blue cattle no way influenced on increasing breed. In husbandry, live weight of 12 months mongrel heifer is 370 kg, higher than weight of purebred herd mates in 7,4 kg (2%). One-year crossbred bull-calves had live weight 398,8kg, that more than analogues in 22,6 kg (6%). Daily-average gains had fluctuations in different periods of growth and development. Mongrel bull-calves had high indices of offspring during the period from 4 till 5 months (1000g), 6-7 months (1013,8g), 10-11 months(1546,7g), 11-12 months (1600g), but heifers, 5-6 months (1346,7g). Complete gain for 12 months purebred heifers composed 330,2 kg, but in crossbreeds – 336,4 kg, higher in 6,2 kg (1,8%) in comparison with previous. Crossbred bull-calves also had advantage in comparison with purebred for that period in 22,2 kg (6,5%) and complete gain amounts 365 kg. It means, that not only feeding influences on meat productivity of young cattle formation, but origin of animal. According to point and body composition, crossbreeds had indices more characterized for beef cattle – deep and wide chest, well-developed muscles, supple skin, strong limbs. They were compacted and massive.

Young stock survival is a trait of crucial importance in cattle breeding as calf mortality leads to economic losses and represents an animal welfare issue. The aim of this study was to estimate genetic parameters and sire breeding values for young stock survival in beef x dairy crossbred calves. Two traits were analysed with a univariate animal model: young stock survival between 1 to 30 days and 31 to 200 days after birth. Breed combinations with Belgian Blue sires outperformed all other sire breeds. The lowest survival rates were found for breed combinations with Jersey dams or Blonde d'Aquitaine sires. The results showed low but significant heritabilities (0.045 to 0.075) for both survival traits. Differences in breeding values between sires ranged from -2.5% to 3.5% and from -5.4% to 4.7% survival from 1 to 30 days and 31 to 200 days, respectively. Based on these findings, we concluded that it is feasible to breed for improved young stock survival in beef x dairy crossbred calves. This will hopefully contribute to increasing the survival rate of the calves and reduce economic losses for the farmers.

Background Alopecia is defined as the partial or complete absence of hair from areas of the body where it normally grows. Alopecia secondary to an infectious disease or parasitic infestation is commonly seen in cattle. It can also have metabolic causes, for example in newborn calves after a disease event such as diarrhoea. In the article, the investigation of a herd problem of acquired alopecia in Belgian Blue (BB) crossbred calves is described. Case presentation Several BB crossbred calves had presented with moderate to severe non-pruritic alopecia in a single small herd located in Southern Germany. The referring veterinarian had ruled out infectious causes, including parasitic infection and had supplemented calves with vitamins (vitamins A, B1, B2, B3, B5, B6, B7, B9, B12, C, and K3) orally. Results of the diagnostic workup at the Clinic for Ruminants are presented for three affected calves and findings from a farm visit are discussed. Because of these investigations, an additional four calves were brought to the referral clinic within the first week of life, and before onset of alopecia, in order to study the course of the condition; however, these calves never developed any signs of alopecia during their clinic stay. Conclusions Because all other plausible differential diagnoses were ruled out during our investigation, we concluded that the documented alopecia was due to malabsorption of dietary fat and consecutive disruption of lipid metabolism leading to telogen or anagen effluvium. In this particular case, this was caused by a mixing error of milk replacer in conjunction with insufficiently tempered water. We conclude that nutritional, management or environmental factors alone can lead to moderate to severe alopecia in calves in the absence of a prior or concurrent disease event or infectious cause.

