1499 The association between body condition score, residual feed intake, and hyperketonemia

Abstract Alpine doelings (54; initial BW and age of 31.7±0.38 kg and 306±1.9 days, respectively) were used to evaluate relationships among body condition score (BCS), linear measures and associated body mass indices (BMI), and growth performance. Doelings were allocated to treatments with ad libitum intake of diets of 75% alfalfa or sericea lespedeza. The experiment was 12 wk with two 6-wk periods. Linear measures included height at the withers (Wither), length from the point of the shoulder to hook bone (Hook) and pin bone (Pin), and circumference from heart girth (Heart). There were 13 BMI, including BMI1–Wither (BW/Wither), BMI2–Hook (BW/Hook), BMI3–Pin (BW/Pin), BMI4-Heart (BW/Heart), BMI6-Wither×Hook (BW/(Wither×Hook)), BMI7-Wither×Pin (BW/(Wither×Pin)), BMI8-Heart×Hook (BW/(Heart×Hook)), and BMI9-Heart×Pin (BW/(Heart×Pin)), all in g/cm2. Correlation coefficients between BCS and Wither, Hook, Pin, and Heart were 0.14 (P = 0.155), 0.29 (P = 0.002), 0.21 (P = 0.030), and 0.38 (P < 0.001), respectively. Correlation coefficients of BCS were 0.39 (P < 0.001), 0.21 (P = 0.023), 0.32 (P = 0.001), 0.18 (P = 0.064), and 0.23 (P = 0.018) for BW, ADG, and DM intake in g/d, % BW, and g/kg BW0.75, respectively, with nonsignificant r for residual feed intake and ADG:DM intake. Higher r were observed between BMI and performance measures. Correlation coefficients were 0.71, 0.58, 0.66, 0.69, 0.78, 0.67, and 0.812 between BMI1-Wither, BMI3-Pin, BMI4-Heart, BMI6-Wither×Hook, BMI7-Wither×Pin, BMI8-Heart×Hook, and BMI9-Heart×Pin and BW; 0.36, 0.45, 0.42, 0.34, and 0.42 for BMI2-Hook, BMI3-Pin, BMI6-Wither×Hook, BMI7-Wither×Pin, BMI8-Heart×Hook, and BMI9-Heart×Pin and ADG; and 0.49, 0.56, 0.47, 0.63, and 0.58 for BMI1-Wither, BMI3-Pin, BMI6-Wither×Hook, BMI7-Wither×Pin, and BMI9-Heart×Pin and DM intake, in g/d, respectively. The BMI were not related to residual feed intake, and there were some BMI with weak relationships to ADG:DM intake. In conclusion, due to stronger relationships between measures of performance of yearling Alpine doelings consuming a forage-based diet and BMI compared with BCS, future research should address other physiological states and productions conditions.

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Effect of pour-on alphacypermethrin on feed intake, body condition score, milk yield, pregnancy rates, and calving-to-conception interval in buffaloes1,2

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.2527/jas.2014-8352 ◽

2015 ◽

Vol 93 (4) ◽

pp. 1850-1858 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

G. Bifulco ◽

V. Veneziano ◽

R. Cimmino ◽

L. Esposito ◽

L. Auletta ◽

...

Keyword(s):

Milk Yield ◽

Body Condition ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Pregnancy Rates ◽

Condition Score

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Effects of feeding treatment on growth rate and performance of primiparous Holstein dairy heifers

10.1101/760082 ◽

2019 ◽

Author(s):

Yannick Le Cozler ◽

Julien Jurquet ◽

Nicolas. Bedere

Keyword(s):

Milk Yield ◽

Body Condition ◽

Reproductive Performance ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Milk Composition ◽

