• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.759-765
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• 2021

Recently, summer temperatures have frequently been abnormal in Korea owing to global warming. In summer, a decrease in feed intake rate and biological activity were observed in Hanwoo (Korean Native Cattle), leading to lower production rates in the industry. However, the precise scale of damage was not reported as with other animals of economic value. This study was conducted to investigate the effects of birth season on birth weight in Hanwoo. Data were collected from 100 local breeding farms from 2016 to 2019. A total of 41,081 Hanwoo calves were classified and analyzed by sex, year, month, and season (March-May, spring; June-August, summer; September-November, fall; and December-February, winter) of birth. The birth weight of Hanwoo calves differed according to birth month. The average birth weight of male calves was 30.47 kg and that of female calves was 28.16 kg. Hanwoo birth weight was the highest in March-born calves and the lowest in July-born calves. The birth weights of calves born in February, March, April, November, and December were significantly larger than those of calves born in July. In addition, the birth weight of Hanwoo calves from the summer was significantly lower than that of calves born in other seasons. Furthermore, Hanwoo steer slaughter age showed a negative correlation, whereas carcass weight had a positive correlation with birth weight. In the beef cattle industry, birth weight is a very important economic characteristic that is related to growth rate. These data will contribute toward planning the reproduction of Hanwoo and analysis of changes in characteristics of economic value owing to high temperatures.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.3 no.2
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• pp.103-106
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• 1990

A balance study was conducted to determine the requirements of iron, copper, cobalt and manganese in crossbred calves. Six calves were fed milk average 10 percent of their body weight and were supplemented with 15 g mineral mixture daily. A balance trial was conducted at $2\frac{1}{2}$ months of age. The primary route of excretion was through digestive tract as 99.87, 80.99, 77.27 and 99.94 percent of Fe, Cu, Co and Mn were excreted through faeces. The requirements of Fe, Cu, Co and Mn were computed using the respective mineral balance data and were found to be 169.60, 7.20, 4.48 and 8.89 mg/kg respectively.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.10
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• pp.1461-1466
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• 2000

The use of the dairy male calf for beef production has been found to be economically unprofitable during the past due to high cost of feeds and relatively low beef price. However, due to current shortage of domestic beef supply and rising beef price, this research aimed to assess feeding methods and costs and returns in raising dairy male calves for beef production under changing economic conditions. Two diets were compared: calves on an optimal feeding level were given milk replacer for 44 d and a concentrate (with ad lib. hay) to 150 kg bodyweight that contained 16% crude protein; those given a sub-optimal diet, more appropriate for smallholder farms, received milk replacer for 30 d and 14% CP concentrate. Twelve pairs of dairy male calves (average age 32 days) of Holstein-Friesian high grades were used, each pair having similar influencing factors such as weight, age, and genotype. Each animal was kept in a separate feeding stall until reaching the final weight of 150 kg. The results from this experiment showed that the differences of traits concerning growth performance and feed efficiency of the animals raised under the two feeding regimes were statistically nonsignificant. The optimal group was just slightly better, but the cost of production of the sub-optimal group was 24 percent lower (4,667 vs. 6,144 baht per animal) and the cost difference was highly significant. The results from this investigation showed that beef production from dairy male calves can be economically viable when sub-optimal feeding method is used and market beef price is at current level.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.3
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• pp.307-312
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• 2000

Fasting heat production (FHP) of growing buffalo calves (Bubalus bubalis) in the body weight range of 76 to 236 kg was determined using open circuit respiration chamber. The details of the chambers, calibration of gas analysers and operation of the systems are described. Animals were fasted for 96 hrs during which only water was provided. FHP was determined during next 24 hrs. The mean oxygen consumed, carbon dioxide and methane produced and urinary N excretion per 24 h was $17.03{\ell}$, $11.70{\ell}$, and $0.12{\ell}$ and 0.35 g respectively. The mean respiratory quotient ranged from 0.68 to 0.71, which indicated that post absorptive stage is reached after 96 hrs in growing buffalo calves previously fed ammoniated straw-based ration. Mean FHP of calves was $331.4kJ/kg\;W^{0.75}$. FHP of calves with range of mean body weights of 167 to 235 kg, although nonsignificant but, was almost 12% higher than of calves having mean body weight of 101 kg. Suitable exponent to body weight to describe FHP of buffalo calves was 0.87.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.6
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• pp.855-857
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• 2001

The aim of this study was to assess the associations of some potential risk factors and occurrence of calf mortality in large-scale dairy farms. Njoro area of the Rift valley, Kenya was selected due to its potential of large-scale dairy farms, since the time of the Europeans settlers. The study was retrospective and focused on the calves dying from January 1996 through October 1998. Sample of studied population consisted of 105 calves extracted from the farm records. Data was collected using a questionnaire and were grouped into farm-level and animal-level factors. Calf mortality was 15.6% and important risk factors for calf mortality were sex of calf, season of birth, pneumonia disease, age of dam when calf was born and house type for calves. Female calve born during colder wet seasons and born to dams of 2-4.5 years of age were equally at higher risk. Calves raised in movable pens compared to those raised in permanent pens were at higher risk of mortality from pneumonia. Animal level factors were major causes of calf mortality in commercial farms used in this study and therefore details study is needed in these factors in controlling the calf mortality rates.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.8 no.1
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• pp.51-58
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• 1995