Input parameters for decision support tools are comprised of, amongst others, knowledge of the associated factors and the extent of those associations with the animal-level feature of interest. The objective of the present study was to quantify the association between animal-level factors with primal cut yields in cattle and to understand the extent of the variability in primal cut yields independent carcass weight. The data used consisted of the weight of 14 primal carcass cuts (as well as carcass weight, conformation, and fat score) on up to 54,250 young cattle slaughtered between the years 2013 and 2017. Linear mixed models, with contemporary group of herd-sex-season of slaughter as a random effect, were used to quantify the associations between a range of model fixed effects with each primal cut separately. Fixed effects in the model were dam parity, heterosis coefficient, recombination loss, a covariate per breed representing the proportion of Angus, Belgian Blue, Charolais, Jersey, Hereford, Limousin, Simmental, and Holstein–Friesian and a three-way interaction between whether the animal was born in a dairy or beef herd, sex, and age at slaughter, with or without carcass weight as a covariate in the mixed model. The raw correlations among all cuts were all positive varying from 0.33 (between the bavette and the striploin) to 0.93 (between the topside and knuckle). The partial correlation among cuts, following adjustment for differences in carcass weight, varied from −0.36 to 0.74. Age at slaughter, sex, dam parity, and breed were all associated (P < 0.05) with the primal cut weight. Knowledge of the relationship between the individual primal cuts, and the solutions from the models developed in the study, could prove useful inputs for decision support systems to increase performance.

CRISPR/Cpf1 has emerged recently as an effective tool for genome editing in many organisms, but its use in pigs to generate precise genetic modifications has seldom been described. Myostatin (MSTN) is a well-characterized negative regulator of muscle development, and natural mutations in this gene cause a double-muscled phenotype in many species. However, to the best of our knowledge, no naturally occurring mutation in MSTN has been found in pigs. In addition, no living pig models with sophisticated modifications orthologous to natural mutations in MSTN have yet been reported. In this study, we exploited the CRISPR/Cpf1 system to introduce a predefined modification orthologous to the natural MSTN mutation found in Belgian Blue cattle (thus known as the Belgian Blue mutation). Our research demonstrated that the cutting efficiency of CRISPR/Cpf1 was 12.3% in mixed porcine fetal fibroblasts in drug free medium, and 41.7% in clonal colonies obtained using G418 selection. Then, the Cpf1-sgRNA vector, ssODN template, and a self-excision cassette were co-transfected into porcine fetal fibroblasts. After G418 selection, 8 clonal colonies were examined and 5 with genetic modification were found. Of these 5, 2 harbored the precise 11-bp deletion. Using 1 heterozygous clonal colony, 2 cloned Duroc piglets were successfully generated, which was heterozygous for the Belgian Blue mutation. In summary, our results demonstrate that CRISPR/Cpf1 system can be used efficiently to generate double-stranded breaks, and also to mediate homologous recombination to introduce precise genomic modifications in pigs.

The article highlighted the problem of meat cattle genetic defects. The aim was the development of DNA tests for some genetic defects diagnostics, the determination of the animal carriers and their frequencies tracking in time. The 1490 DNA samples from the Aberdeen Angus (n = 701), Hereford (n = 385), Simmental (n = 286) and Belgian Blue (n = 118) cattle have been genotyped on the genetic defects by newly created and earlier developed DNA tests based on AS-PCR and PCR-RFLP methods. The Aberdeen Angus cattle genotyping has revealed 2.38 ± 0.31% AMC-cows and 1.67 ± 0.19 % AMC-bulls, 0.65 ± 0.07% DDC-cows and 0.90 ± 0.10% DDC-bulls. The single animals among the Hereford cattle were carriers of MSUD and CWH (on 0.27 ± 0.05%), ICM and HY (on 0.16 ± 0.03%). The Simmental cattle were free from OS. All Belgian Blue livestock were M1- and 0.84%-CMD1-carriers. The different ages Aberdeen Angus cattle genotyping has shown the tendency of the AMC- and DDC frequencies to increase in the later generations. The statistically significant increase of DDC of 1.17% in the cows’ population born in 2019 compared to those born in 2015 allows concluding the further development of the DNA analysis-based measures preventing the manifestation of the genetic anomalies in meat cattle herds is necessary.

