• Journal of Biosystems Engineering
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• 제29권4호
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• pp.341-346
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• 2004

Recent livestock people concern not only increase of production, but also superior quality of animal-breeding environment. So far, the optimization of the breeding and air environment has been focused on the production increase. In the very near future, the optimization will be emphasized on the environment for the animal welfare and health. Especially, cattle farming demands the precision livestock farming and special attention has to be given to the management of feeding, animal health and fertility. The management of individual animal is the first step for precision livestock farming and animal welfare, and recognizing each individual is important for that. Though electronic identification of a cattle such as RFID(Radio Frequency Identification) has many advantages, RFID implementations practically involve several problems such as the reading speed and distance. In that sense, computer vision might be more effective than RFID for the identification of an individual animal. The researches on the identification of cattle via image processing were mostly performed with the cows having black-white patterns of the Holstein. But, the native Korean and Japanese cattle do not have any definite pattern on the body. The purpose of this research is to identify the Japanese black cattle that does not have a body pattern using computer vision technology and neural network algorithm. Twelve heads of Japanese black cattle have been tested to verify the proposed scheme. The values of input parameters were specified and then computed using the face images of cattle. The images of cattle faces were trained using associate neural network algorithm, and the algorithm was verified by the face images that were transformed using brightness, distortion, and noise factors. As a result, there was difference due to transform ratio of the brightness, distortion, and noise. And, the proposed algorithm could identify 100% in the range from -3 to +3 degrees of the brightness, from -2 to +4 degrees of the distortion, and from 0% to 60% of the noise transformed images. It is concluded that our system can not be applied in real time recognition of the moving cows, but can be used for the cattle being at a standstill.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제31권7호
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• pp.933-950
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• 2018

In Japan, Wagyu cattle include four Japanese breeds; Black, Brown, Shorthorn, and Polled. Today, the renowned brand name Wagyu includes not only cattle produced in Japan, but also cattle produced in countries such as Australia and the United States. In recent years, the intramuscular fat percentage in beef (longissimus muscle) from Japanese Black cattle has increased to be greater than 30%. The Japanese Black breed is genetically predisposed to producing carcass lipids containing higher concentrations of monounsaturated fatty acids than other breeds. However, there are numerous problems with the management of this breed including high production costs, disposal of untreated excrement, the requirement for imported feed, and food security risks resulting from various viral diseases introduced by imported feed. The feeding system needs to shift to one that is more efficient, and improves management for farmers, food security for consumers, and the health environment for residents of Japan. Currently, we are developing a metabolic programming and an information and communications technology (ICT, or Interne of Things) management system for Wagyu beef production as future systems. If successful, we will produce safe, high-quality Wagyu beef using domestic pasture resources while solving the problems of how to utilize increasing areas of abandoned agricultural land and to make use of the plant-based feed resources in Japan's mountainous areas.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제19권9호
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• pp.1266-1270
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• 2006

This study was carried out to determine the contents of vitamins A and E in carcass fat from Japanese Black and F1 cross cattle, because the method of controlling the amount of vitamin A in feed has been used in the production of expensive beef with high marbling in Japan. We determined the contents of tocopherol and retinol in subcutaneous and perirenal fats for 40 carcasses of Japanese Black and F1 (Holstein${\times}$Japanese Black crossed) cattle that had been sent to market from 10 prefectures. In bovine fat, free ${\alpha}$-tocopherol was present in the greatest amount, the level of ${\gamma}$-tocopherol was about 10% and there was only a trace of ${\delta}$-tocopherol. The means${\pm}$standard deviation of ${\alpha}$-tocopherol content in subcutaneous and perirenal fats were $0.68{\pm}0.33mg/100g$ and $0.54{\pm}0.23mg/100g$, respectively. The means${\pm}$standard deviation of retinol content in subcutaneous and perirenal fats were $2.9{\pm}4.5{\mu}g/100g$ and $2.9{\pm}5.1{\mu}g/100g$, respectively. Both vitamins differed widely between animals and were present at a relatively low level compared to other reports (${\alpha}$-tocopherol 2.4-5.4 mg/100 g fat tissue and $30-220{\mu}g/100g$ muscle tissue). The correlation coefficients between subcutaneous and perirenal fats for retinol and ${\alpha}$-tocopherol content were 0.97 (p<0.01) and 0.82 (p<0.01), respectively, which showed high correlation. However, the correlation coefficients between retinol and ${\alpha}$-tocopherol contents for subcutaneous and perirenal fats were 0.11 and 0.08, respectively, which showed low correlation. Breed effect was observed in both vitamins. These results indicated that vitamins A and E in fat from Japanese Black and F1 cross cattle under the vitamin A controlling method are present at relatively low levels and feeds need to be supplemented with vitamin E.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제17권11호
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• pp.1484-1490
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• 2004