Production Performance ◽

Long Term Effects ◽

Condition Score ◽

Catch Up

AbstractThe objective of this study was to investigate effects of feeding-rearing programs that aim for first calving at 20-27 months (mo) of age on growth, reproduction and production performance of Holstein cows at nulliparous and primiparous stages. We hypothesised that, in a seasonal autumn-calving strategy, heifers born late in the season could catch up to the growth of heifers born earlier and be inseminated during the same period, at a body weight (BW) of at least 370 kg. This approach would result in first calving age at 21-22 mo of age without impairing their later performance. To test this hypothesis, we studied 217 heifers over 3 years. They were split into three treatment groups: control feeding (SD), an intensive-plane diet (ID1) from birth to 6 mo of age or an intensive-plane diet from birth to one year of age. Heifers in groups SD and ID1 were born from September until the end of November, while those in ID2 were born later. The present study showed that late-born heifers (ID2) could catch up with the growth of the others due to the feeding treatment, although they were still 42 kg lighter than the SD and ID1 heifers at first calving. No difference in reproductive performance was observed among groups. Once primiparous, the cows reared with the ID2 treatment tended to produce less milk than SD and ID1 cows (ca. 400 kg less on a 305 d basis throughout lactation), and no differences in milk composition, feed intake, body condition score or BW were observed among groups. Age at first service (AFS) was classified a posteriori into three classes: 12.5 (AFS12.5), 14.0 (AFS14.0) and 15.5 mo (AFS15.5) of age. Heifers in AFS12.5 grew faster than those in AFS14.0 and AFS15.5. Once primiparous, the AFS12.5 cows tended to produce less milk at peak than AFS14.0 and AFS15.5 cows (ca. 1.5 kg/d less) although no difference in total milk yield during lactation was observed. No differences in milk composition, feed intake, body condition score or BW were observed among groups. These results support the conclusion that the feeding treatment can enable late-born heifers to catch up to the growth of heifers born earlier in the season. This strategy results in an earlier first calving that does not impair their reproductive performance but does decrease milk yield slightly during first lactation. Future studies should investigate long-term effects of this strategy.

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Pumpkin kernel and garlic as alternative treatments for the control of Haemonchus contortus in sheep

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/ea07378 ◽

2009 ◽

Vol 49 (2) ◽

pp. 139 ◽

Cited By ~ 4

Author(s):

V. J. Strickland ◽

G. L. Krebs ◽

W. Potts

Keyword(s):

Body Condition ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Haemonchus Contortus ◽

Initial Level ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Clinical Signs ◽

Residual Effect ◽

Voluntary Feed Intake ◽

Significant Difference ◽

Condition Score

Two alternative remedies for controlling Haemonchus contortus in sheep (pumpkin kernel and garlic) were investigated. The experiment involved 18 4-month-old Merino ram lambs with six lambs per treatment group. The lambs were initially drenched to render them worm free, and then infected with 4000 L3 H. contortus larvae, 2 weeks later. Four weeks after infection, faecal egg counts were performed and lambs were allocated into treatment groups and fed their respective diets (control, pumpkin kernel or garlic) for 2 weeks. The lambs were combined into a single group grazing pasture for the last week of the experiment. Faecal worm egg counts (WEC) were carried out weekly for 3 weeks following allocation to treatment diets. Clinical signs of infection observed included liveweight, body condition score and voluntary feed intake. The pumpkin kernel treatment resulted in a 65.5% decrease in the initial level of WEC, but this increased back to the initial level as soon as animals came off treatment. The garlic resulted in a 64.4% decrease in WEC from the initial level and this increased slightly (to 25.5% of the initial level and 43.5% lower than the control) when the animals came off treatment, suggesting that there was a residual effect of the garlic and/or that the garlic had an effect beyond decreasing the fecundity of the parasites. There was no significant difference (P > 0.05) between treatments in liveweight, body condition score or voluntary feed intake. Throughout the experiment voluntary feed intake and liveweight increased while body condition scores remained stable. We concluded that pumpkin kernel and garlic show potential for parasite control by affecting the fecundity of the parasites. Our results also indicate that with good nutrition lambs can cope with high parasite burdens and still be productive during the early stages of infection.

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Feed intake, body weight, body condition score, musculation, and immunocompetence in aged mares given equine somatotropin.