The objective of this study was to determine whether response to selection for carcass weight (CW), conformation (CC) and fat (CF), and the association between heterosis and carcass performance varied by herd environment in cattle. Following edits, carcass information was available for 4,616,761 cattle, of which the majority were some crossbred combination of the following breeds: Angus, Aubrac, Belgian Blue, Blonde d'Aquitaine, Charolais, Hereford, Holstein-Friesian, Jersey, Limousin, Saler, Shorthorn and Simmental. Herd environment was defined separately for each carcass trait using herd solutions outputted from carcass trait genetic evaluations. A total of 3,859 herds were stratified, for each trait, into one of five strata based on their corresponding percentile herd solution rank, with the response to selection and the effect of heterosis then estimated within each stratum. The response in CW and CC from selection on the respective estimated breeding values (EBV) increased between the lowest (0.71 kg and 0.89 CC score increase per unit increase in the respective EBV) and highest (0.99 kg and 1.25 CC score increase per unit increase in the respective EBV) corresponding herd stratum. The response in CF from selection on CF EBV, however, reduced between the lowest and highest CF herd stratum (respective increases of 0.93 and 0.83 CF scores per unit increase in CF EBV). In addition, the effect of a unit increase in heterosis coefficient on CW, CC and CF also varied by herd stratum. Furthermore, results (i.e. the area under relative operating characteristic curves) from the present study demonstrated that the response to selection and heterosis effects estimated for the different herd stratum can be used, along with EBVs and the herd solutions themselves, to improve the accuracy of phenotypic predictions. Results from the present study could help producers to make more informed breeding decisions that are bespoke to their herd.

Nitrogen (N) use efficiency in beef cattle is low (10–20%), resulting in large amounts of N excreted into the environment. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effects of chitosan inclusion and dietary crude protein (CP) level on nutrient intake and digestibility, ruminal fermentation, and N excretion in beef heifers. Eight Belgian Blue × Holstein Friesian cross beef heifers (752 ± 52 kg BW) were used in a 4 × 4 Latin square with a 2 × 2 factorial design. Factors were dietary CP concentration—high CP, 16% (HP) or low CP, 12% (LP)—and chitosan inclusion—0 or 10 g kg−1 dry matter (DM) offered at 50:50 forage concentrate ratio on a dry matter (DM) basis. Apparent total tract digestibility of DM, organic matter (OM), and CP were reduced (p &lt, 0.001) with chitosan inclusion, whereas offering the HP diets increased apparent total tract digestibility of CP (p &lt, 0.001). Offering the HP diets increased urinary N excretion (p &lt, 0.001), while chitosan inclusion increased N excretion in faeces (p &lt, 0.05). Ruminal pH was increased with chitosan inclusion (p &lt, 0.01). There was a CP × chitosan interaction for rumen ammonia (NH3) concentrations (p &lt, 0.05). Including chitosan in the HP diets increased ruminal NH3 concentration while having no effect on the LP diets. Urinary N excretion was increased with increased levels of CP, but chitosan inclusion increased the quantity of N excreted in the faeces.

In a temperature-increasing scenario, due to global warming, the individual thermic resilience of the male assumes a crucial role in the reproductive efficiency of a male since the thermic stress, such as the inability of the male to reduce body or regional temperature on a physiological level, impairs testicular function. In this study, the effect of the environmental conditions on the fresh semen quality, in terms of volume, concentration, total sperm in the ejaculate, total motility, normal morphology, membrane integrity, and discarding rate, were compared longitudinally in Belgian Blue (BB) and Brown Swiss (BS) bulls. The environmental conditions, summarized in the mean temperature-humidity index (THI), were calculated on the day of collection, as well as 7 days (epididymal maturation), 35 days (late spermatogenesis), and 70 days (early spermatogenesis) before the collection, to reflect spermatogenesis time. Our findings showed that limited seasonal effects were present in the semen quality of BS bulls. On the other hand, in BB bulls lower semen quality was found between July and November, with a different timing depending on the seminal parameter. This effect of the season on BB semen parameters appears to be related to the THI. The data presented in this study shows that the temperature and humidity, summarized in THI, could affect the semen quality of the bull on breed basis, given that volume, concentration, total sperm in the ejaculate, total motility, membrane integrity, and sperm normal morphology were significantly reduced by an increasing THI in the Belgian Blue bulls, but not in Brown Swiss bulls.

