• Animal Bioscience
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• v.37 no.4
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• pp.709-717
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• 2024

Objective: Abnormally increased somatic cell counts (SCCs) in milk is usually a sign of bovine subclinical mastitis. Mutual interaction between the host and its associated microbiota plays an important role in developing such diseases. The main objective of this study was to explore the difference between cows with elevated SCCs and healthy cattle from the perspective of host-microbe interplay. Methods: A total of 31 milk samples and 23 bovine peripheral blood samples were collected from Holstein dairy cattle to conduct an integrated analysis of transcriptomic and metagenomics. Results: The results showed that Ralstonia and Sphingomonas were enriched in cows with subclinical mastitis. The relative abundance of the two bacteria was positively correlated with the expression level of bovine transcobalamin 1 and uridine phosphorylase 1 encoding gene. Moreover, functional analysis revealed a distinct alternation in some important microbial biological processes. Conclusion: These results reveal the relative abundance of Ralstonia and Sphingomonas other than common mastitis-causing pathogens varied from healthy cows to those with subclinical mastitis and might be associated with elevated SCCs. Potential association was observed between bovine milk microbiota composition and the transcriptional pattern of some genes, thus providing new insights to understand homeostasis of bovine udder.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.49 no.6
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• pp.819-828
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• 2007

Two experiments were conducted to observe the effects of direct fed microbials on metabolic characteristics in sheep and milking performance in dairy cows. A metabolic trial with four ruminally cannulated sheep(60±6kg) was conducted in a 4×4 Latin square design to investigate the supplementation effects of Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Clostridium butyricum or mixed microbes of S. cerevisiae and C. butyricum on ruminal fermentation characteristics and whole tract digestibility. Sheep were fed 1.25 kg of total mixed ration(TMR, DM basis) supplemented with S. cerevisiae (2.5g/day), C. butyricum (1.0g/day) or its mixture(S. cerevisiae 1.25g/day+C. butyricum 1g/day), twice daily in an equal volume. But control sheep were fed only TMR. A feeding trial with 28 lactating Holstein cattle was also conducted for 12 weeks to investigate the effects of the same microbial supplements as for the metabolic trial on milking performance. The cows were fed the TMR(control), and fed S. cerevisiae(50g/day), C. butyricum(15g/day) or its mixture (S. cerevisiae 25g/day + C. butyricum 7.5g/day) with upper layer dressing method. Total VFA concentration and the digestibility of whole digestive tract in the sheep increased by supplementation of S. cerevisiae, C. butyricum or their combined microbials compare to control group. The proportion of propionic acid at 1h(P<0.039) and 3h(P<0.022) decreased by supplementation of S. cerevisiae while tended to increase acetic acid proportion at the same times. Daily dry matter intake(DMI) was not influenced by the microbial treatments, but milk yield(P<0.031) and feed efficiency(milk yield/DMI, P<0.043) were higher for the cow received C. butyricum than those for other treatments. The milk fat content was higher (P<0.085) when cows fed S. cerevisiae(4.11%) than that fed the control (4.08%), the diets with C. butyricum (3.85%) and the microbial mixture. Based on the results obtained from the current experiments, supplementation of C. butyricum or mixture with S. cerevisiae might be increased milk fat content and milk productivity of lactating daily cows. (Key words:Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Clostridium butyricum, Fermentation characteristics,

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.29 no.4
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• pp.589-599
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• 1989