Mitochondrial DNA haplotypes from the displacement-loop (D-loop) region (436 bp) were genotyped and sequenced in Japanese Black beef cattle raised in the same herd. Correlation coefficients between mitochondrial DNA haplotypes, maternal lineage, birth weight, preweaning average daily gain, weaning weight, post weaning average daily gain and yearling weight were computed. The objective was to study the relationship between maternal and postnatal growth traits and to investigate if postnatal growth of calves to yearling age could be accurately predicted from mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. Results of the phylogenetic analysis revealed 17 maternal lineages and four mitochondrial DNA haplotypes. There were strong, positive and highly significant (p<0.001) correlations among maternal traits ranging from 0.52 to 0.98. Similarly, among postnatal growth traits, most of the correlations were also strong, positive and highly significant (p<0.001); the highest correlation of 0.94 was between preweaning average daily gain and weaning weight. However, correlations between mitochondrial DNA haplotypes and postnatal growth traits were very low, mostly negative and non-significant (p>0.05) ranging from -0.05 to 0.1. Prediction of postnatal growth from mitochondrial DNA yielded very low $R^{2}$ values ranging from 0.002 to 0.019. It was concluded that mitochondrial DNA polymorphism has no significant association with postnatal growth from birth to yearling age, and by implication, nuclear rather than cytoplasmic DNA, accounts for most of the genetic variation observed in postnatal growth of Japanese Black cattle. Therefore, mitochondrial DNA genotyping at an early age has no bearing on the accurate prediction of the future growth performance of calves.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제28권8호
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• pp.1084-1089
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• 2015

Chemerin, highly expressed in adipose and liver tissues, regulates glucose and lipid metabolism and immunity in these tissues in ruminants and mice. Our previous reports showed that chemerin is involved in adipogenesis and lipid metabolism in adipose tissue as an adipokine. The aim of the present study was to identify single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the coding region of the chemerin gene and to analyze their effects on carcass traits and intramuscular fatty acid compositions in Japanese Black cattle. The SNPs in the bovine chemerin gene were detected in 232 Japanese Black steers (n = 161) and heifers (n = 71) using DNA sequencing. The results revealed five novel silent mutations: NM_001046020: c.12A>G (4aa), c.165GT (92aa), c.321 A>G (107aa), and c.396C>T (132aa). There was no association between 4 of the SNPs (c.12A>G [4aa], c.165GG [107aa], and c.396C>T) and carcass traits or intramuscular fatty acid compositions. Regarding the remaining SNP, c.276C>T, we found that cattle with genotype CC had a higher beef marbling score than that of cattle with genotype CT, whereas cattle with genotype CT had a higher body condition score (p<0.10). Further, cattle with genotype CC had significantly higher C18:0 content in their intramuscular fat tissue than that of cattle with genotype CT (p<0.05). On the other hand, cattle with genotype CT had significantly higher C14:0 and C16:0 content in their intramuscular fat tissue (p<0.05). Moreover, the number of individuals carrying the minor allele of c.276C>T SNP is small. It is suggested that the c.276C>T SNP of the chemerin gene has potential in cattle breeding using modern methods, such as marker assisted selection. So, further functional and physiological research elucidating the impact of the chemerin gene on bovine lipid metabolism including fatty acid synthesis will help in understanding these results.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제17권10호
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• pp.1355-1359
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• 2004