Psoroptic mange is a common disease of livestock, caused by Psoroptes ovis. Compared to Holstein–Friesian (HF) cattle, the Belgian Blue (BB) cattle breed is highly susceptible to the infestation. However, the mechanism for this difference is still unclear. To determine the factors responsible for this breed susceptibility, the immune response to P. ovis was studied in experimentally infested BB and HF cattle, using clinical signs, histology, immunohistochemical profiling and gene expression analysis of skin biopsies. The mite numbers and lesion area of BB cattle were greater than in HF during the whole study period. Significant influxes of eosinophils in the epidermis and dermis were detected in comparison with the pre-infestation samples in both breeds, with significantly higher eosinophils in BB at 6 weeks post infestation (wpi). Mast cell numbers were unaffected at all stages of infestation in HF, but were significantly elevated relative to pre-infestation in BB cattle at 2 and 6 wpi. The more pronounced cutaneous eosinophilia and higher IL-4 levels at 6 wpi in BB cattle suggest that a Th2-type immune response is underlying the higher susceptibility of the BB breed. In naturally infested BB cattle, development of the psoroptic mange lesions and eosinophils and CD3+ T cell areas were severely depressed after anti-inflammatory treatment with dexamethasone. Together, these results suggest that a stronger Th2-type immune response to P. ovis causes the skin lesions in psoroptic mange in BB cattle and that local anti-inflammatory treatment could potentially be an alternative to control the pathology caused by this parasite.

In order to improve the efficacy of penicillin injection during caesarean section, we aimed to identify the optimal timing of its preoperative administration. A study was conducted in 12 adult, non-pregnant Belgian Blue cows. To evaluate the plasma penicillin concentrations, blood samples were taken from the jugular vein at −5, 15, 30, 45, 60, 120, 240, 480 min relative to the intramuscular (IM) injection of 21,000 IU/kg of body weight of penicillin G. Results showed that plasma concentrations at 15 min after IM injection (668.3 ± 73.7 ng/mL) largely exceeded the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of penicillin-sensitive bacteria (MIC &lt, 125 ng/mL). With increasing time, plasma concentrations continued to rise, attaining an increasing proportion of moderately sensitive bacteria (250 ng/mL &gt, MIC &lt, 2000 ng/mL). The maximal concentration was reached between 1 and 4 h (average: 1.495.1 ± 181.7 ng/mL) after IM injection in the majority of cows, and decreased non-significantly to 1002.1 ± 93.2 ng/mL at 8 h. In conclusion, plasma penicillin concentrations at 15 min after an IM injection inhibit penicillin-sensitive bacteria. However, in order to obtain the maximal protective effect of the antibiotherapy, surgery should be started at 1 to 2 h after IM penicillin injection.

Identification of factors associated with the quality and quantity of colostrum production has always been a major challenge in cattle industry. In purebred double-muscled Belgian Blue (BB) cows, parturition is mainly performed by elective caesarean section (CS; >90%). However, the CS itself may influence colostrum production characteristics. The present study aimed to evaluate the impact of maternal and newborn calf factors and the duration of the procedure of CS on the quality and quantity of colostrum production in BB cows. The dataset includes 551 records of cow-calf pairs that were presented for an elective CS at the Ghent University veterinary clinic between 2017 and 2019. The quality (measured via a colostrum densimeter) and the quantity (measured via a standard volume scale) of colostrum were measured within 30 min after the end of the CS. Fixed effects were fitted in mixed linear regression models to test for their potential association with colostrum quality (specific gravity; SG) and quantity (liters), and generalized mixed-effects models were constructed to test the associations of fixed effects with the optimal colostrum production index (yes vs no) based on an adequate supply of both colostrum quality and quantity. The fixed effects tested were parity, the gender of the calf, birth weight, duration of CS (min), and season of birth. Our results show that parity (primiparity), duration of CS (longer CS), and calving season (summer) had a significantly negative impact on colostrum production. Concluding, both colostrum quality and quantity can be influenced by intrinsic and extrinsic factors (including duration of CS), which should be considered while feeding newborn calves delivered via CS. (c) 2021 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

