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Combination of milk variables and on-farm data as an improved diagnostic tool for metabolic status evaluation in dairy cattle during the transition period
The effect of ruminal fluid pH on milk fatty acids composition in cattle
Abstract The present study aimed to evaluate the effects of ruminal fluid pH on the fatty acids (FA) profile of bovine milk. The experiment was performed on 250 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows reared in 11 commercial high-yielding dairy farms. Ruminal fluid samples were collected by rumenocentesis, and fat and FA concentrations in milk were analyzed by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. According to ruminal fluid pH, cows were categorized into three pH groups: high pH (pH > 5.8), moderate pH (pH 5.8â5.6), and low pH (pH < 5.6). Milk produced by low-rumen pH cows had a decreased fat content as compared to milk from moderate- and high-rumen pH cows (Pâ€0.05). Moreover, milk from low-rumen pH cows was characterized by the lowest level of short-chain FA (SCFA; Pâ€0.05), and consequently, the highest medium-chain FA to SCFA ratio (Pâ€0.01). The regression analysis showed that these traits explained a small proportion of rumen pH variance, which makes them unreliable indicators of subacute ruminal acidosis (SARA) in dairy cows. However, despite the extensive variability in milk fat composition observed in this study, the effect of ruminal pH on SCFA in all the analyzed herds showed the same trend. Future research aimed to identify SARA biomarkers should therefore be conducted using techniques that allow detection of more individual FA in milk, including SCFA.
Effect of cultivar and the number of harvests on the feed value, protein fractions and nutrient digestibility of Festulolium braunii forage in young cattle
Different reticuloruminal pH metrics of high-yielding dairy cattle during the transition period in relation to metabolic health, activity, and feed intake
Different Festulolium cultivars in lamb nutrition â feed value, growth performance, and meat quality
Different methods of eubiotic feed additive provision affect the health, performance, fermentation, and metabolic status of dairy calves during the preweaning period
Abstract Background This study aimed to evaluate whether different methods of providing eubiotic feed additives to neonatal calves, during the preweaning period, can improve the calvesâ health, performance, ruminal fermentation, and metabolic status. Forty-four (3-day-old) HolsteinâFriesian dairy calves (22 female and 22 male) were divided into four treatment groups for the duration of the 8-week trial. The eubiotic feed additive consisted of a combination of probiotic Lactobacillus spp. (multiple-strains at a dose of 250 mg/calf/day) and phytobiotics containing rosmarinic acid, as the main bioactive compound (at a dose of 50 mg/calf/day). The groups were named: CON (control, without eubiotic in either the milk replacer or the starter feed), MR (eubiotic in the milk replacer), SF (eubiotic in the starter feed), MRS (eubiotic in both the milk replacer and the starter feed). The individual intake of starter feed and the fecal scores were measured daily, and body weight and biometric measurements were taken weekly until calves were 56 days of age. Blood samples were collected on day 3 and then every 14 days to determine concentrations of insulin-like-growth-factor-I, ÎČ-hydroxybutyrate, non-esterified fatty acids, and blood urea nitrogen. Ruminal fluid was collected on days 28 and 56 for short-chain fatty acids, NH 3 -N, and pH measurements. Results The body weight of the calves of the MR treatment group was higher compared to all other groups on days 28 and 56. Including the eubiotic feed additive in the milk replacer increased average daily gain, starter intake, and total dry matter intake from day 29 to day 56 and the overall experimental period compared to the CON group. The calves with MR treatment had lower fecal scores from days 3 to 28, a number of parasite oocysts/cysts per gram of feces on day 28, and the occurrences of fecal consistency scores of 3 (mild diarrhea) and 4 (severe diarrhea) were 3.2 and 3.0 times lower, respectively, compared with the CON group. The MR group had higher ruminal concentrations of short-chain-fatty-acids, propionate, and butyrate on day 56 than the CON group. Adding eubiotics into milk replacer resulted in the highest concentrations of blood insulin-like-growth-factor-I and ÎČ-hydroxybutyrate from days 29 to 56 and the overall experimental period. Conclusion The addition of eubiotic feed additives into the milk replacer can improve health, performance, ruminal fermentation, and biochemical blood indices in dairy calves during the preweaning period.
