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The objective of the current study was to establish a possible link between cows' reactivity and milk-related traits. In addition, the study intended to examine changes in herd structure related to cow temperament over successive years. Between October 2016 and October 2021, 7600 data were collected from 1520 lactations for milk, fat, and protein yields, as well as milking speed based on cow temperament. The cow's temperament was classified as calm, moderate, and nervous. Most of the cows exhibited moderate reactivity (87.13%) compared to calm (5.24%) and nervous (7.63%). The one-way ANOVA protocol showed that cow's reactivity significantly influenced (p=0.001) milk, fat and protein yields having more substantial effects (p=0.001) on the milking speed for nervous ones. The calm cows produced more milk (5766.86±130.98 kg), fat (239.12±5.24 kg) and protein (201.56±4.3 kg) compared to moderate (-309.7, -19.73, -15.3 kg, p=0.01) and nervous cows (-707.9, -32.2, -28 kg, p=0.01). Significantly higher milking speed was recorded for calm cows (2.36 kg/min.) compared to moderate (2.28 kg/min., p=0.05) and nervous cows (2.21 kg/min., p=0.01). Over successive years a significant increased (p=0.001) trend in calm (from 3.34 to 8.92%) was observed to the detriment of the nervous cows (from 5.45 to 2.32%) and moderate ones (from 91.21 to 88.76%). The current findings highlight that calmer cows produce more milk, fat and protein yields compared to nervous ones despite the controversial relationship between temperament and milk related traits. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract A study on the study of the qualitative assessment of the behavior of dairy cattle according to the VAS system (visual analog scale) was conducted in the LLP "Agrofirme "AKAS", located in the West Kazakhstan region of the Republic of Kazakhstan. According to research, it follows that different seasons of time affect the conditions of detention in different ways. So, for the maintenance of cows in the summer, the distance of avoidance at the feeding site according to test 1 and 2 is within 3 meters, whereas in spring and autumn it was 2 meters. The difference between the reference norm and the household ration has been determined, from which it follows that the feeding ration of the farm corresponds to the norm of 12 kg of milk yield per head per day. The vitamin and mineral premix developed by us includes vitamins, minerals, including macro-microelements. The premix also includes components in the following ratio: phosphorus (P) – 5% of monocalcium phosphate, vitamin A – 1.2% of rovimix A 1000, vitamin D3 – 0.64% of rovimix D3, vitamin E – 16% of rovimix E-50, manganese (Mn) – 22.2%, copper (Cu) – 9%, zinc (Zn) – 19%, iodine (I) – 0.28%, selenium (Se) – 7.65 and cobalt (Co) – 0.14%, and feed chalk – 5% and chickpea flour – 13.89% are used as fillers as a source of calcium (Ca).. The average daily milk yield at the beginning of the experiment in both study groups was in the range of 10.6-10.8 kg. At the end of the experiment, the average daily milk yield in animals receiving premix exceeded their peers from the control group by 1.4 kg or 1.6%. According to the chemical composition of milk, the indicators of fat, protein and lactose were higher in the cows of the experimental group compared with the peers of the control group (for fat – 3.92>3.37, for protein – 3.32>3.23, for lactose - 4.16>4.01).