The effects on tenderness of extended ageing of longissimus thoracis (LT, striploin) muscle that differed in structure and composition were examined. Spring-born Angus × Holstein-Friesian heifers (n = 48) and Belgian Blue × Holstein-Friesian heifers (n = 48) were slaughtered, within sire breed, at 20 or 25 mo of age. Approximately 48 h post-mortem, LT steaks (2.5 cm) were removed, and either stored at −20°C for chemical analysis or vacuum-packed, stored at 2°C for 7, 14 or 28 d post-mortem and then at −20°C pending Warner–Bratzler shear force (WBSF) analysis. Muscle from Angus-sired heifers had higher (P < 0.001) intramuscular fat (IMF) concentration, lower (P < 0.001) proportion of type IIX muscle fibres and higher (P < 0.001) proportion of type IIA and type I muscle fibres compared to muscle from Belgian Blue-sired heifers. Collagen characteristics did not differ between sire breeds. Later slaughter increased (P < 0.001) IMF concentration and decreased (P < 0.001) total and insoluble concentrations and collagen solubility. There were no interactions between the main effects for WBSF and no difference between sire breeds. Later slaughter and increasing the duration of ageing decreased (P < 0.05) WBSF. Based on threshold WBSF values in the literature, all samples would be considered tender (

Belgian Blue bulls are more susceptible to high temperature and humidity index (THI) than most other cattle breeds. Here, we investigated whether high ambient temperature during summer affected semen quality and subsequent embryo development in Belgian Blue cattle. For this purpose, semen samples were collected from six healthy mature Belgian Blue bulls in March (Low THI group; THI between 30.6 and 56.4) and August 2016 (High THI group; maximum THI of 83.7 during meiotic and spermiogenic stages of spermatogenesis; 14–28 days prior to semen collection) respectively. Motility, morphology, acrosome integrity, chromatin condensation, viability, and reactive oxygen species production were assessed for frozen-thawed semen. Moreover, the efficiency of blastocyst production from the frozen-thawed semen samples of the two groups was determined in vitro. Blastocyst quality was determined by assessing inner cell mass ratio and apoptotic cell ratio. Fresh ejaculates showed a higher sperm concentration in low THI when compared to the high THI group (P ≤ 0.05), whereas semen volume, subjective motility, and total sperm output were not affected (P > 0.05). In frozen-thawed semen, total and progressive motility, viability, and straight-line velocity were lower in high THI compared to the low THI group (P, Highlights • Belgian Blue bulls are more susceptible to heat stress than most other cattle breeds. • Heat stress negatively affected the quality of Belgian Blue bulls’ spermatozoa. • Summer high ambient temperature increased H2O2 production in thawed spermatozoa. • Summer heat exposure increased morphological abnormalities of bull spermatozoa. • Embryo development was decreased after the bulls were exposed to summer heat stress.

The purpose of this study was to observe the size of reproductive organ and to evaluate the sperm quality of Belgian Blue (BB) crossbreed cattle. This cattle are the crossbreeding result between a female Brahman Cross (BX) cattle inseminated with frozen semen from pure male BB cattle, by Artificial Insemination (IB) method, as a candidate of superior bull. The samples of this study were 2.5 years old (BB1), (BB2), and (BB3) crossbreed cattle. Its process involved general physical examination, genital organ inspection, sperm production, and quality assessment. The data obtained were analyzed through descriptive analysis. The results of this study were the three BB crossbred cattle showed the good appearance of normal reproductive organs with scrotum circumferences of each bull were 40.2 cm, 38.6 cm, and 39.8 cm respectively, and sperm quality of the good and the normal motility values of each bull were 82%, 81% and 80%, viability 84%, 83%, and 86%, and the sperm concentrations of each bull were 2.218 million/ml, 1.986 million/ml and 2.120 million/ml respectively. As a result, it could be concluded that those three BB crossbreed cattle are suitable for being used as a superior bull.