A total of 13 synchronized dairy cattle(Holstein) were used to determine pregnancy rates in relation to plasma progesterone, estradiol-$17{\beta}$ levels and serum chemical values on the day of last $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ injection and day of frozen/thawed bovine embryo transfer. The pregnancy rate of recipients with 1.0~4.0ng/ml of progesterone levels at the day of last $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ injection was higher than that of recipients with below 1.0ng/ml or above 4.0ng/ml of progesterone levels. On the day of transfer, optimal progesterone levels were between 1.0ng/ml and 4.0ng/ml coinciding with a pregnancy rate of 88.9%. Pregnancy rate decreased when progesterone levels were below 1.0ng/ml(33.3%) or above 4.0ng/ml(0%). Corpus luteum grade did not affect pregnancy rate and this result revealed that manual palpation of corpus luteum was not valid criterion of corpus luteum function. Progesterone levels as well as pregnancy rate did not significantly differ whether the corpus luteum was on the right($1.62{\pm}1.33ng/ml$; 63.5%) or left ovary($1.99{\pm}0.61ng/ml$; 85.0%). Estradiol-$17{\beta}$ levels were not significantly different between pregnant and nonpregnant recipients, but estradiol-$17{\beta}$ levels($82.2{\pm}13.5$ VS. $72.3{\pm}10.1pg/ml$) were higher at below 1.0ng/ml of progesterone, and pregnancy rates(33.3 VS. 80%) tended to be lower than above 1.0ng/ml of progesterone. Total cholesterol levels on the day of last $PGF_{2{\alpha}}$ injection and day of transfer did not affect pregnancy rate. Calcium and inorganic phoshorus levels belonged to normal range in most of the recipients. These range did not affect pregnancy rate. In reviewing above results, plasma progesterone levels(1.0~4.0ng/ml) at the time of transfer are diagnostic value for screening recipients prior to transfer of frozen/thawed bovine embryos.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.21 no.1
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• pp.66-74
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• 2008

Two experiments were conducted to assess the effect of replacing a conventional concentrate with mixed cassava (Manihot esculenta) foliage and legume (Phaseolus calcaratus) foliage. In Exp. 1, three rumen fistulated crossbred cows were used for in sacco rumen degradability studies. In vitro gas production was also studied. In Exp. 2, 11 crossbred F2 heifers (Red Sindhi$\times$Holstein Friesian), with initial live weight of $129{\pm}6kg$ and aged six months, were allocated in a Completely Randomized Design (CRD) to evaluate a mixture (ratio 3:1) of cassava and legume foliage (CA-LE feed) as a protein source compared to a traditional concentrate feed (Control) in diets based on fresh elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum) and urea treated rice straw ad libitum. The Control feed was replaced by the CA-LE feed at levels of 0% (Control), 40% (CA-LE40), and 60% (CA-LE60) based on dry matter (DM). The in sacco degradation of CA-LE feed was higher than Control feed (p<0.05). After 48 h incubation the degradation of CA-LE feed and Control feed was 73% vs. 58% of DM and 83% vs. 65% of CP, respectively. The gas production of CA-LE feed was also significantly higher than of Control feed during the first 12 h of incubation. The results of the performance study (Exp. 2) showed that the level of CA-LE feed in the concentrate had no effect on total dry matter intake (p>0.05), but live weight gains (LWG) in CA-LE40 and CA-LE60 were significantly higher (551 and 609 g/d, respectively) than in the Control group (281 g/d). The intake of CP was higher (p<0.05) for the treatments CA-LE40 and CA-LE60 (556 and 590 g/d, respectively) compared to that of Control (458 g/d), while there was no significant difference in ME intake. The feed conversion ratio was 16.8, 9.0 and 7.9 kg DM/kg LWG in Control, CA-LE40 and CA-LE60, respectively. The feed cost of CA-LE40 and CA-LE60 corresponded to 43% and 35%, respectively, of the feed cost of Control feed. The best results were found when CA-LE feed replaced 60% of DM in Control feed and considerably decreased feed cost. It is concluded that feeding cassava foliage in combination with Phaseolus calcaratus legume as a protein supplement could be a potentially valuable strategy which leads to reduced feed costs and a more sustainable system in smallholder dairy production in Vietnam.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.46 no.4
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• pp.517-524
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• 2004