Eubiotyk dla mĆodych zwierzÄ t przeĆŒuwajÄ cych, zwĆaszcza dla cielÄ t i sposĂłb ĆŒywienia zwierzÄ t
The effect of growth stage and cutting height of Virginia fanpetals (Sida hermaphrodita) on quality and nutrition value of herbage and silage
Virtual Fencing Technology for Cattle Management in the Pasture Feeding System-A Review
Maximizing annual pasture consumption without negatively impacting individual cow performance is of great importance in grass-based dairy and beef systems due to pasture being the most cost-effective nutrient source. However, the disadvantages of conventional and electric fencing include material and labor costs and increased manual labor. Virtual fencing has been developed and evaluated for almost two decades. The evolution of precision livestock farming, specifically virtual fencing, presents new opportunities for maximizing the utilization of available pasture land. Virtual fencing technology decreases the labor involved in physical fencing, provides greater adaptability to changes in pasture conditions, increases precision and efficiency, and offers additional flexibility in grazing management practices. However, that innovative technology should be further developed, and improvements should include decreasing the total costs of the system and increasing its application to other technological groups of ruminants, e.g., suckler cows with calves, increasing the efficiency of the system operation in large areas and a larger number of animals. Recent advancements in electronic communication and device (i.e., collar) design hold the potential to significantly enhance the effectiveness of the technology while also reducing costs. However, it is necessary to conduct a further evaluation to determine their utility in precision agricultural systems. This review paper aims to present an innovative concept of virtual fencing technology for pastures, compare currently available systems of this type, and indicate areas where further research and development should be carried out using Internet of Things (IoT) systems.
The effect of heat stress on performance, fertility, and adipokines involved in regulating systemic immune response during lipolysis of early lactating dairy cows
Diagnostic milk biomarkers for predicting the metabolic health status of dairy cattle during early lactation
Prediction of metabolic status of dairy cows in early lactation using milk fatty acids and test-day variables
The effect of ambient temperature and relative humidity in postpartum dairy cows on productive and reproductive performance and biochemical blood indices in the subsequent lactation
Abstract This study evaluated the effects of ambient temperature (T) and relative humidity (RH) during the postpartum transition period on dairy cowsâ milk performance, fertility, and immunometabolic blood indices in the subsequent lactation. A total of 100 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows originating from five commercial dairy farms were categorized into three groups based on average T (<16 °C, 16-20 °C and >20 °C) and RH (<65%, 65-75%, and >75%) on the calving day (0d), and days 7, 14, 21 after calving. With increasing T and RH postpartum, the average daily milk yield during the first 150 days in milk decreased gradually, and the differences between T <16 °C and >20 °C and RH <65% and >75% groups were approx. 3.48 and 2.78 kg, respectively. Milk of cows exposed to increased T and RH was lower in protein, and lactose and higher in fat, milk urea, and somatic cell count. It was also characterized by altered fat composition. Ambient T during the postpartum period had a negative effect on cowsâ fertility, which, however, was not affected by RH. The increasing T from <16 °C to >20 °C resulted in the later manifestation of the first estrous (by 27.7 days), a more extended artificial insemination service period (by 19.4 days), a higher number of insemination services per conception (by 0.92 on average), more days open (by 43.3 days), and a longer calving interval (by 43.3 days). Within ranges used in this study, increasing T and RH during the period from d 0 to d 14 postpartum led to decreased body condition score on day 21 by approx. 0.48 and 0.51 points, respectively. Furthermore, T and RH on a calving day were associated with altered biochemical blood indices on d 21 after calving, indicating a more severe negative energy balance and a state of inflammation. The results of this study suggest that dairy cows that calve when T >16 °C should be provided cooling to ensure optimal environmental conditions for high milk production and prevent economic losses associated with reduced milk yield and low fertility.
Transition cow clusters with distinctive antioxidant ability and their relation to performance and metabolic status in early lactation
Impact of heat stress during close-up dry period on performance, fertility and immunometabolic blood indices of dairy cows: prospective cohort study
AbstractThis study aimed to investigate whether heat stress, as defined by the temperature-humidity index (THI) during the close-up dry period, had any impact on the productive performance, fertility, and immunometabolic blood indices of dairy cows in the subsequent lactation. Lactation performance was associated with increasing THI values onâââ21,âââ14, andâââ7 d before calving resulting in decreased milk yield by about 2.30, 2.60, and 2.90 kg, respectively. The THI on theâââ7 d before the calving was negatively associated with fertility parameters such as delayed first estrus postpartum, an elongated calving interval by approximately 32 d, a higher number of services per conception by 1.00, and an elongated artificial insemination service period, days open, and inter-calving period by about 20, 52, and 52 d, respectively. The study found that the immunometabolic blood indices were associated with increasing THI values during the close-up dry period. The study showed that exposing dairy cows to close-up dry period heat stress had negative consequences on performance, fertility, and immunometabolic blood indices in the subsequent lactation. Therefore, it is recommended that herd management and barn microclimate changes be implemented earlier, starting from the late dry period, to mitigate the negative impact of heat stress.