Determining double muscle based on the myostatin (MSTN) gene in Belgian blue (BB), Peranakan Ongole (PO) and BB × PO crossbred cattle is very important for crossbreeding programs. This study aimed to investigate single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and 11-bp deletions in the coding region of the MSTN gene and their relationship with the double-muscled phenotype in BB × PO crossbred cattle. A total of 86 blood samples were collected from 28 individual BB, 43 individual PO, and 15 individual BB × PO crossbred cattle. SNPs and indel 11-bp variation in the coding region of the MSTN gene were found using the sequencing method, followed by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) technique. The MSTN gene in the coding region was detected in four SNPs found in PO cattle and its crossbreed. However, the four SNPs could not differentiate normal and double-muscled phenotypes although they are polymorphic. Moreover, in this study, an 11-bp deletion in exon 3 of the MSTN gene in BB cattle was found. In this case, by applying the PCR-RFLP technique using the restriction enzyme NmuCI (Tsp45I) in indel 11-bp, the genotypes that were successfully observed were +/+, +/del.11, and del.11/del.11.

A 19-month-old Belgian Blue heifer was referred to the Veterinary Clinic of Liege University. The heifer was 2 months pregnant by insemination and presented hyperthermia, anorexia and weight loss. Rectal palpation revealed a large, depressible abdominal mass. Diagnosis of parietal fibrinous peritonitis (PFP) was made by ultrasound, revealing a liquid and fibrin filled cavity attached to the abdominal wall. Blood analysis indicated an inflammatory status. Analysis of a PFP fluid sample confirmed bacterial contamination. Treatment, apart from fluids, antibiotics and non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, consisted of surgical drainage and repeated flushing of the cavity. Complete resorption of the cavity was observed after 5 weeks. The heifer remained pregnant but died 7 months later, after elective caesarean section, due to generalised peritonitis. This is the first report of PFP in an animal without a history of laparotomy. The PFP may have been caused by an insemination-induced trauma.

The objective of the present study was to quantify the genetic and non-genetic contributors to variability in both carcass dressing percentage and dressing difference (i.e., the difference between carcass weight and live weight immediately prior to slaughter) in young animals and cows. The datasets contained 18,479 young animals from 653 herds, and 2,887 cows from 665 herds. Live weight records within 7 d of slaughter and associated carcass weight were available for all animals. Association analyses were undertaken using linear mixed models with fixed effects for the model of young animals consisting of animal breed, days between the date of last recorded live weight and slaughter date, heterosis and recombination loss coefficients, dam parity, a 3-way interaction between whether the animal originated in a dairy or beef herd, animal sex, and age at slaughter, as well as a 2-way interaction between calendar year of slaughter and month of slaughter; contemporary group was included as a random effect. Fixed effects in the cow model were cow breed, the number of days between the date of last recorded live weight and slaughter date, heterosis and recombination loss coefficients, the number of days postcalving, parity of the cow, and a 2-way interaction between calendar year of slaughter and month of slaughter; contemporary group was included as a random effect. The mean dressing percentage (phenotypic standard deviation in parentheses) and dressing difference in young animals were 55.86% (3.21%) and 280.03 kg (41.44 kg), respectively. Steers had the heaviest dressing difference at 34.18 and 60.44 kg heavier than a 16-mo old bull and 22-mo old heifer, respectively. Dressing difference for 30-mo old Simmental steers (breed with heaviest dressing difference) was 41.66 kg heavier than 30-mo old Belgian Blue steers (breed with lightest dressing difference). The heritability of dressing percentage (0.48) and dressing difference (0.35) in young animals was relatively similar to each other, in contrast to dressing percentage (0.08) in cows which was considerably lower than dressing difference (0.28). Considerable genetic variability existed in dressing difference amongst young animals (genetic standard deviation of 15.03 kg), despite the near unity genetic correlation (0.93) between carcass weight and live weight. This therefore indicates that genetic selection for increased saleable product can be achieved by selecting for increased carcass weight while concurrently selecting for lighter animals although the opportunity is limited by the strong part-whole relationships that exists between carcass weight, live weight, and dressing difference.