Japanese Black cattle of Hyogo prefecture (Tajima strain) are famous for its ability to produce high-quality meat and have been maintained as a closed system for more than 80 years. In order to assess the usefulness of microsatellite markers in closed cattle populations, and evaluate the genetic structure of the Tajima strain, we analyzed representative dams of the Tajima strain comprised of the substrains Nakadoi and Kinosaki. Genetic variability analyses indicated low genetic diversity in the Tajima strain. In addition, a recent genetic bottleneck, which could be accounted for by the high level of inbreeding, was detected in both substrains. In phylogenetic analyses, relationship coefficients and genetic distances between individuals were calculated using pedigree and microsatellite information. Two phylogenetic trees were constructed from microsatellite and pedigree information using the UPGMA method. Both trees illustrated that most individuals were distinguished clearly on the basis of the two substrains, although in the microsatellite tree some individuals appeared in clusters of different substrains. Comparing the two phylogenetic trees revealed good consistency between the microsatellite analysis tree and the pedigree information. The correlation coefficient between genetic distances derived from microsatellite and pedigree information was 0.686 with a high significance level (p<0.001). These results indicated that microsatellite information may provide data substantially equivalent to pedigree information even in unusually inbred herds of cattle, and suggested that microsatellite markers may be useful in revealing genetic structure without accurate or complete pedigree nformation. Japanese Black cattle of Hyogo prefecture (Tajima strain) are famous for its ability to produce high-quality meat and have been maintained as a closed system for more than 80 years. In order to assess the usefulness of microsatellite markers in closed cattle populations, and evaluate the genetic structure of the Tajima strain, we analyzed representative dams of the Tajima strain comprised of the substrains Nakadoi and Kinosaki. Genetic variability analyses indicated low genetic diversity in the Tajima strain. In addition, a recent genetic bottleneck, which could be accounted for by the high level of inbreeding, was detected in both substrains. In phylogenetic analyses, relationship coefficients and genetic distances between individuals were calculated using pedigree and microsatellite information. Two phylogenetic trees were constructed from microsatellite and pedigree information using the UPGMA method. Both trees illustrated that most individuals were distinguished clearly on the basis of the two substrains, although in the microsatellite tree some individuals appeared in clusters of different substrains. Comparing the two phylogenetic trees revealed good consistency between the microsatellite analysis tree and the pedigree information. The correlation coefficient between genetic distances derived from microsatellite and pedigree information was 0.686 with a high significance level (p<0.001). These results indicated that microsatellite information may provide data substantially equivalent to pedigree information even in unusually inbred herds of cattle, and suggested that microsatellite markers may be useful in revealing genetic structure without accurate or complete pedigree information.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제15권12호
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• pp.1680-1685
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• 2002

Reproductive data collected from more than 20,000 Japanese Black cows of Hyogo and Shimane Prefectures were analyzed. Averages of age at first calving, gestation length, days open and calving interval were 25.1 mo, 289 d, 112 d and 401 d, respectively. Variance components were obtained by REML procedure and the heritability estimate of age at first calving was 0.22. In gestation length the heritability estimate was 0.40 and no permanent environmental effect was estimated. Estimated variance components of calving interval were similar to those of days open and the heritability and repeatability of calving interval were 0.05 and 0.09, respectively. Random farm effects accounted for approximately 10% of phenotypic variations in all traits. Genetic and farm correlations between age at first calving and calving interval were 0.27 and 0.39, respectively. It was found that temporary environment was an important source of variation for calving intervals of Japanese Black.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제26권7호
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• pp.930-934
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• 2013