CXCL8 (also known as IL-8) is a member of the CXC subfamily of chemokines that binds two of the seven transmembrane G-protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs), CXCR1 and CXCR2, to mediate and regulate leucocyte accumulation and activation at sites of inflammation. They are known to play a critical role in both disease susceptibility and infection outcome. The aim of this study was to investigate the entire sequences of CXCL8 and CXCR2 genes in thirty-one Simmental sires to evaluate the effects of genomic variants on the indexes of the bulls for milk, fat and protein yields, and for somatic cell score (SCS). Five new single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) were found in CXCR2 gene. The analysis of association indicated that one SNP in CXCL8 and two in CXCR2 influenced the considered traits. To evaluate the existence of functional haplotypic effects, combinations among the three genomic variants (SNP 1 in CXCL8 , SNP 6 and SNP 7 in CXCR2) were investigated. Four different haplotypic alleles were identified in the experimental population, one of which at a high frequency (61%). Bulls with Hap 4 (G-C-G at SNP 1, SNP 6, and SNP 7 respectively) had more favourable indexes for SCS (P < 0.05). These results suggest that the SNPs in CXCL8 and CXCR2 may be potential genetic markers to improve udder health in the Simmental breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective This study was focused on the estimation of parameters of Wood’s model and description of the lactation curve using the cows which were lactated over 24 months on the first lactation. Methods The database included 1,333 pure-bred dairy Simmental primiparous cows which lactated for 24 months (732 days). The initial dataset entering the procedure of assessment of parameters of Wood’s function included 35,826 milk yield records. Milk yield was recorded throughout lactation, with the earliest record taken on day 6 and the latest on day 1,348 of lactation. This dataset was used for the assessment of parameters a, b, c of Wood’s model using the non-linear statistical procedure. These parameters were estimated for different length of lactation. The assessed parameters were used for calculation of some characteristics of lactation curves. Results The lowest value of a parameter (15.2317) of Wood’s model of lactation curve was found out in lactations up to 305 days long, contrary to b and c parameters which were highest in those lactations (0.1029 and 0.0015, respectively). The maximum value of a parameter (17.4329) was found out in lactations up to 640 days long, unlike b and c parameters which were minimal in those lactations (0.0603 and 0.0010, respectively). Conclusion It can be concluded that the parameters of Wood’s model and the shape of lactation curve are changing with the growing number of milk yield records. Also, the assessed parameters revealed a significant milk production potential after 305 days of lactation.

Background and Aim: Milk producers need to ensure that their cows are producing high-quality, nutritional milk, which is influenced by the breed, age, nutrition, and health status of lactating animals. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of animal breed, season, and milk production on the physicochemical characteristics of milk and predicting the effect of these changes on the composition and quality of milk products. Materials and Methods: In total, 80 milk samples (40 Simmental and 40 Holstein) were analyzed from LLP "Kirova" of Pavlodar region (Simmental breed) and JSC "Astana-Onim" of Akmola region (Holstein breed) in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The physicochemical parameters, including fatty acid (FA) content, were studied. Results: The Simmental cows had the lowest mass fraction of fat in the spring at 3.94% and the highest fat content in the winter at 4.09%, which was the overall highest fat content measured in both breeds (?

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.

Cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) is the accessory protein non-covalently bound to the T cell receptor that recognizes an invariant region of MHC class II on antigen presenting cells. Its cytoplasmic tail, physically associated with a protein tyrosine kinase, is important in the activation of helper/inducer T lymphocytes. In Bos taurus, CD4 gene is located on chromosome 5 from which two isoforms are transcribed, with a different number of amino acids due to splicing of exon 7 and variation in the reading frame. The aim of this study was to investigate the sequence of the entire CD4 gene in Simmental sires to evaluate the effects of genomic variants on the indexes of the bulls for milk, fat and protein yields, as well as somatic cell score. The associations among genomic variants and indexes were analysed using the Allele and GLM procedures of SAS 9.4. The analysis indicated that only four of the thirty-one identified SNPs influenced the considered traits. Identified variants insist on coding zones and intronic sequences, where we revealed the presence of sites for transcription factors. To evaluate the existence of haplotypic effects, combinations among the four genomic variants (SNP 3, SNP 8, SNP 11 and SNP 19) were investigated. Six different haplotypic alleles were identified, but only four of them were frequent enough to allow for an evaluation of any haplotypic effect (at least six copies in the examined sample): Hap1, Hap2, Hap3 and Hap6. The analysis of associations between the selected haplotypes in the CD4 gene with milk related indexes showed that bulls with Hap2 (T-A-C-C) had better indexes for milk and protein yields (P < 0.05), whereas the presence of the Hap1 haplotype (A-G-A-T) caused a significant decrease of the index for protein yield (P < 0.05). Frequencies of the two alleles Hap1 and Hap2 (9 and 36% respectively) make them of interest for their possible inclusion in breeding schemes and support the hypothesis of considering this gene as a candidate for the improvement of milk-related traits in the Simmental breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main objective of this research was to determine the quality level of welfare of milk cows at various stages of lactation (the first 60 days of the lactation period and the dry period) and of different breeds (Holstein-Friesian and Simmental) on farms (A, B, C, D) with different systems of housing (free and tie-stall), based on nutritional status as a direct individual indicator of wellbeing. Results showed that the body condition scores of cows were statistically very highly significantly (p

