• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.13 no.7
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• pp.1017-1025
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• 2000

The traditional methods for determining the quality of milk, cheese and meat are tedious and expensive, with a significant wastage of chemicals which pollute the environment. To overcome these disadvantages, the potential of near infrared spectrophotometry (NIR) for monitoring the quality of milk and meat has been evaluated by a number of researchers. While most studies indicate that NIR can be used to predict chemical composition of milk and meat, and to monitor the cutting-point during cheese manufacturing, one study demonstrated the potential of NIR to predict sensory characteristics (e.g. hardness and tenderness) of beef. These calibrations were developed on a small number of samples, limiting their value for adoption by the industries. Now that the sophisticated computer software is available, more robust calibrations need to be developed to monitor both chemical and physical characteristics of meat and meat products simultaneously.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.10 no.5
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• pp.505-509
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• 1997

Data were from four institutional herds and four field data collection centers involved in a progeny testing program for Nili-Ravi buffaloes in Pakistan. The REML with a single trait animal model, employed on 2,353 lactations, from 901 daughters of 66 sires, gave a heritability estimate of 0.18 for milk yield with repeatability (between lactations) of 0.43. Estimated milk yield was highest at 65 months of age for the first parity and 81 months for later parities. Correction factors for age at calving, standardized to 60 months in the second and later parities, were developed.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.4 no.1
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• pp.403-408
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• 1987

The occurrence of abomasal displacement in Tokachi Shimizu Cho, Hokkaido, Japan has been surveyed in relation to milk production from 1979 to 1986. In 1983 when dairy cows produced over 5.000kg of milk yield per year. the occurrence rate of abomasal displacement increased over 1%. Thereafter, the occurrence rate increased markedly as the milk production approached 6.000kg. In order to increase the number of cows which can be surgically corrected, a special ambulatory vehicle for surgery was designed. Since more cows were surgically corrected. there was a subsequent decrease in the culling rate of cows with abomasal displacement. The present survey indicated that the occurrence rate of abomasal displacement was closely related to milk production, and that surgical correction was a very effective method to treat this condition.

• Journal of Microbiology and Biotechnology
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• v.23 no.8
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• pp.1084-1091
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• 2013

In this paper, two statistical methods were applied to optimize medium components to improve the production of the milk-clotting enzyme by Bacillus amyloliquefaciens D4. First, wheat bran juice, skim milk powder, and $Na_2HPO_4$ were shown to have significant effects on D4 enzyme production using the Plackett-Burman experimental design. Subsequently, an optimal medium was obtained using the Box-Behnken method, which consisted of 3.31 g/l of skim milk powder, 5.0 g/l of sucrose, 0.1 g/l of $FeSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, 0.1 g/l of $MgSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, 0.1 g/l of $MnSO_4{\cdot}2H_2O$, 0.1 g/l of $ZnSO_4{\cdot}7H_2O$, 1.52 g/l of $Na_2HPO_4$, and 172.45 g/l of wheat bran juice. With this optimal medium, the milk-clotting enzyme production was remarkably enhanced. The milk-clotting enzyme activity reached 3,326.7 SU/ml after incubation of 48 h, which was 1.76-fold higher than that of the basic medium, showing that the Plackett-Burman design and Box-Behnken response surface method are effective to optimize medium components, and B. amyloliquefaciens D4 possessed a high rennet-producing capacity in the optimal medium.