The growth performance of embryo-transferred Japanese Black calves that were born from, and suckled by, Japanese Shorthorn cows in a cow-calf grazing system (BS-group, n = 5) was compared to that of Japanese Black calves from Japanese Black cows in a cowshed (BB-group, n = 5). The daily weight gain from birth to 1 month was higher in the BS-group than in the BB-group (p<0.01), and the same trend (p<0.05) was observed at 2 and 3 months of age. This resulted in body weight that was significantly higher for the BS-group between 1 and 3 months of age than what was observed for the BB-group (p<0.05). Heart girth was significantly greater in the BS-group than in the BB-group throughout the experimental period (p<0.01), and chest depth and withers height in the BS-group were significantly greater from 2 to 4 months of age (p<0.05) and at 4 months of age only (p<0.05). No difference in body length (p>0.05) was observed between the groups. These results suggest that the maternal effect of Japanese Shorthorn cows was positive for embryo-transferred Japanese Black calf growth during the early suckling stage. As Japanese Black calves are traded at a high price on the Japanese market, we conclude that this proposed production system is likely to improve the profitability of herd management in upland Japan.

• Animal Bioscience
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• 제36권3호
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• pp.506-520
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• 2023

Objective: Japanese Brown (JBR) cattle, especially the Kochi (Tosa) pedigree (JBRT), is a local breed of moderately marbled beef. Despite the increasing demand, the interbreed differences in muscle metabolites from the highly marbled Japanese Black (JBL) beef remain poorly understood. We aimed to determine flavor-related metabolites and postmortem metabolisms characteristic to JBRT beef in comparison with JBL beef. Methods: Lean portions of the longissimus thoracis (loin) muscle from four JBRT cattle were collected at 0, 1, and 14 d postmortem. The muscle metabolomic profiles were analyzed using capillary electrophoresis time-of-flight mass spectrometry. The difference in post-mortem metabolisms and aged muscle metabolites were analyzed by statistical and bioinformatic analyses between JBRT (n = 12) and JBL cattle (n = 6). Results: A total of 240 metabolite annotations were obtained from the detected signals of the JBRT muscle samples. Principal component analysis separated the beef samples into three different aging point groups. According to metabolite set enrichment analysis, post-mortem metabolic changes were associated with the metabolism of pyrimidine, nicotinate and nicotinamide, purine, pyruvate, thiamine, amino sugar, and fatty acid; citric acid cycle; and pentose phosphate pathway as well as various amino acids and mitochondrial fatty acid metabolism. The aged JBRT beef showed higher ultimate pH and lower lactate content than aged JBL beef, suggesting the lower glycolytic activity in postmortem JBRT muscle. JBRT beef was distinguished from JBL beef by significantly different compounds, including choline, amino acids, uridine monophosphate, inosine 5'-monophosphate, fructose 1,6-diphosphate, and betaine, suggesting interbreed differences in the accumulation of nucleotide monophosphate, glutathione metabolism, and phospholipid metabolism. Conclusion: Glycolysis, purine metabolism, fatty acid catabolism, and protein degradation were the most common pathways in beef during postmortem aging. The differentially expressed metabolites and the relevant metabolisms in JBRT beef may contribute to the development of a characteristic flavor.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• 제33권2호
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• pp.197-202
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• 2020

Objective: The objective of this study was to identify environmental factors strongly associated with and to estimate genetic parameters of reproductive traits in Japanese Black heifers. Methods: Data included reproduction records of Japanese Black heifers born between 2004 and 2014. First service non-return rate (NRR) to 56 days from first to successful insemination (FS), number of services per conception (IN), age at first calving (AFC) and gestation length were analyzed with the use of the general linear model. Genetic parameters were estimated with the use of the univariate animal model of the residual maximum likelihood. Results: Averages of reproductive traits over eleven years were assessed, and the effects of farm, year, month, artificial insemination technician and interaction of farm×year on the traits were determined. Estimated heritability of FS was very low and that of AFC was higher than that of the other traits. A close genetic relation was observed among NRR, IN, and FS; however, their heritabilities were very low. AFC shows favorable genetic correlation with IN and FS. Conclusion: Low heritabilities of most reproductive traits in Japanese Black heifers are strongly influenced by farm management practices, and that large residual variances make genetic evaluation difficult. Among the reproductive traits, AFC is potentially more useful for genetic improvement of heifer reproductive traits because it has high heritability and favorable genetic correlations with IN and FS.