The objective of this study was to investigate the environmental effects on duration time of milk flow, peak milk flow, and average milk flow in teats, and to estimate their relationships with milk yields in morning and evening milking, and to provide fimdamental information for the further study on their relationships with clinical mastitis and somatic cell in milk. A total of 6,768 milking records were studied in 72 Holstein cows. The influences of season, parity, lactation month, and milking interval on characteristics of milk flow considering in linear model were significant(p<.05). Duration of milk flow was longest at milking in fall, past first parity and second month of lactation, and with milking interval over than 13.5hrs. Average milk flow rate and peak milk flow rate were highest at milking in summer, past first parity and 8${\sim}$10 months of lactation, and with milking interval over than 13.5hrs. Milk flow rate was positively correlated to milk yield, and negatively correlated to the duration of milk flow. However duration milk flow was positively correlated to the milk yield with high level of correlation coefficient(+.60). For the establishment of optimum selection criteria on these traits, other aspects such as the udder health, disease and respective economic weights of milk flow characteristics in this study must be considered to develop the indices.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.9
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• pp.37-49
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• 1991

This study was conducted to estimate the effects of year, age of dam at calving, farm and lactation period on milk yield with the data of 4,008 cows' records which were collected at 32 farms by Korea Animal Improvement Association from 1985 to 1989. The results obtained in this study are summarized as follows: 1. The average performance of the dairy cattle in the study were $5,959.23{\pm}2,113.03kg$ in actual milk yield, $49.19{\pm}22.77$ months in age of dam at calving, $27.11{\pm}5.13$ months in age at first calving and $255.11{\pm}79.68$ days in lactation period. 2. The percentages of variance component for different sources were 29.39% for the residuals, 1.91% for years, 4.86% for age at calving, 8.89% for farms and 54.94% for lactation period. 3. The overall mean of least-square estimate on the milk yield was 6,229.31kg. In the effects of year, the least-square means of milk yield were estimated 6,000.76kg in 1985-1987, 6,028.11kg in 1988 and 6,659.07kg in 1989. 4. The least-square means of calving age on the milk yield were estimated 5,456.01kg in less than 24 months, 6,565.48kg in 61-66 months which were the highest least-square means. This effects were gradually increased until the 61-66months and gradually decreased after the 61-66months, with highly significant differences among different months of age at calving(p<0.01). 5. In the effects of farm, the least-square means of milk yield were estimated 4,959.50 kg in the lowest farm and 7,497.07kg in the highest farm. Among the milk yield of each farm the effects showed highly significant difference(p<0.01). 6. The least-square means of milk yield in the effects of lactation period were gradually increased with the lapse of the lactation period. Among the lactation period the effects showed highly significant difference(p<0.01).

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.45 no.5
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• pp.739-748
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• 2003

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for test-day milk production and somatic cell score using field data collected by dairy herd improvement program in Korea. Random regression animal models were applied to estimate genetic variances for milk production and somatic cell score. Heritabilities for milk yields, fat percentage, protein percentage, solid-not-fat percentage, and somatic cell score from test day records of 5,796 first lactation Holstein cows were estimated by REML algorithm in single trait random regression test-day animal models. For these analyses, Legendre polynomial covariate function was applied to model the fixed effect of age-season, the additive genetic effect and the permanent environment effect as random. Homogeneous residual variance was assumed to be equal throughout lactation. Heritabilities as a function of time were calculated from the estimated curve parameters from univariate analyses. Heritability estimates for milk yields were in range of 0.13 to 0.29 throughout first lactation. Heritability estimates for fat percentage, protein percentage and solid-not-fat percentage were within 0.09 to 0.11, 0.12 to 0.19 and 0.17 to 0.23, respectively. For somatic cell score, heritabilities were within 0.02 to 0.04. Heritabilities for milk productions and somatic cell score were fluctuated by days in milk with comparing 305d milk production.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.5
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• pp.343-349
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• 2013