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.

Objective: This study was focused on the estimation of parameters of Wood’s model and description of the lactation curve using the cows which were lactated over 24 months on the first lactation. Methods: The database included 1,333 pure-bred dairy Simmental primiparous cows which lactated for 24 months (732 days). The initial dataset entering the procedure of assessment of parameters of Wood’s function included 35,826 milk yield records. Milk yield was recorded throughout lactation, with the earliest record taken on day 6 and the latest on day 1,348 of lactation. This dataset was used for the assessment of parameters a, b, c of Wood’s model using the non-linear statistical procedure. These parameters were estimated for different length of lactation. The assessed parameters were used for calculation of some characteristics of lactation curves. Results: The lowest value of a parameter (15.2317) of Wood’s model of lactation curve was found out in lactations up to 305 days long, contrary to b and c parameters which were highest in those lactations (0.1029 and 0.0015, respectively). The maximum value of a parameter (17.4329) was found out in lactations up to 640 days long, unlike b and c parameters which were minimal in those lactations (0.0603 and 0.0010, respectively). Conclusion: It can be concluded that the parameters of Wood’s model and the shape of lactation curve are changing with the growing number of milk yield records. Also, the assessed parameters revealed a significant milk production potential after 305 days of lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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.

Background and Aim: Milk producers need to ensure that their cows are producing high-quality, nutritional milk, which is influenced by the breed, age, nutrition, and health status of lactating animals. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of animal breed, season, and milk production on the physicochemical characteristics of milk and predicting the effect of these changes on the composition and quality of milk products. Materials and Methods: In total, 80 milk samples (40 Simmental and 40 Holstein) were analyzed from LLP "Kirova" of Pavlodar region (Simmental breed) and JSC "Astana-Onim" of Akmola region (Holstein breed) in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The physicochemical parameters, including fatty acid (FA) content, were studied. Results: The Simmental cows had the lowest mass fraction of fat in the spring at 3.94% and the highest fat content in the winter at 4.09%, which was the overall highest fat content measured in both breeds (P<0.001). The lowest protein in the Simmentals was also measured in the spring. The Holstein cows had the highest fat content at 3.8% and the highest protein content at 3.3% in autumn. Conclusion: It was found that the season and breed significantly affected the physicochemical parameters and the FA contents in cow milk. The superiority of the Simmental cows over the Holstein cows throughout the year was statistically significant. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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]

