• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.6 no.2
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• pp.271-274
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• 1993

Four Holstein heifers were used in the present study to investigate the effect of standing and lying behaviors on heat production and physiological responses under low (L), medium (M) and high (H) levels of TDN intake. Rectal temperature (RT), respiration rate (RR), heart rate (HR), heat production (HP) and animals behavior (standing time, ST) were measured continuously for 5h (11:00-16:00) periods. There was a tendency for increased RT with TDN intake, and no difference in RT was observed between standing and lying. The RR, HR and HP during standing were significantly higher (p<0.05) than during lying. The difference between standing and lying HP were 4.41, 4.68 and $5.37kJ/kg^{0.75}$ h for L, M and H of TDN intake, respectively. These values showed that standing HP was 18.6-20.9% higher than lying HP. A multiple regression analysis of HP ($kJ/kg^{0.75}$ h) on TDN intake ($g/kg^{0.75}$ d) and ST (min/h) was HP = 7.75 + 0.28 TDN intake + 0.12 ST (R = 0.84). This analysis showed that the total HP not only depend on feed intake levels, but also depends on animal behavior. It was suggested that the change in HP due to the change in feed intake and animal behavior would influence the level of heat loss which was indicated by the changes in the RR and HR.

• Current Research on Agriculture and Life Sciences
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• v.4
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• pp.109-113
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• 1986

In order to study the changes of pregnancy rates according to the factors, age, season, repeated utilization, synchrony, of recipients (29 holstein heifers, one Korean native heifer and 3 holstein cows) were transfered one embryo (from morulae stage to advanced blastocyst) to each, and the results are as follows ; 1. The effect of age of recipient on pregnancy rate in cows and 18-24months of aged group are 100% and 78%, respectively. Under 14months of aged group recorded the worst, 67%. 2. In winter (Nov.-Jan.) and spring (Feb.-Apr.), the pregnancy rate were better than others 100%, 83%, respectively. In the autumn (Aug.-Oct.), it was only 50%, the worst. 3. Among 31 recipients which were utilized at the first, 25 were pregnanted (80.7%), but in the second utilization after the failure of the first transfering, 2 heifers, none of pregnancy was obtained. 4. Pregnancy rates related to synchronization of estrus between donor and recipients are;-(before donor)12hrs. (100%), -6hrs. (86%), +( after donor)6hrs. (67%), + 12hrs. (79%), and +over 12hrs. (50%), respectively. 5. Differences in the pregnancy rate of the recipients +over 12hrs. were significantly large, so in order to ger good pregnancy rate in embryo transfer, the differences of the synchronization must be reduced inner ${\pm}12hrs$. In general, recipients estrus before donor showed better pregnancy rate than estrus after donor.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.5
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• pp.672-678
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• 2006

The objective of this study was to investigate whether milk performance is impacted by the housing of heifers from the second to the seventh day of life, the method of feeding milk from the second week of life to weaning, the sire lineage and by the season of birth and season of calving. From 32 Holstein heifer-calves, which spent their first day of life in a loose housing maternity pen with their mother, 19 heifers were randomly placed in hutches (IH), and 13 stayed in a loose housing maternity pen (MP). At the seventh day IH heifers were assigned to one of two treatments, 10 heifers were randomly taken from IH and relocated to a loose housing pen with an automatic feeding station (AD), 9 calves stayed in hutches with bucket drinking (BD). MP heifers were moved to a group pen with nursing cows (UD). All animals were weaned at the age of 8 weeks (56 days) and kept in group pens. After calving, they were in free-stall housing. Trial cows were divided according to the sire, season of birth and calving. The five-factorial ANOVA revealed that among all the factors taken into account in this study, only sire lineage and season of birth had significant effects. The production of milk, FCM and protein were higher in the MP group than in the IH group. The UD group tended to have the highest production of milk, FCM, protein, lactose, SNF and total solids (TS) and the AD group the lowest. The content of fat and TS were highest in the AD group. Effects of the sire were significant for average daily gains (ADG) from birth to weaning ($0.55{\pm}0.03kg$, p<0.05), contents of fat ($3.81{\pm}0.08%$, p<0.05), protein ($3.13{\pm}0.02%$, p<0.05), and TS ($12.67{\pm}0.12%$, p<0.05). In the season of birth evaluation, statistical difference was found only in the content of protein ($3.13{\pm}0.13%$, p<0.05). Cows born in March-May had the highest % protein and cows born in June-August the lowest ($3.21{\pm}0.04$ vs. $3.06{\pm}0.05%$). Dairy cows born and subsequently calving in December-February had the highest production of milk, protein and TS, and dairy cows born in June-August the lowest. FCM and fat yields were highest in the group born in September-November and lowest in the group born in June-August.