Data including 1,372,050 milk records pertaining to 438,019 cows from 1983 to 2011 collected during performance tests conducted by the National Livestock Cooperative Dairy Improvement Center were used to calculate milk income and profit of individuals and investigate the effects of production levels of early lactation (parity 1 and 2, respectively). Individuals with a moderate level of early lactation stayed longer in herds. Among parity 1, the 9,000 kg or higher group had a lower mean number of lactations than the overall mean of 3.13. The 7,000 kg or lower and 10,000 kg or higher groups had lower mean life time milking days than the overall mean of 1,076.8 days. Standard deviations of lifetime traits tended to decrease as production levels increased. For parity 2, the 11,000 kg or higher group had a lower mean number of lactation than the overall mean of 3.43. The lifetime milking days was highest in the 12,000 kg group (1,212.0 days), and generally smaller in the lower groups. Profit increased as the production level of groups increased for both parity 1 and 2. In groups with low production levels, profit of parity 1 was higher than that of parity 2, while the reverse was true in groups with high production levels. These results suggest that individuals in the low production groups had a greater likelihood to be culled due to reproductive or other problems. Furthermore, the accuracy of the prediction of lifetime profit of individuals with a milk yield of 305 days seems to be higher for parity 2 than parity 1; therefore, it is desirable to predict lifetime profit using the 305d milk yield of parity 2. In conclusion, breeding goals are based on many factors in functions for the estimation of profit; however, production levels during early lactation (parity 1 and 2) can be used as indicators of profit to extend profitability.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.55 no.1
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• pp.7-11
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• 2013

The purpose of this study was to estimate (co) variance components of three milk production traits for genetic evaluation using a multiple lactation model. Each of the first five lactations was treated as different traits. For the parameter estimation study, a data set was set up including lactations from cows calved from 2001 to 2009. The total number of raw lactation records in first to fifth parities reached 1,416,589. At least 10 cows were required for each contemporary group, herd-year-season effect. Sires with fewer than 10 daughters were discarded. Lactations with 305d milk yield exceeding 15,000 kg were removed. In total, 1,456 sires of cows were remained after all the selection steps. A complete pedigree consisting of 292,382 records was used for the study. A sire model containing herd-year-season, caving age, and sire additive genetic effects was applied to the selected lactation data and pedigree for estimating (co) variance components via VCE. Heritabilities and genetic or residual correlations were then derived from the (co) variance estimates using R package. Genetic correlations between lactations ranged from 0.76 to 0.98 for milk yield, 0.79~1.00 for fat yield, 0.75~1.00 for protein yield. On individual lactation basis, relatively low heritability values were obtained 0.14~0.23, 0.13~0.20 and 0.14~0.19 for milk, fat, and protein yields, respectively. For the combined lactation heritability values were 0.29, 0.28, and 0.26 for milk, fat, and protein yields. The estimated parameters will be used in national genetic evaluations for production traits.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.54 no.4
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• pp.275-282
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• 2012

The data including milk yields, fat and protein percent for 628,395 heads collected by National Agricultural Cooperative Federation, 15 type traits and final score for 62,262 heads collected by Korea Animal Improvement Association, which were born in 1998 to 2004, and net profits calculated from milk price and raising expenses of individuals were used to estimate genetic parameters. The highest positive genetic correlation, 0.81, was shown between body depth (BD) and loin strength (SR). Genetic correlations between body depth (BD) and udder depth (UD), front teat placement (TP) and front teat length (TL) were -0.23, which were lowest among the linear type traits. Furthermore, medium level of negative genetic correlations were shown the milk yield with milk contents rate traits. Mostly low level of positive genetic correlations were shown between the milk traits and linear score traits except milk yield and stature. Most of the genetic correlations of between the linear score traits and net profit were low level of positive or negative genetic correlations. Among the genetic correlations, body depth (BD), angularity (DF) and rear attachment width (UW), and final score (FS) with net profit were high as 0.17, 0.17, 0.18 and 0.18, respectively. Finally all of the genetic correlations between net profit and milk traits were positive and higher than the linear traits with positive genetic correlations. The results of this study suggest that net profit has been related with the linear traits, such as body depth (BD), angularity (DF) and rear attachment width (UW) traits, and furthermore, milk traits including yield and contents rates influence positively and greatly on net profit.