• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.6
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• pp.1433-1442
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• 2021

In this study, Saccharomyces cerevisiae culture fluid (SCCF) has been added to a diet of lactating dairy cows to attempt to improve the ruminal fermentation and potentially increase the dry matter intake (DMI) and milk yield. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of SCCF on the milk yield and blood biochemistry in lactating cows during the summer. Twenty-four Holstein dairy cows were randomly assigned to one of four treatments: (1) total mixed ration (TMR-1) (Control); (2) TMR-1 supplemented with SCCF (T1); (3) TMR-2 (containing alfalfa hay) (T2); and (4) TMR-2 supplemented with SCCF (T3). SCCF (5 ml/head, 2.0×10⁷ CFU/mL) was mixed with TMRs daily before feeding to dairy cows. The mean daily temperature-humidity index (THI) during this trial was 76.92 ± 0.51 on average and ranged from 73.04 to 81.19. For particle size distribution, TMR-2 had a lower >19 mm fraction and a higher 8-9 mm fraction than TMR-1 (p < 0.05). The type of TMR did not influence the DMI, body weight (BW), milk yield and composition, or blood metabolites. The milk yield and composition were not affected by the SCCF supplementation, but somatic cell counts were reduced by feeding SCCF (p < 0.05). Feeding SCCF significantly increased the DMI but did not affect the milk yield of dairy cows. The NEFA concentration was slightly decreased compared to that in the control and T2 groups without SCCF. Feeding a yeast culture of S. cerevisiae may improve the feed intake, milk quality and energy balance of dairy cows under heat stress.

• Journal of Practical Agriculture & Fisheries Research
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.43-51
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• 2006

An experiment was conducted to examine how the response of dairy cows to a change from twice to thrice-daily milking is affected by deficiencies in the dietary supplies of three amino acids, His, Met and Lys. The amino acid deficiencies were obtained by feeding the cows a diet of grass silage and a cereal-based supplement containing feather meal as the sole protein supplement. Taken overall, the results show that when cows were given the feather meal diet, even though dietary ME was in considerable excess, a deficiency of specific amino acids prevented any increase in milk yield in response to increasing the frequency of milking from twice to thrice daily. The results of half-udder milking showed that when cows consumed the diet deficient in amino acids, milking one half of the gland more frequently reduced the secretion of protein and lactose by the control gland. Neither MBF nor the ratio of 3-MH/creatinine in urine was affected by thrice-daily milking. The present results go a stage further in showing that, against a background of insufficient dietary amino acids, the stimulus of thrice-daily milking is not sufficient to induce a measurable change in the partition of amino acid use between body and udder.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.5
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• pp.563-566
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• 2010

Using an open-circuit system, we compared the methane ($CH_4$) emission from dry cows fed first-cut Timothy silage ($1^{st}$ TY), second-cut Timothy silage ($2^{nd}$ TY), second-cut Italian ryegrass silage ($2^{nd}$ IR), third-cut Italian ryegrass silage ($3^{rd}$ IR), or second-cut red clover silage ($2^{nd}$ RC) as the sole feed. The methane emission ranged from 258.2 L $day^{-1}$ to 396.5 L $day^{-1}$. The methane emission from dry cows fed red clover silage was relatively lower than that from dry cows fed grass silage. However, the methane emission per unit digestible neutral detergent fiber (NDF) intake (dNDFI) did not differ significantly between the experimental silages. The methane emission was significantly correlated with the NDF intake and digestibility. Methane emission had a significant correlation with the quadratic function of dNDFI. The differences in the daily volume of methane emission from cows fed different forages can be explained by dNDFI.

• Korean Journal of Agricultural Science
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• v.45 no.3
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• pp.463-473
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• 2018

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of dietary hydrolysable tannin on growth performance and methane emissions of Hanwoo beef cows. Fifteen cows participated in a seven-week experiment. The cows were stratified by initial methane emissions and assigned to one of two treatments: Control and tannin supplementation. Commercial hydrolysable tannin was top-dressed to a concentrate mix at 3 g/kg based on the dry matter. Enteric methane production was measured for 4 consecutive days at 1 week before and 1, 3 and 7 weeks after the initiation of the experiment using a laser methane detector. The feed intake was measured daily during the methane measurement periods and an additional two days prior to each measurement. The body weight of the cows was measured every 4 weeks. Hydrolysable tannin had no effect (p > 0.05) on body weight, average daily gain, dry matter intake (DMI) and feed conversion ratio. After one week, the methane emission of the tannin supplementation group was 3.66 ppm-m / kg DMI, which was about 3.4% lower (p = 0.078) than that of the control group; however, this tendency disappeared at 3 weeks after the start of the experiment (p > 0.05). The results of this study show that hydrolysable tannin supplementation can reduce enteric methane emissions for a limited period in Hanwoo beef cows. More research, however, is needed to determine the optimal level of hydrolysable tannin supplementation to reduce enteric methane emissions for a longer period without adversely affecting the animal performance of Hanwoo beef cattle.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.29 no.8
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• pp.1207-1213
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• 2016