Specific age-related changes in blood variables of calves have previously been reported. The very first hours after birth are however not fully investigated, and results originating from different breeds are combined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the variation in biochemical variables during the first 48 hours after birth in Holstein-Friesian (HF) and Belgian Blue (BB) calves. Nineteen HF calves born vaginally and 23 BB calves delivered by caesarean section were sampled within 30 min after birth, and at 24 and 48 h of life. The concentration of albumin, chloride, sodium, potassium, calcium, phosphate, urea, creatinine, glucose, β-hydroxybutyrate, total protein, and activity of AST, γGT and glutamate dehydrogenase were evaluated. In both groups, significant decreases were recorded at 24 and/or 48 hours compared with 30 min for albumin, calcium, chloride and creatinine, while significant increases were found for AST, γGT, bilirubin, GLDH, glucose and total protein. Changes in analyte concentrations or activities, followed the same trend in both groups, thus suggesting typical features of the newborn calf maturation. The first 24 hours after birth seem to represent a temporal key point in the newborn calf’s life for switching from maternal dependence to a self-sufficient and independent survival. This study confirms that age-specific values should be considered for precise interpretation of laboratory results of newborn calves.Highlights Biochemical profiles of Holstein-Friesian and Belgian-Blue newborn calf in the first 48 hours of age are investigated. Almost all biochemical parameters change according to calf age in both groups and following the same trend in the two groups. Age-specific reference values should be considered during newborn calf evaluation.

The objective of this study was to enhance estimates of additive, dominance, and epistatic effects of marker polymorphisms on beef carcass and quality traits. Myostatin (MSTN) F94L SNP and the µ-calpain (CAPN1) 316 and 4751 SNP haplotype have previously been associated with fat and muscle traits in beef cattle. Multiyear selection in a composite population segregating these polymorphisms increased minor allele (F94L L) and chosen haplotype (CAPN1 CC and GT) frequencies to intermediate levels resulting in more precise estimates of additive and nonadditive genetic effects. During the 3 yr after selection, 176 steers were evaluated for growth, carcass, meat quality, tenderness (n = 103), and meat color traits. The statistical model included year, age of dam, age of the steer, and genotype in a random animal model. The 9 genotypes (3 CAPN1 diplotypes × 3 F94L genotypes) affected marbling score, ribeye area, adjusted fat thickness, vision yield grade (all P < 0.001), slice shear force (P = 0.03), and CIE L* reflectance (P = 0.01). Linear contrasts of the 9 genotypes estimated additive, recessive, and epistatic genetic effects. Significant additive effects of the F94L L allele decreased marbling score, adjusted fat thickness, vision yield grade, and slice shear force; and increased ribeye area and CIE L* reflectance. The homozygous F94L FF and LL genotypes differed by 1.3 to 1.9 phenotypic SD for most carcass traits and by 0.8 to 0.9 SD for slice shear force and CIE L* reflectance but carcass weight differed by only 3 kg (0.1 SD). The L allele was partially recessive to F for ribeye area (P = 0.02) and the heterozygous FL means tended to be closer to the FF genotype than the LL genotype for other carcass traits but differences from additive were not significant. The CAPN1 additive × F94L additive effect on slice shear force was the only significant epistatic estimate. The F94L L allele is prevalent in Limousin but nearly absent in other U.S. purebreds. This allele had about half of the effects on birth weight, muscle, and fat traits reported for severe MSTN mutations in Belgian Blue and Piedmontese breeds. The interaction between MSTN and CAPN1 genotypes may reflect the strong additive effects of MSTN F94L L allele on fat and muscle traits interfering with the phenotypic effect of CAPN1 genotype on meat tenderness.

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of aging period (0, 3, 6 or 9 weeks), aging temperature (2 versus 6 °C at 75% relative humidity, experiment 1) and relative humidity (70 versus 90% at 2 °C, experiment 2) on the sensory traits, oxidative stability and proteolysis of Belgian Blue beef. For each experiment, eight loins (M. longissimus thoracis et lumborum) from four animals (left and right side) were assigned to one of the two treatments (n = 4). Results showed no further tenderization after three weeks of aging, whereas metmyoglobin formation and lipid oxidation increased until nine weeks of aging (P 0.05). During the nine weeks of aging, atypical flavor, odor and flavor intensity was affected (P 0.05). This was accompanied by an increase of small peptides and other nitrogenous compounds. Aging temperature and relative humidity had only a very limited effect on the quality traits.