• Journal of Nutrition and Health
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• v.53 no.5
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• pp.445-451
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• 2020

Purpose: Breastfeeding is the optimal method for feeding a newborn. But insufficient breast milk is the major reason why mothers give up breastfeeding. Herbal galactagogues have been used increasingly to treat postpartum hypogalactia. This study examined the effect of an herbal tea containing Chrysanthemum indicum, as the main ingredient, on milk production in lactating rats. Methods: The herbal tea contained C. indicum (27%), Foeniculum vulgare Mill (21%), Pimpinella anisum (18.2%), Carum carvi (16.1%), Urtica dioica (14.7%), and Gardenia jasminoides (3%). Sixteen lactating Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats were divided randomly into 2 groups, the normal control group (NC; n = 8), and the galactagogue herbal tea group (GHT; n = 8) for 7 days. Lactating rats were administered the decoction of an herbal galactagogue mixture by oral gavage or the same amount of distilled water and milk production was assessed by measuring the pups' weights during the suckling period. The blood concentrations of prolactin, cortisol, oxytocin levels and mammary gland tissues were examined to assess the effects of the galactagogue. Results: Milk production was 9.2% higher in the GHT group given the herbal tea than in the NC group and the difference was statistically significant. The cortisol level in the GHT group was 17.2% higher than the NC group. The herbal tea containing C. indicum increased the size of the alveoli epithelium cells and the mammary lobe. Conclusion: The present study revealed the potential of herbal tea containing C. indicum to enhance milk production in postpartum SD rats.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.10
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• pp.1261-1267
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• 2010

Milk production traits are important economic traits for dairy cattle. The aim of the present study was to refine the position of previously detected quantitative trait loci (QTL) on bovine chromosome 6 affecting milk production traits in Chinese Holstein dairy cattle. A daughter design with 918 daughters from 8 elite sire families and 14 markers spanning the previously identified QTL region were used in the analysis. We employed a combined linkage and linkage disequilibrium analysis (LDLA) approach with two options for calculating the IBD probabilities, one was based on haplotypes of all 14 markers (named Method 1) and the other based on haplotypes with sliding windows of 5 markers (named Method 2). For milk fat yield, the two methods revealed a highly significant QTL located within a 6.5 cM interval (Method 1) and a 4.0 cM interval (Method 2), respectively. For milk protein yield, a highly significant QTL was detected within a 3.0 cM interval (Method 1) or a 2.5 cM interval (Method 2). These results confirmed the findings of our previous study and other studies, and greatly narrowed down the QTL positions.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.9
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• pp.1387-1399
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• 2020

Objective: The objective of this study was to estimate the genetic parameters and trends for milk, fat, and protein yields in the first three lactations of Thai dairy cattle using a 3-trait,-3-lactation random regression test-day model. Methods: Data included 168,996, 63,388, and 27,145 test-day records from the first, second, and third lactations, respectively. Records were from 19,068 cows calving from 1993 to 2013 in 124 herds. (Co) variance components were estimated by Bayesian methods. Gibbs sampling was used to obtain posterior distributions. The model included herd-year-month of testing, breed group-season of calving-month in tested milk group, linear and quadratic age at calving as fixed effects, and random regression coefficients for additive genetic and permanent environmental effects, which were defined as modified constant, linear, quadratic, cubic and quartic Legendre coefficients. Results: Average daily heritabilities ranged from 0.36 to 0.48 for milk, 0.33 to 0.44 for fat and 0.37 to 0.48 for protein yields; they were higher in the third lactation for all traits. Heritabilities of test-day milk and protein yields for selected days in milk were higher in the middle than at the beginning or end of lactation, whereas those for test-day fat yields were high at the beginning and end of lactation. Genetics correlations (305-d yield) among production yields within lactations (0.44 to 0.69) were higher than those across lactations (0.36 to 0.68). The largest genetic correlation was observed between the first and second lactation. The genetic trends of 305-d milk, fat and protein yields were 230 to 250, 25 to 29, and 30 to 35 kg per year, respectively. Conclusion: A random regression model seems to be a flexible and reliable procedure for the genetic evaluation of production yields. It can be used to perform breeding value estimation for national genetic evaluation in the Thai dairy cattle population.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.11
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• pp.1511-1515
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• 2001