The objective of the work was to study the beef production efficiency through intensive rearing and fattening of Simmental and crossbred bull calves. The bull calves were divided into three groups of 15 animals each in order to carry out the survey. The first (control) group involved purebred Simmental bull calves. The second group consisted of young stock produced via crossbreeding Simmental cows with German Simmental beef bulls. The third group was formed from crosses of Simmental cows with Charolais bulls. The animals of the second and third groups were characterized by lower feed costs per 1 kg liveweight gain, comprising 8.5 and 8.1 EFU, respectively, while the feed utilization efficiency for the bull calves of the first group comprised 8.7 EFU. These factors affected the profitability of beef production. Thus, the level of profitability of rearing the Charolais crosses reached 20.7%, which was 6.8 and 3% higher than that in the bull calves of groups one and two, respectively. Fattening to the age of 18 months contributed to a significant increase in the carcass fat mass. Therefore, the protein-to-fat ratio comprised 1 : 084, 1 : 0.75, and 1 : 068 for the groups in ascending order of their numbers. Under intensive rearing and fattening systems, Simmental bull calves of group one gained the target beef quality up to the age of 15 months. The practice of fattening the crossbred bull calves of groups two and three up to the age of 18 months has proved that their meat gains the target protein-to-fat ratio, while the meat of bull calves of the maternal breed should be considered over-fat beef, since the fat content exceeds the standard recommendations. The intensive system of rearing and fattening the Simmental bull calves up to the age of 15 months and the Simmental crosses with the German Simmental beef breed and the Charolais breed up to the age of 18 months can ensure the production of heavy carcasses with the target quality beef. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 article presents the results of assessing the peculiarities of muscle development in purebred Bestuzhev bull-calves (group I), crossbred bull-calves (1/2 Simmental x 1/2 Bestuzhev - group II), purebred Bestuzhev steers (group III), and crossbred steers (1/2 Simmental x 1/2 Bestuzhev - IV group). It was found that due to the manifestations of the effect of crossing, the crossbred young bulls were superior to the purebred ones in terms of the development of the muscles in the spinal column, limb-girdle, and thoracic and pelvic limbs. With that, the degonalization of the calves reduced the growth rate in both the purebred and the crossbred calves. Therefore, the steers were inferior to the bullcalves in terms of the development of both individual muscles and their groups in all anatomical areas of the body. The results of the study showed that the differences between the groups in the development of the muscles are due to the uneven growth rate of the standard muscle groups under the influence of the genotype and the gender. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A survey was performed to find out the methods for improving the Holtenized Simmental cattle through selective breeding with Montbeliarde bulls. The objective of the survey was to identify the behavior patterns for the key positions, including growth, development, conformation, and reproductive performance, in the heifers of two genotypes. The differences in the social behavior of heifers kept in separate group sections were revealed more in favor of the Montbeliarde bull daughters. At the age of heifers at mating, they were 66% more frequent than that in their peers with the high rates of consanguinity in Holsteins, which were more active and aggressive. Thus, the findings showed that the occurrence rates of the stereotypic behavior were 17–33% higher among the animals at the age of 10–11 months and 14–15 months, while the gender-related behavior was less frequently observed. In addition, the use of different fodder factors under the conditions of one of the sections resulted in that the Montbeliarde bull progeny consuming the dietary compound feed tended to adapt to any irritation quicker by 8.5%; the animals responding to the irritant were 7.3% less. The heifers of genotype 1/4Simmental ×1/4Holstein × 1/2Montbeliarde are more resistant to the irritant and capable of intensive development. The valid differences in the liveweight were 39.6 kg and 60 kg at the age of 10–11 months and 14–15 months, respectively. The Montbeliarde bull daughters at the ages of 10–11 months and 14–15 months were distinct in higher feed intake by 10 and 5.8%, respectively, when compared to their 3/4Holstein peers. The Montbeliarde bull offspring are earlier maturing, since the successful conception was registered 1.4 months earlier and their first-service pregnancy rate was 4% higher than that in the heifers of genotype 1/4Simmental × 3/4Holstein. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Variance components for daily milk production as well as breeding value of dairy Simmentals for daily milk production in terms of heat stress defined as different values of THI threshold values (72, 74, and 76) were estimated using 1,636,192 test-day records provided by the Croatian Agricultural Agency. Temperature-humidity index (THI) calculated from ambient temperature and relative humidity recorded in the barns on the milk recording day was used as the measure of heat stress. Bivariate estimation model accounted variances due to lactation stage, calving season, age at calving, breeding region, parity, permanent environment, interaction between hear and year, and individual animal. Obtained high genetic correlations between the daily milk production in normal and condition characterized by heat stress, as well as very high correlations between the EBVs in normal and heat stress conditions indicate animals' high level of acclimatization to the environment on dairy cattle farms. Since microclimate measurements were carried out only once at a milk recording day, these results should be taken with caution. Generally, further research with multiple daily measurements of the microclimate parameters in the facilities is necessary to provide a fully unambiguous conclusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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 effect of systematic and continuous environmental factors on 4% fat corrected milk (FCM) yield in 2805 Simmental cows over whole and standard lactations was evaluated using the general linear model. The test systematic or fixed factors included the effect of farm or breeding area, calving season, year of birth, season of birth, lactation group and interactions between year of birth and season of birth, breeding area and calving season, and breeding area and lactation group. The continuous factor analysed was the effect of age at first conception. The effect of breeding area, lactation group and calving season on 4%FCM yield over whole and standard lactations was found to be very highly significant (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 study was conducted to determine the content and retention of selected fat-soluble vitamins and minerals in curd cheese–tvarog made by a traditional method, taking into account the effect of the quality of the raw milk and the type of starter cultures used. The raw milk used to make the tvarog was obtained in various conditions, i.e., with and without the use of pasture forage (in a traditional and an intensive system), in two production seasons (spring/summer and autumn/winter), from two breeds raised in Poland (the Black-and-White variety of Polish Holstein-Friesian and Simmental). Two variants of starter cultures were used to make tvarog: Freeze-dried DVS starters (Flora Danica) and pure cultures of mesophilic lactic acid bacteria. The acidity and content of protein, fat, selected fat-soluble vitamins (A, D3, and E), and selected macro-elements (Ca and Mg) were determined in samples of bulk milk and cheese. Retention rates of individual nutrients from the milk to the cheese were calculated. A higher content of fat-soluble vitamins was found in milk obtained from Simmental cows kept in a traditional system in the spring/summer season, as well as in the tvarog produced from it. Vitamin retention rates from the raw material to the tvarog were above 90%. The mineral composition of the cheese was not associated with the quality of the milk used. Very low retention rates from milk to cheese were obtained for Ca and Mg (below 20%). Higher retention rates were obtained in the spring/summer season when culture variant 1 was used. However, the starter culture was not found to significantly influence the concentration or retention of vitamins in the experimental cheese.