• Animal Bioscience
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• v.35 no.3
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• pp.503-510
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• 2022

Objective: This study was performed to determine the effects of stress after road transportation and oral administration of chromium and meloxicam on growth performance, plasma cortisol, serum metabolites, and behavior in dairy calves. Methods: A total of 50 Holstein heifers (average body weight [BW]: 172±4.19 kg; average age: 5.53±0.12 months) were randomly assigned to five groups including NL (not transported + D-lactose; 1 mg/kg BW), TL (transported + D-lactose; 1 mg/kg BW), TC (transported + chromium; 0.5 mg/kg dry matter [DM] feed), TM (transported + meloxicam; 1 mg/kg BW), and TMC (transported + combination of meloxicam and chromium; 1 mg/kg BW and 0.5 mg/kg DM, respectively). Doses of D-lactose monohydrate, meloxicam, and chromium were prepared for oral administration by suspension in 15 mL of water in a 20-mL dosing syringe. Blood was collected before transportation, immediately after 120 km of transportation (IAT), and at 6, 24, and 48 h after transportation. Results: Neither transportation nor administration of meloxicam and/or chromium affected (p = 0.99) average daily gain and feed intake. Plasma cortisol concentrations in the NL group (average 0.13 and 0.18 nmol/L, respectively) were lower (p<0.001) compared to the TL group (average 0.39 and 0.61 nmol/L, respectively) at IAT and 48 h after transportation. At 48 h after transportation, cortisol concentrations were lower (p<0.05) in the TC group (average 0.22 nmol/L) than in the TL group (average 0.61 nmol/L), and TC calves had similar cortisol concentrations to NL calves. Lying duration (min/d) was shorter (p<0.05) in the TL group than in the NL group at 2 d after transportation. Lying duration was longer (p<0.05) for the TC and TMC groups than for the TL group at 2 d after transportation. Conclusion: Transportation increased cortisol concentrations and affected lying behavior, while chromium administration reduced cortisol concentrations and changed lying behavior. Thus, chromium administration before transportation may be a viable strategy to alleviate stress elicited by road transportation.

• 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.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.365-380
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• 2019

Total of 20 Holstein calves of 10 calves (3.90±0.26 month of age) born in spring (S) and 10 calves (4.10±0.30 month of age) born in fall (F) were reared in this study for 24 months and diets were divided into separate feeding of forage and concentrates (C) and TMR (T). Therefore, 4 treatments in this study were composed of CS, CF, TS and TF with the factors of diets and calving season. After parturition of heifers, all animals were fed the same diet and milk production was recorded monthly. DM intakes in growing period were influenced by calving season, and those of the animals calved in fall were higher than in those calved in spring (P<0.01), but there were no significant differences by feeding method. CP intakes and TDN intakes were significantly influenced by calving season (P<0.05) and feeding method (P<0.001), and the animals calved in fall were about 1.2% higher than those calved in spring, and the animals fed TMR were about 4.7% higher than those fed concentrates and forage separately. Average, 9th and 10th months' milk yields were significantly influenced by feeding method in which those in the treatments fed TMR (TS, TF) were higher than in separate feeding of concentrates and forage (CS, CF; average P<0.05; 9th and 10th months P<0.01). Average milk persistency was also significantly influenced by calving season (P<0.05) and feeding method (P<0.01) and those in the animals calved in fall were higher than in spring and those of the TMR fed animals were also higher than in separate feeding of concentrates and forage. Milk persistency was similar to the results of milk yield, showing statistically significant differences affected by the feeding method at 9th and 10th months of late lactation (P<0.01), and it was about 8% higher in the animals fed TMR, showing higher tendency at 7th (P=0.12) and 8th months of late lactation (P=0.09). Therefore, it is expected that postpartum milk yield and milk persistency would be higher when the hiefers are fed TMR in growing period and calved in fall. Average milk fat content was influenced by feeding method. Milk fat content of the animals fed TMR during growing period were 7.8% higher than those fed concentrates and forage separately (P<0.01). This suggests that feeding TMR during growing period influenced first postpartum eating behavior, which stabilized the rumen and resulted in the increased milk fat. At 3rd month after calving, milk fat content was lower in the animals calved in spring than in those calved in fall, suggesting that it might have been influenced by the seasonal differences. MUN showed significant differences by feeding method in which those in separate feeding of concentrates and forages were higher especially in average, 4th, 5th and 6th months (average and 4th P<0.01; 5th and 6th months P<0.05). SCC was higher in the animals fed TMR than in those fed concentrates and forage separately especially in average, 3rd and 4th months after calving (P<0.01). In conclusion, when feeding TMR during growing period and calving in fall, it was not influenced by the high temperature in summer, and it resulted in the improved milk yield, milk persistency and milk fat content.