Journal of Animal Science ◽

10.2527/1997.753755x ◽

1997 ◽

Vol 75 (3) ◽

pp. 755 ◽

Cited By ~ 34

Author(s):

K Malinowski ◽

R A Christensen ◽

A Konopka ◽

C G Scanes ◽

H D Hafs

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Body Condition ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Condition Score ◽

Equine Somatotropin

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The effect of long-term daily administration of bovine somatotrophin on the performance of dairy cows over a second consecutive lactation

Proceedings of the British Society of Animal Production (1972) ◽

10.1017/s0308229600010217 ◽

1989 ◽

Vol 1989 ◽

pp. 20-20

Author(s):

R.F. Butterwick ◽

T.E.C. Weekes ◽

P. Rowlinson ◽

D.S. Parker ◽

D.G. Armstrong

Keyword(s):

Body Weight ◽

Dairy Cows ◽

Milk Yield ◽

Body Condition ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Post Partum ◽

Reproductive Status ◽

Condition Score ◽

Bovine Somatotrophin

The objectives of the trial were to investigate the effects of bovine somatotrophin (BST) from either week 2 or week 10 post-partum on the yields of milk, milk components, body weight, body condition, feed intake, health and reproductive status of dairy cows over a second consecutive lactation. The results from the heifer lactation have been reported previously (Butterwick et al. 1988).17 Friesian dairy cows in their second lactation were continued on the same treatment as in their heifer lactation: daily subcutaneous injection of recombinantly derived bovine somatotrophin (BST;25mg/d) from either week 2 (BST2;n=6) or week 10 (BSTl0;n=5) post-partum, or injection of a buffer solution from week 2 of lactation (C;n=6). Treatments continued until week 42 of lactation or until 60 days prior to predicted calving date, if this occurred before week 42 of lactation. Initially cows were housed in cubicles and fed ad libitum through Calan doors, on a diet consisting of concentrate and grass silage (Table 1) on a 60:40 dry matter ratio. After day 110 of lactation cows were turned out to pasture but continued to receive concentrates according to milk yield and body condition score. Milk yield and feed intake were recorded daily, milk composition, body weight and body condition score were recorded twice weekly. Health and reproductive status were monitored over the lactation.

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Tissue mobilisation in Holstein-Friesian cattle selected for divergence in efficiency, defined as residual feed intake

Animal Production Science ◽

10.1071/an14291 ◽

2014 ◽

Vol 54 (9) ◽

pp. 1254 ◽

Cited By ~ 1

Author(s):

G. C. Waghorn ◽

K. A. Macdonald ◽

M. M. Verwoerd

Keyword(s):

Weight Loss ◽

Feed Intake ◽

Body Condition Score ◽

Residual Feed Intake ◽

Energy Requirements ◽

Holstein Friesian ◽

Condition Score ◽

Selection For ◽

Friesian Cattle ◽

Pastoral Farming

Residual feed intake (RFI) is a measure of feed (energy) requirements of individuals, relative to the population mean. Two groups, of ~120 Holstein-Friesian heifer calves (aged 6–9 months), which differed in efficiency by ~20%, were reared and mated. Liveweight and body condition score (BCS) were measured from 1 week pre-calving, for 16 weeks. Measurements were undertaken in 221, 59 and 104 of these animals as they entered their first (aged 2 years), second or third calving, respectively. The cattle were managed under conditions typical of commercial pastoral farming, and the objective was to measure effects of divergence for RFI on post-calving liveweight and BCS change, to indicate tissue mobilisation. The measurements made showed no difference between RFI selections for liveweight before the first (466 kg), second (535 kg) or third (569 kg) calving. Selection for divergent RFI did not affect liveweight at nadir (2–6 weeks post-calving), weight loss to nadir, or BCS at any time. Tissue mobilisation and re-synthesis is energetically inefficient, and although a greater post-calving loss from inefficient cf. efficient cows may have been anticipated, this was not supported by the similarity in liveweights, liveweight and BCS change in the selection lines for RFI.

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