A prediction of 305 d milk production from early records using an empirical Bayes method (EBM) was performed. The EBM was compared with the best predicted estimation (BPE), test interval method (TIM), and the linearized Wood's model (LWM). Daily milk yields were obtained from 606 first lactation Japanese Holstein cows in three herds. From each file of 305 daily records, 10 random test day records with an interval of approximately one month were taken. The accuracies of these methods were compared using the absolute difference (AD) and the standard deviation (SD) of the differences between the actual and the estimated 305 d milk production. The results showed that in the early stage of the lactation, EBM was superior in obtaining the prediction with high accuracy. When all the herds were analyzed jointly, the AD during the first 5 test day records were on average 373, 590, 917 and 1,042 kg for EBM, BPE, TIM, and LWM, respectively. Corresponding SD for EBM, BPE, TIM, and LWM were on average 488, 733, 747 and 1,605 kg. When the herds were analyzed separately, the EBM predictions retained high accuracy. When more information on the actual lactation was added to the prediction, TIM and LWM gradually achieved better accuracies. Finally, in the last period of the lactation, the accuracy of both of the methods exceeded EBM and BPM. The AD for the last 2 samples analyzing all the herds jointly were on average 141, 142, 164, and 214 kg for LWM, TIM, EBM, and BPE, respectively. In the current practices of collecting monthly records, early prediction of future milk production may be more accurate using EBM. Alternatively, if enough information of the actual lactation is accumulated, TIM may obtain better accuracy in the latter stage of lactation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.23 no.3
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• pp.372-378
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• 2010

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of an oral drench of propylene glycol (PG) on milk production, serum metabolites and reproductive performance during the transition period of animals. Twenty-four 2-3 multiparous Holstein cows (average body weight 565 kg, body condition score about 3.6, at the $9^{th}$ month of gestation) were selected, blocked, and then randomly assigned into a PG and a control group. The control and the PG group cows were orally drenched with water or 50 ml sugarcane molasses mixed with 500 ml PG from 7 days pre-partum to 30 days post-partum, respectively. Experimental results indicated that the oral drench PG had no effect on dry matter intake (DMI). The milk yield of the PG group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.05), whereas milk fat content, milk protein and somatic cell counts (SCC) were not significantly different between groups. Concentration of plasma glucose in the PG group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.05). Conversely, the concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) in the PG group were lower than those of the control group (p<0.05). Concentrations of insulin and ketone bodies were not significantly difference between groups. Body condition score (BCS) in the PG group was significantly higher than that of the control group (p<0.05). In reproductive performance there was no difference between groups. The experimental results indicate that supplementation of PG during the transition period of dairy cows can supply energy rapidly, resulting in reduced catabolism of body tissue and increased milk yield.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.1
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• pp.65-72
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• 2011

Twenty-four Holstein dairy cows were used to evaluate the single and combined effects of different levels of crude protein (CP) and monensin treatment during early lactation on blood metabolites, milk yield and digestion of dairy cows. The experiment was designed as a completely randomized block with a $3{\times}2$ factorial arrangement of treatments. The factors were three concentrations of CP supplement (19.5, 21.4, and 23.4% of dry matter) and two levels of monensin (0 and 350 mg per cow per day). The experiment consisted of three phases and each phase was 3 wk in length. Monensin did not affect milk yield, lactose, solids-non-fat (SNF), blood glucose, triglyceride and DMI, but increased blood cholesterol, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), insulin and reduced blood ${\beta}$-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA), milk fat and protein percentage. Monensin premix significantly decreased rumen ammonia, but rumen pH and microbial protein synthesis were not affected by monensin treatment. Increasing dietary CP improved milk and protein production, but did not alter the other components of milk. Digestibility of NDF, ADF, CP were improved by increasing dietary CP. Increasing dietary CP from 19.5 to 21.4% had no significant effect on ruminal ammonia, but increasing CP to 23.4% significantly increased ruminal ammonia. There was a linear relationship between level of crude protein in the diet and volume of urine excretion. Microbial protein synthesis was affected by increasing CP level; in this way maximum protein synthesis was achieved at 23.4% CP.