Heat stress negatively affects milk quality altering its nutritive value and cheese making properties. This study aimed at assessing the impact of seasonal microclimatic conditions on milk quality of Friesian cows. The study was carried out in a dairy farm from June 2013 to May 2014 at Beni-Suef province, Egypt. Inside the barn daily ambient temperature and relative humidity were recorded and used to calculate the daily maximum temperature-humidity index (mxTHI), which was used as indicator of the degree of heat stress. The study was carried out in three periods according to the temperature-humidity index (THI) recorded: from June 2013 to September 2013 (mxTHI>78), from October 2013 to November 2013 (mxTHI 72-78) and from December 2013 to April 2014 (mxTHI<72). Eighty Friesian lactating dairy cows were monitored in each period. The three groups of cows were balanced for days in milk and parity. Milk quality data referred to somatic cell count, total coliform count (TCC), faecal coliform count (FCC), Escherichia coli count, percentage of E. coli, and Staphylococcus aureus, percentage of fat, protein, lactose, total solid and solid non-fat. Increasing THI was associated with a significant decrease in all milk main components. An increase of TCC, FCC, and E. coli count from mxTHI<72 to mxTHI>78 was observed. In addition, the isolation rate of both S. aureus and E. coli increased when the mxTHI increased. The results of this study show the seriousness of the negative effects of hot conditions on milk composition and mammary gland pathogens. These facts warrant the importance of adopting mitigation strategies to alleviate negative consequences of heat stress in dairy cows and for limiting related economic losses.

• Journal of Veterinary Science
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• v.22 no.6
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• pp.78.1-78.10
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• 2021

Background: Recurrent subclinical mastitis (RScM) due to resistant bacteria has low clinical and bacteriological cure rates, often requiring the culling of cows. The sequential intramammary administration of enrofloxacin hydrochloride-dihydrate (enro-C) followed by ceftiofur HCl may be useful for treating these cases. Objectives: This study assessed the bacteriological and clinical cure-efficacies of the sequentially intramammary administration of enro-C, followed by ceftiofur HCl to treat RScM in Holstein/Friesian cows. Methods: This trial was conducted in a herd with a high prevalence of RScM, and 20 Holstein/Friesian cows were included: 45% suffering subclinical mastitis and 38.9% of the mammary quarters affected. Twenty-nine bacterial isolates in vitro resistant to enro-C were obtained (coagulase-negative Staphylococcus spp, 55.2%; Staphylococcus aureus, 27.6%; Escherichia coli, 6.9%; Streptococcus uberis, 6.9%; Corynebacterium bovis, 3.4%). Polymerase chain reaction-isolated the following genes linked to enro-C resistance: chromosomal (gyrA) and plasmid (aac(6')-lb-cr). The treatments were as follows: twice-daily intramammary infusions of enro-C (300 mg/10 mL) for 5 days. Cows clinically considered treatment failures were also treated with intramammary ceftiofur (125 mg/10 mL, twice daily for 5 days. The clinical and bacteriological cure rates were carried out when completing each treatment phase and at 14 and 21 days, aided by a California mastitis test, somatic cell count, and failure to identify the initially causative bacteria. Results: Enro-C achieved 65% clinical and bacteriological cure rates, and 100% cure rates were obtained after the rescue treatment with ceftiofur HCl. Conclusions: Outstanding clinical and bacteriological cure rates in cows affected by RScM were achieved with the consecutive intramammary infusions of enro-C, followed by ceftiofur HCl.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.36 no.7
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• pp.1143-1149
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• 2023

Objective: We investigated the effects of outdoor access for 1 h per day on the animal welfare (AW) of tethered cows, in terms of lying and sleeping postures, and immune function. Methods: A total of five dry cows were tethered all day indoors (tethering) for 30 days and then tethered indoors with 1 h daily outdoor access (ODA-1h) for 30 days. To analyze the effects of ODA-1h, we calculated the total duration and bout frequency per day, and bout duration of lying and sleeping postures during the last five days of each treatment period. We also analyzed the populations of T cells, B cells, and NK cells in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by fluorescence-activated cell sorting and determined the concanavalin A (Con A) -induced proliferation rate of T cells. Results: The mean total time per day of lying during the ODA-1h treatment was significantly shorter than that during the tethering treatment (p<0.001). The Con A-induced proliferation rate of T cells during the ODA-1h treatment was significantly higher than that during the tethering treatment (p = 0.007). The proportion of NK cells in PBMC during the ODA-1h treatment tended to be higher than that during the tethering treatment (p = 0.062). Conclusion: Although ODA-1h may decrease lying time, it increases the available space for tethered cows towards that typically found in grazing and free barn feeding systems. This increased available space promotes the expression of normal behaviors such as walking and social behaviors except lying and may also improve the immune function of tethered dry cows, thereby improving their overall welfare.