To test the variability of traits of Simmental bulls in performance test, data of the Livestock - Veterinary Centres for Reproduction and Artificial Insemination of Velika Plana and Krnjača were used. In the analysis, data on 113 performance tested bulls born from 2008 to 2009 were used. The analysis included two sets of characteristics: body development traits and growth traits. The average body mass of calves entering the test was 195.75 kg, while the body mass at the end of the test was 476.50 kg, average daily gain in the test was 1138.69 g. Average values of body development traits measured at the end of the test, with 12 months of age were: height at withers 127.13 cm, chest circumference 179.42 cm, the chest depth 61.19 cm and body length 151.34 cm. The influence of their sires, the year and the Centre on the variability of traits was studied. The effect of age is present at a high level of statistical significance (p

It was found that the persistence of milk components positively correlated with the dynamics of daily milk yield per lactation. Mass fraction of fat and protein in milk reached lows in mid-lactation, while the time of launch in protein content were observed maximum values. A similar pattern was noted for the mass fraction of the dry matter, but on the percentage of lactose opposite trend: early and late lactation milk sugar content was less than the decrease peak periods and maximum daily milk yield. By reducing the ratio of fat-protein from calving to the end of lactation was observed simultaneous increase in the number of somatic cells in the milk of cows, heifers. The best estimate of the persistence of daily monitoring of indicators of milk components had a mass fraction of lactose and protein, and fat-protein ratio.

