scholarly journals The impact of body condition after calving on metabolism and milk progesterone profiles in two breeds of dairy cows

2016 ◽  
Vol 58 (S1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lisa A. O’Hara ◽  
Renée Båge ◽  
Kjell Holtenius
Keyword(s):  
2021 ◽  
Vol 8 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mohammed B. Sadiq ◽  
Siti Z. Ramanoon ◽  
Wan Mastura M. Shaik Mossadeq ◽  
Rozaihan Mansor ◽  
Sharifah S. Syed-Hussain

Background: The objectives of this study were to, (1) investigate the impact of the Dutch five-step hoof trimming (HT) technique on time to lameness and hoof lesion prevalence in grazing (GR) and non-grazing (NGR) dairy cows, and (2) determine the association between potential benefits of HT and animal-based welfare measures during lactation. A total of 520 non-lame cows without hoof lesions from 5 dairy farms (GR = 2, NGR = 3) were enrolled at early (within 30 days in milk; DIM) and late lactation (above 200 DIM), and randomly allocated to either trimmed (HGR or HNGR) or control groups (CON-GR and CON-NGR). Locomotion scores, body condition, hock condition, leg hygiene, and hoof health were assessed at monthly intervals until the following 270 days in milk. The data were analyzed using Kaplan-Meier survival analysis, multivariable Cox, and logistic regression models. The overall incidence rate of lameness was 36.2 cases/100 cows/month, with corresponding rates of 27.4, 31.9, 48.4, and 45.8 cases/100 cows/month in HGR, HNGR, CON-GR, and CON-NGR, respectively. Time to first lameness event was significantly higher in HGR (mean ± S.E; 8.12 ± 0.15) compared to CON-GR (7.36 ± 0.26), and in HNGR (8.05 ± 0.16) compared to CON-NGR (7.39 ± 0.23). The prevalence of hoof lesions in the enrolled cows was 36.9%, with a higher occurrence in CON-GR (48.8%) than HGR (23.2%), and in CON-NGR (52.6%) compared to HNGR (32.2%). The majority of hoof lesions were non-infectious in grazing (HGR vs. CON-GR; 21.3 vs. 33.3%) and non-grazing herds (HNGR vs. CON-NGR; 25.0 vs. 40.4%). The risk of lameness was higher in underconditioned cows (Hazard ratio; HR = 3.1, 95% CI 1.2–7.4), presence of hoof lesion (HR = 33.1, 95% CI 17.6–62.5), and there was variation between farms. Aside HT, lower parity (OR = 0.4, 95% CI 0.2–0.8), normal hock condition (OR = 0.06; 95% 0.01–0.29), and absence of overgrown hoof (OR = 0.4; 95% 0.2–0.7) were protective against non-infectious hoof lesions. Functional HT is beneficial as a lameness preventive strategy during lactation; however, ensuring older cows are in good body condition and free from hock injuries are equally important.


2007 ◽  
Vol 2007 ◽  
pp. 60-60
Author(s):  
G. Oikonomou ◽  
G. Arsenos ◽  
G.E. Valergakis ◽  
A. Tsiaras ◽  
G. Banos

Various studies in dairy cows have shown that their Body Condition Score (BCS) effectively reflects their nutritional status and energy content (Ferguson et al. 1994). Extremes in BCS and BCS losses have been identified as a risk factor for health problems and reduced reproductive efficiency (Markusfeld et al. 1997, Lopez-Gatius et al. 2003). Body condition scoring is easy and inexpensive to perform and gives a reliable estimate of body energy reserves. Hence, in practice, BCS can be used as a tool for ration formulation and management decisions concerning reproduction of dairy cows (Banos et al. 2004). The objective of this study was to determine and quantify the impact of BCS in the reproductive performance of primiparous Holstein cows.


Zygote ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 24 (3) ◽  
pp. 378-388 ◽  
Author(s):  
A.V. Makarevich ◽  
L. Stádník ◽  
E. Kubovičová ◽  
Z. Hegedüšová ◽  
R. Holásek ◽  
...  

SummaryThis study examined the impact of cow body condition on the quality of bovine preimplantation embryos. The embryos (n = 107) were flushed from dairy cows and classified according to a five-point scale body condition score (BCS2 n = 17; BCS3 n = 31; BCS4 n = 11) on the 7th day after insemination and then analyzed for development, dead cell index (DCI), cell number and actin cytoskeleton quality. The highest embryo recovery rate (P < 0.05) was recorded in the BCS3 group and the lowest in the BCS4 group. More transferable (morula, blastocyst) embryos were obtained from the BCS4 cows (79%), compared with the BCS2 (64%) or BCS3 (63%) animals. However, cell numbers were higher in the BCS2 and BCS3 groups (P < 0.05) compared with the BCS4 embryos. Conversely, the DCI was lowest in the BCS2 (3.88%; P < 0.05) and highest in the BCS4 (6.56%) embryos. The proportion of embryos with the best actin quality (grade I) was higher in the BCS2 and BCS3 cows compared with the BCS4 group. Almost 25% of all embryos showed fragmented morphology and a higher DCI (5.65%) than normal morulas (1.76%). More fragmented embryos were revealed in the BCS2 (28.6%) and BCS4 (31.25%) groups, and less (19.15%) in the BCS3 group. The cell numbers in such embryos were lower in the BCS4 (22.57) than in the BCS2 (46.25) or BCS3 (42.4) groups. In conclusion, the body condition of dairy cows affects the quality of preimplantation embryos. A BCS over 3.0 resulted in a higher incidence of poor (fragmented) embryos.