Intensive dairy and beef cattle farming contribute significantly to the emissions of greenhouse gases from Belgian agriculture. Two main breeds dominate the Belgian cattle livestock; Holstein-Friesian (HF) dairy cattle and double-muscled Belgian Blue (DMBB) beef cattle. The aim of our study was to quantify and compare methane emissions of both breeds under conditions of equal diet composition, environment and physiological stage (using heifers of the same age). The methanogen and bacterial communities were thoroughly investigated using metabarcoding to correlate taxonomic compositions with breed and methane emission levels. HF heifers had significantly higher absolute enteric methane emissions as compared to DMBB heifers. Methane production was positively correlated to the dry matter intake (DMI). Due to the significantly higher DMI and energy intake of HF heifers, methane yield per DMI was not significantly different between breeds. Furthermore, no significant differences were observed between the gross feed efficiency (GFE) of both breeds, but the DMBB heifers demonstrated significantly lower CH4:CO2 ratios (mole-to-mole ratio), suggesting a more efficient fermentation by the rumen microbial ecosystem. Although both breeds accommodated a common core of taxonomic groups, the bacterial communities also showed a breed specific composition due to differential abundance of specific species belonging to the main taxonomic groups and the presence of a few species of minor taxonomic groups that were significantly associated with one of both breeds. In contrast to the bacterial communities, the methanogen community was consistent and stable between breeds and at different sampling times. Our results suggest that breed related factors influence the bacterial community composition, while the variation in methane emission levels can be attributed mainly to the feed intake of the animals.

This study aimed to evaluate the productivity of the Belgian Blue x POGASI crossbred cattle raised at the Beef Cattle Research Station located at Grati, Pasuruan. Therefore, data on productivity, such as body measurements, birth, weaning, and yearling weight, as well as reproductive performances, were collected and analyzed using t-tests from 11 calves of Belgian Blue x POGASI (F1) crossbred cattle consisting of 5 males and 6 females, and also 11 calves of POGASI cattle consisting of 3 males and 8 females. From the results, there were significant differences (P

Simple Summary This paper presents the results of the study of two polymorphisms of the myostatin gene associated with muscular hypertrophy in the Russian populations of Aberdeen Angus, Limousin, Simmental, and Belgian Blue cattle breeds. For their diagnostics, test systems based on modern molecular genetic methods were developed, and the population analysis showed a low frequency of the undesirable allele associated with the genetic defect of double-muscling, and a high frequency of the allele that presumably positively influences meat productivity traits. Abstract The myostatin gene (MSTN) in cattle has a number of polymorphisms associated with increased muscle mass. The aim of the current study was to determine the haplotype frequencies of F94L and nt821(del11) MSTN polymorphisms among cattle bred for meat in Russia, using DNA analysis. Using the earlier created test systems based on the AS-PCR and PCR-RFLP methods, six populations of Aberdeen Angus (n = 684), two populations of Limousin (n = 54), one population of Simmental (n = 55), and one population of Belgian Blue (n = 137) belonging to Russian farms were genotyped on nt821(del11) and F94L MSTN polymorphisms. The animal carriers of the mutant allele of nt821(del11) MSTN associated with the double-muscling genetic defect were found in one Aberdeen Angus population at a frequency of 2.18%, but were not found in the Limousin and Simmental populations. However, 100% of the Belgian Blue population were heterozygous carriers of nt821(del11) MSTN. The frequencies of the A allele F94L MSTN desirable for productivity traits in the Limousin populations were the highest and accounted for 0.97 and 1 in populations one and two, while in the Aberdeen Angus, Simmental, and Belgian Blue populations, these figures were considerably lower at 0.04–0.08, depending on the population. The obtained data show the high genetic potential of Russian beef cattle, and facilitate an improvement in meat productivity by preserving the health of animals.