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]

This study covered 737 controlled first calving Simmental cows with, lactations concluded within one year. All first calving animals were on the farms of individual farmers in the municipalities of Kragujevac and Mladenovac. The research included the influence of bull sires, year and season of calving on milk yield and fertility. Least squares method was used to determine the average duration of lactation of 323.74 days. For a period of 305 days, heifers produced 3701.67 kg of milk, or 3644.58 kg of 4% FCM. The average production of milk fat was 144.26 kg and milk fat content was 3.88%. The interval from calving to first insemination lasted in average 124.19 days, and the animals were first calved at the age of 789.95 days. The bull sires had a highly significant effect (P0.05) of bull sires. Year of calving had a significant effect (P0.05). Season of calving of cows demonstrated highly significant effect (P0.05) on the production of milk fat, however it had no effect (P>0.05) on the milk fat content, duration of lactation and service period and age at calving.

The aim of presented research is to study the exterior features and the morphological and functional parameters of the udder of primiparous cows of Holstein and Simmental breeds in the herd SLL "Strapit", Kalarash. Research carried out on Holstein primiparous cows (n = 19), Simmental (n = 22) of the Austrian origin. In order to establish the main features of the exterior of the body measurements were taken basic body measurements and defined physique indexes. As a result of research it was established that primiparous cows of Holstein breed is well defined type of dairy cattle, confirming their proportional physique shape, the development of the middle part of the body, strong bone. Simmental primiparous cows for measurements the height at the withers by 3.3% and in the sacrum by 1.2% exceed the minimum requirements of the standard. Chest well developed in depth, wide enough, which is characteristic for the Simmental. Udder of primiparous cows of Holstein breed differs bulkiness, with the developed portions, advantageously tightly attached. Visually, the external structure of the udder of these animals differs by a greater extent along the belly and enough depth than at heifers of Simmental breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study investigated diacylglycerol O-acyltransferase 1 (DGAT1) gene K232A mutation in Simmental cattle and its effects on fat deposition traits. The sample (n=26) consisted of yearling bulls and beef heifers from an intensive rearing system in Croatia. Carcass fatness was assessed by total dissection method, whereas intramuscular fat (m. longissimus dorsi) content was determined using Soxhlet extraction with hydrolysis. Intramuscular fatty acid composition was determined by gas liquid chromatography using in situ transesterification. The muscle DNA was extracted and Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism (PCRRFLP) analysis of the 411 bp fragment of DGAT1 gene was applied. The DGAT1 K allele was less frequent in heifers than in bulls, with the overall allelic frequency of 17% K allele. Only KA and AA genotypes were obtained, without deviation from the Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. Heifers showed a higher degree of carcass and muscle fattening with more unsaturated intramuscular fat than bulls; however, there was no interaction between sex and DGAT1 gene. Generally, no significant difference between DGAT1 AA and KA animals was observed for any of the examined traits, except the slightly higher carcass share of the fattest beef category and higher intramuscular C14:0 desaturation index in KA heterozygous.

The aim of this research was to establish whether there are differences in the longevity and production characteristics within the studied breeds of cows of different origin. Holstein cows of Slovenian (461) and foreign (356) origin and Simmental cows of Slovenian (261) and foreign (43) origin were studied. Only culled animals that previously had between 1 and 9 lactations were included. The analyzed properties consisted of characteristics related to the longevity and lifetime productivity. Compared with Slovenian cows, imported Holstein cows had a significantly longer calving interval (1210±31 days, 1337±39 days, P=0.008), a longer dry period (172±6 days, 192±7 days, P=0.022), and a significantly lower daily milk yield (23.0±0.2 kg, 22.0±0.3 kg, P=0.002). Significant differences between Simmental cows of Slovenian and foreign origin were observed in functional productivity (1317±52 days, 1808±186 days, P=0.006), longevity (2175±53 days, 2701±145 days, P=0.004), and duration of lifetime lactation (990±38 days, 1265±137 days, P=0.037).