SPERMOVA ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (1) ◽  
pp. 17-23
Author(s):  
Ahmed Hadef ◽  
◽  
Kamel Miroud ◽  
Hocine Sebihi

Retained placenta (RP) is a common complication of bovine parturition. It is a multifactorial reproductive disorder that predisposes to infection and hence, to infertility. The impact of body condition changes during the transition period on the risk of RP appearance was evaluated in 12 Holstein dairy cows calving from October to January in north-eastern Algeria. The animals were body condition scored (BCS) 3 weeks antepartum and two weeks postpartum to assess the peripartum body fat loss (BCS loss). The statistical analysis involving variables related to BCS and parity was performed using the principal component analysis (PCA). An RP critical occurrence of 41.66% exceeding significantly the threshold prevalence of 10% (p<0.05) was recorded. This could be related to the BCS loss that exceeded one unit over the transition period (r=0.84, p<0.01), expressing the high body fat mobilisation in response to stressor factors such as negative energy balance, feed availability and climatic condition. Scoring the body condition, particularly around the peripartum, may serve as a tool to monitor the risk factors related to the energetic status of dairy cows.


2021 ◽  
Vol 99 (Supplement_1) ◽  
pp. 38-39
Author(s):  
Bradley J Johnson ◽  
Luke Fuerniss

Abstract The U.S. cow inventory includes approximately 31 million beef cows and 9 million dairy cows, so flow of cattle from dairies into beef production influences the traditional beef industry structure. Dairy-influenced cattle have historically entered the beef supply chain as cull cows and calf-fed Holstein steers. Culled dairy cows account for approximately half of the cows harvested in the United States annually. Fed steers and heifers of dairy influence are estimated to account for 15% of annual steer and heifer slaughter. Advancements in data availability, genomics, and reproductive technologies have enabled more precise selection of dairy replacement heifers and more pregnancies to be allocated to a terminal sire. Recently, the use of beef semen to breed dairy cows that are not desirable for producing replacement heifers has become more widespread. Beef-on-dairy calves are often moved to calf ranches shortly after birth where they are weaned and grown before transitioning to traditional grow yards or feedlots. In comparison to traditional range beef production, calves of dairy origin are weaned at a younger age, have more restricted mobility early in life, and are fed a delivered ration for a greater number of days. While carcasses of dairy-originated fed cattle excel in subcutaneous leanness and marbling, calves originating from dairies typically experience greater morbidity, poorer feed conversion, and poorer dressed yields compared to native fed cattle. Future opportunities to optimize beef production from the dairy herd include refining sire selection to consistently produce high quality calves, reducing variation in calfhood management, and identifying optimal nutrition and growth technology programs for calves from dairies.


Pathogens ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (7) ◽  
pp. 907
Author(s):  
Monika Dziuba ◽  
Vickie J. Ruggiero ◽  
Catherine Wilson ◽  
Paul C. Bartlett ◽  
Paul M. Coussens

Bovine leukemia virus (BLV) is a retroviral infection that disrupts the immune function of infected animals. It is widespread among U.S. dairy cattle. In this pilot study, the average total IgA and IgM concentrations in milk, saliva, and serum samples from BLV ELISA-positive (ELISA+) dairy cows were compared against samples from BLV ELISA-negative (ELISA−) cows using the Kruskal–Wallis test (with ties). The results from ELISA+ cows were also stratified by lymphocyte count (LC) and proviral load (PVL). In milk and saliva from ELISA+ cows, the average total IgA and IgM concentrations were decreased compared to ELISA− cows, although this was only statistically significant for saliva IgM in cows with low PVL (p = 0.0424). Numerically, the average total IgA concentrations were 33.6% lower in milk and 23.7% lower in saliva, and the average total IgM concentrations were 42.4% lower in milk and 15.5% lower in saliva. No significant differences were observed in the total serum IgA concentrations, regardless of PVL and LC. The total serum IgM from ELISA+ cows was significantly decreased (p = 0.0223), with the largest decreases occurring in the highest PVL and LC subgroups. This pilot study is a first step in investigating the impact of BLV on mucosal immunity and will require further exploration in each of the various stages of disease progression.


Animals ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (6) ◽  
pp. 1674
Author(s):  
Ilona Strączek ◽  
Krzysztof Młynek ◽  
Agata Danielewicz

A significant factor in improving the performance of dairy cows is their physiological ability to correct a negative energy balance (NEB). This study, using Simmental (SIM) and Holstein-Friesian (HF) cows, aimed to assess changes in NEB (non-esterified fatty acid; body condition score; and C16:0, C18:0, and C18:1) and its effect on the metabolic efficiency of the liver (β-hydroxybutyrate and urea). The effects of NEB on daily yield, production at peak lactation and its duration, and changes in selected milk components were assessed during complete lactation. Up to peak lactation, the loss of the body condition score was similar in both breeds. Subsequently, SIM cows more efficiently restored their BCS. HF cows reached peak lactation faster and with a higher milk yield, but they were less able to correct NEB. During lactation, their non-esterified fatty acid, β-hydroxybutyrate, C16:0, C18:0, C18:1, and urea levels were persistently higher, which may indicate less efficient liver function during NEB. The dynamics of NEB were linked to levels of leptin, which has anorectic effects. Its content was usually higher in HF cows and during intensive lactogenesis. An effective response to NEB may be exploited to improve the production and nutritional properties of milk. In the long term, it may extend dairy cows’ productive life and increase lifetime yield.


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