To examine whether colostral growth factors are transferred to the general circulation, concentrations of plasma cortisol, insulin, prolactin, growth hormone, insulin-like growth factors(IGFs) -I and -II, IGF-binding proteins(IGFBPs) and total protein were measured in newborn calves fed colostrums, milk of milk replacer before and after feeding at 12 h intervals during the first two days after birth. Plasma protein concentrations increased with time after than in milk- or milk replacer-fed calves. The mean protein concentration was greater in colostrum-fed than in milk- or milk replacer-fed calves. Plasma cortisol levels transiently declined after each feeding regardless of the type of diet, while insulin levels tended to increase. Mean concentrations of these hormones did not differ between dietary groups, nor did they change with time after birth. Plasma concentrations of prolactin and growth hormone did not differ between dietary groups and also did not change with time after birth or after feeding. Concentrations of IGF-I and IGF-II transiently increased at the second feeding period, but these, as well as plasma IGFBP profiles, were not different between groups or before and after feeding. Results did not indicate significant transfer of colostral growth factors across the newborn ruminant small intestine.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.53 no.2
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• pp.103-108
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• 2013

The objective of this study was to investigate the calf death and analyse the causes of the mortality by based on medical records and autopsy findings during 10 years in a large dairy farm. Total of 1,361 calf born and 146 calf dead during the invested period. Mortality rate was 10.7% and showed the big difference by year-specific mortality from 2.8% (4 calves) to 19.2% (28 calves). The highest rate of mortality was 1 week age (18.5%, 27 calves) and followed by 2 week age (11.6%, 17 calves) and mortality of more old calf tended to be reduced. The death less than 4 weeks and 8 weeks of age of the entire mortality accounted for 41.1% (60/146 calves) and 70.0% (102/146 calves), respectively. Causes of calf death were digestive diseases (53.4%), respiratory diseases (17.1%), musculoskeletal disease (8.2%), and systemic disease (8.2%) in order. Specific causes of calf death was highest in enteritis (43.2%), followed by pneumonia (14.4%), sepsis (8.2%) and fractures (3.4%). Seasonally, most of calf death happened in winter (48.6%) and then fall (21.2%). This results showed that enteritis and pneumonia are the main reason of calf death but other reasons were involved in calf death on the based on autopsy finding. On going research relating factors of calf mortality is needed.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Service
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• v.46 no.2
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• pp.147-156
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• 2023

Between February 2020 and September 2021, a total of 452 dairy calves with diarrhea were investigated across 17 dairy farms in Gyeonggi province, Korea, using a rapid diagnostic kit. The study aimed to examine the infection rates of major pathogens causing diarrhea in dairy calves, categorizing them by season, age, and birth month. Additionally, logistic regression analysis was conducted to investigate the factors affecting the infection rate. The infection rates of the major pathogens causing infectious diarrhea in dairy calves, including bovine rotavirus, bovine coronavirus, Cryptosporidium, and E. coli, are influenced by season, age, and birth month. Bovine coronavirus and Cryptosporidium showed variations in infection rates according to season, age, and birth month, while bovine coronavirus was influenced by age and birth month, and E. coli showed variations in infection rates based on age. Furthermore, in the analysis of risk factors influencing the infection rates of these pathogens, age and birth month were identified as risk factors for bovine rotavirus, bovine coronavirus, and Cryptosporidium.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.7
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• pp.947-953
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• 2004

The present research was designed to evaluate the effects of pre and post-partum energy level and feeding pattern on the performance of crossbred dairy cows and their calves under farm conditions. A total of 16 crossbred dairy cows were divided into two equal groups on the basis of their body weight and milk production. One group was given 30% less and the another was given 30% more energy than MAFF's (1984) recommendation. After calving all cows were given same ad.libitum diet to assess the effects of feeding during pregnancy on their performance. It was observed that just before calving cows on low energy group gained less (p<0.05) weight than that of the cows on high energy group (12.9$\pm$11.71 vs. 42.25$\pm$12.74 kg/cow. Birth weight of calves of low energy group was lower (p<0.05) than that of the calves of high energy group (17.87$\pm$1.78 vs. 20.73$\pm$2.24 kg/calf). Cows that were on low pre-calving dietary energy level produced less milk during lactation than the cows of high energy pre-calving group (3.45$\pm$0.75 vs. 4.27$\pm$0.79 lit./cow). No significant difference was noticed on calf growth rate and reproductive parameters of cow. Energy level that was 30 % less than MAFF's (1984) recommendation was found to be very low and not suitable for our crossbred cows during their last three months of pregnancy.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.1
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• pp.53-60
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• 2020

Objective: The current study was carried out to examine the response of different levels of fat and protein in calf starter on nutrient utilisation, nitrogen metabolism, weight gain, blood parameters, and immunity level in pre-ruminant calves. Methods: Twenty four calves (5 days old) were divided into six groups in a 2×3 factorial design, with two levels of fat (10% and 14%) and three levels of protein (18%, 21%, and 24%). The calves were kept in individual pens for 120 days and fed with whole milk (1/10th of body weight) and calf starter ad-libitum. Daily dry matter intake was recorded; whereas body weight was taken on fortnightly basis to calculate average daily gain. During the growth trial blood samples were collected at 30 days interval to estimate blood glucose, albumin, total protein, total leucocyte count, total immunoglobulins and immunoglobulin G levels. A metabolic trial of seven days was carried out to find out the digestibility of different nutrients. Results: The dry matter intake was reduced (p<0.05) with higher fat and protein levels whereas feed conversion efficiency was improved (p<0.05) with higher protein level. Different levels of fat and protein in calf ration did not affect average daily gain in calves. The dry matter, organic matter, and crude protein digestibility were significantly (p<0.01) higher with increased level of protein. The nitrogen retention was also significantly higher (p<0.05) at 24% protein level, similarly the total immunoglobulin was significantly (p<0.05) high in higher protein fed groups, showed better immunity. Conclusion: The present finding suggested that 10% fat and 18% protein level of calf starter could be used in Sahiwal calves for optimum performance in terms of weight gain and immunity.