• Journal of Animal Reproduction and Biotechnology
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• v.36 no.1
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• pp.45-50
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• 2021

In recent years, various methods of measuring body temperature have been developed using wireless biosensors to facilitate an early detection of pregnancy and parturition in cows. However, there are no studies on real-time monitoring of cattle body temperature throughout pregnancy. Therefore, we investigated the daily mean ruminal temperature in pregnant cows throughout pregnancy using a ruminal bio-capsule sensor and then evaluated the temperature variation between pregnant and non-pregnant cows. In pregnant cows, the mean and standard deviation of ruminal temperature was 38.86 ± 0.17℃. Ruminal temperature in pregnant cows slowly decreased until 180 to 190 days after artificial insemination and after that, the temperature increased dramatically until just before parturition. Furthermore, the means ruminal temperature was significantly different between pregnant and nonpregnant cows. The mean and standard deviation of ruminal temperature were as follows: 38.68 ± 0.01℃ from days 80 to 100, 38.78 ± 0.02℃ from days 145 to 165, 38.99 ± 0.45℃ from days 200 to 220, 39.14 ± 0.38℃ from days 250 to 270 before parturition. Therefore, our results could provide useful data for early detection of pregnancy and parturition in Korean cows.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.25 no.3
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• pp.311-319
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• 2012

This study examined the effects of supplementation of fish oil and canola oil in the diet on milk yield, milk components and fatty acid composition of Holstein dairy cows in early lactation. Eight multiparous early lactation Holstein cows ($42{\pm}12$ DIM, $40{\pm}6kg$ daily milk yield) were fed a total mixed ration supplemented with either 0% oil (Control), 2% fish oil (FO), 1% canola oil +1% fish oil (FOCO), or 2% canola oil (CO) according to a double $4{\times}4$ Latin square design. Each period lasted 3 wk; experimental analyses were restricted to the last week of each period. Supplemental oils were added to a basal diet which was formulated according to NRC (2001) and consisted of 20% alfalfa, 20% corn silage and 60% concentrate. Milk yield was similar between diets (p>0.05), but dry matter intake (DMI) was lower (p<0.05) in cows fed FO diet compared to other diets. Milk fat percentage and daily yield decreased (p<0.01) with the supplementation of fish and canola oil. The daily yield and percentage of milk protein, lactose and solids-not-fat (SNF) were not affected by diets (p>0.05). The proportion (g/100 g fatty acids) of short chain fatty acids (SCFA) decreased and polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFA) increased (p<0.05) in milk of all cows fed diets supplemented with oil. The proportions of 6:0, 8:0, 10:0 12:0 and 14:0 fatty acids in milk fat decreased (p<0.01) for all diets supplemented with oil, but the proportions of 14:1, 16:0 and 16:1 fatty acids were not affected by diets (p>0.05). The proportion of trans(t)-18:1 increased (p<0.01) in milk fat of cows fed FO and FOCO diets, but CO diet had the highest proportion of cis(c)-11 18:1 (p<0.01). The concentration of t-10, c-12 18:2, c-9 t-11 18:2, 18:3, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6) increased (p<0.05) in FO and FOCO diets in comparison with the other two diets. These data indicate that including fish oil in combination with canola oil significantly modifies the fatty acid composition of milk.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.18 no.1
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• pp.48-53
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• 2005

Finger millet straw and rice straw are the major source of dry roughage in southern India. They distinctly vary in their morphological and nutritional characters. Hence an effort was made to study the nutrient utilization, milk yield and composition in crossbred dairy cows fed either finger millet (group 1) or rice straw (group 2) as a source of dry roughage. The cows in both the groups were fed as per requirement with concentrate, green fodder and straw in the ratio of 30:45:25 parts (DM). At the end of 50 days of preliminary feeding a digestibility trial was conducted for 7 days and pooled samples of feed, fodder, feces, urine and milk were analysed for macro and micro nutrient content. Finger millet straw contained more CP, Ca, P, Mg, Cu, Zn and Co than rice straw and rice straw contained higher ADF, ash and silica. The intake of DM, CP, EE, NDF, ADF and most micronutrients (Ca, P, Mg, Cu, Zn, Fe, Mn and Co) was significantly higher in cows fed finger millet straw. The digestibility of DM, CP, NDF and ADF was significantly higher in cows fed finger millet straw and the gut absorption of Ca, Cu, Mn and Co was significantly higher in cows fed finger millet straw. The dietary requirement of all micronutrients in both the group of cows could be met irrespective of the type of roughage fed except that of Ca, which was low (0.61 and 0.40%) in rice straw fed cows. The average daily milk yield (L/cow) was also higher (7.0 L) in cows fed finger millet straw as compared to cows fed rice straw (6.3 L). The average milk composition also did not differ except that of milk fat which was significantly (4.7 and 4.5%) low in cows fed rice straw. The overall results of this study have indicated that finger millet straw is a better source of dry fodder than rice straw and while feeding rice straw as the sole roughage to dairy cows there is need to supplement additional calcium as this could be one of the limiting nutrients for milk production.