From birth to the time after weaning the gastrointestinal microbiota of calves must develop into a stable, autochthonous community accompanied by pivotal changes of anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the fecal microbiota of six Simmental dairy calves to investigate time-dependent dynamics of the microbial community. Calves were followed up from birth until after weaning according to characteristic timepoints during physiological development of the gastrointestinal tract. Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons from 35 samples yielded 253,528 reads clustering into 5,410 operational taxonomic units based on 0.03 16S rRNA distance. Operational taxonomic units were assigned to 296 genera and 17 phyla with Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes and Proteobacteria being most abundant. An age-dependent increasing diversity and species richness was observed. Highest similarities between fecal microbial communities were found around weaning compared with timepoints from birth to the middle of the milk feeding period. Principal coordinate analysis revealed a high variance particularly in samples taken at the middle of the milk feeding period (at the age of approximately 40 days) compared to earlier timepoints, confirming a unique individual development of the fecal microbiota of each calf. This study provides first deep insights into the composition of the fecal microbiota of Simmental dairy calves and might be a basis for future more detailed studies.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of age at first calving on milk performance of Simmental cows during the first two 305-day lactation periods. The study was conducted in years 2009-2013 on one of the farms in the Pomeranian Voivodeship. The material consisted of 150 Simmental cows. The results show that the most favorable breeding of Simmental heifers should be performed in such a way, so that the calving occurs after the completion of 30 months of their lives, since these animals can achieve the highest milk, fat and protein production. Age at first calving (AFC) significantly affected the performance and composition of milk only in the first lactation, thus it seems justified to conduct research on other, larger cow populations, and also consider additional aspects, such as housing system, subsequent lactations or the condition and health of the animals. Appropriately estimated AFC can increase milk production and also have an impact on the health of animals and lower culling related to reproduction disorders. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The effect of systematic and continuous environmental factors on milk performance traits over standard lactations in 2805 Simmental cows was evaluated using the general linear model. The systematic factors included the effect of farm or breeding area, calving season, year of birth, season of birth, lactation group and their interactions. The continuous factor analysed was the effect of age at first conception. The effect of farm, lactation group and calving season on standard lactation milk performance was found to be highly significant (P<0.01), excepting the effect of calving season on milk fat percent in standard lactations which showed statistical significance (P<0.05). The interactions between year and season of birth, farm and calving season, and farm and lactation group had a highly significant effect (P<0.01) on all performance traits studied. Age at first conception, as a continuous factor, had a highly significant effect (P<0.01) on milk yield and milk fat percent, and a non-significant effect on milk fat yield. The model used to correct the performance traits over standard lactations for the effect of systematic factors was highly significant (P<0.01). The variance of the model accounted for 20.06 and 37.31% of the total variance of milk fat yield and milk fat percent, respectively. The resulting coefficients of determination (R2) ranged from 0.20 for milk fat yield to 0.37 for milk fat percent. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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From birth to the time after weaning the gastrointestinal microbiota of calves must develop into a stable, autochthonous community accompanied by pivotal changes of anatomy and physiology of the gastrointestinal tract. The aim of this pilot study was to examine the fecal microbiota of six Simmental dairy calves to investigate time-dependent dynamics of the microbial community. Calves were followed up from birth until after weaning according to characteristic timepoints during physiological development of the gastrointestinal tract. Pyrosequencing of 16S rRNA gene amplicons from 35 samples yielded 253,528 reads clustering into 5410 operational taxonomic units based on 0.03 16S rRNA distance. Operational taxonomic units were assigned to 296 genera and 17 phyla with Bacteroidetes, Firmicutes, and Proteobacteria being most abundant. An age-dependent increasing diversity and species richness was observed. Highest similarities between fecal microbial communities were found around weaning compared with timepoints from birth to the middle of the milk feeding period. Principal coordinate analysis revealed a high variance particularly in samples taken at the middle of the milk feeding period (at the age of approximately 40 days) compared to earlier timepoints, confirming a unique individual development of the fecal microbiota of each calf. This study provides first deep insights into the composition of the fecal microbiota of Simmental dairy calves and might be a basis for future more detailed studies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]