• Korean Journal of Animal Reproduction
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• v.22 no.1
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• pp.81-87
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• 1998

This experiment was carried out with 12 Korean native heifers(8~12month old, body weight, 160~240kg) raised at a farm of Chang-Soo Livestock Cooperatives to evaluate the effects of rGH(recombinant growth hormone) on serum concentrations of growth hormone, estrogen, and IGF-I, weight gain, teat volume gain and processing enzyme activity of IGF-I, binding protein III at 28 day intervals. Animals used were injected with 250mg rGH at 14 day intervals from December to Ferbruary in 1994. The significant difference was found in the group of treatment on the 4th week in the endogenous GH(p<.01) and 8th week in estrogen and IGF-I(p<.05) after injectin of rGH in Korean native heifers. There were significant differences between control group and treatment group in weight and teat volume on 8th week after treatment(p<.05). Processing enzyme activity before injection of rGH were low. However, heifers injected with 250mg of rGH showed that processing enzyme activity of IGF binding protein was highly increased throughout the experiment. Present results suggest that injection of exogenous rGH to heifers can increase the growth performance and udder development of Korean native heifers by the endogenous hormonal changes.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.52 no.6
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• pp.467-473
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• 2010

A total of 4,323,781 records for informal 16 primary linear descriptive traits of dairy cows in Holstein breed from 1988 to 2007 in USA were analyzed to estimate adjustment factors for lactation number and stage. While all factors in the model were highly significant (P < 0.01), major influences on linear type traits were due to lactation number and stage. The frequencies of lactation number 1 through 6 were 58.6, 22.0, 11.8, 4.8, 2.1, and 0.8%, respectively. Further, the frequencies of lactation stage were 0.7, 76.9, 15.3, 4.9, and 2.1%, respectively, for springing, early, medium, late, and dry. To adjust 16 linear traits (stature, dairy form, strength, body depth, rump width, rump angle, legs rear view, leg set, foot angle, fore udder, rear udder height, rear udder width, udder support, udder depth, and front teat placement), additive and multiplicative adjustment factors of lactation number (lactations 2 to 4) and stage (springing, medium, late and dry) were estimated with the solutions in the generalized linear model, assigning lactation 1 and stage early as base class. Additive adjustment factors of lactation number ranged from -1.23 to 2.908, while multiplicative factors ranged from 0.853 to 2.207. Further, additive and multiplicative adjustment factors for lactation stage ranged from -0.668 to 0.785, and from 0.891 to 1.154. Application of adjustment factors to 20 randomly sampled sub-data sets produced the results that additive adjustment factors for both lactation number and stage reduced more mean square of lactation number and stage over 16 linear traits than any combination of adjustments, and leaded additive adjustment factors for both lactation number and stage as a choice of methods for adjustment of informal 16 primary linear type traits collected by classifiers of AI studs.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.44 no.1
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• pp.1-12
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• 2002

The environmental effects were studied to estimate age and lactation stage adjustment coefficients in the primary linear traits of Holstein dairy cattle in Korea. Calving year month, classifier, age-month at classification and lactation stage were the environmental factors which significantly affected the most of linear traits at the level of 0.01. F values of Stature, strength, body depth, thurl with and rear leg side view were relatively higher in the effects of age-month, and dairy form, rear udder height, rear udder width, and udder cleft had relatively higher F values in the effects of lactation stage. Udder depth were affected highly by both age-month and lactation stage. Through the least square means of traits and the interpolation and smoothing obtained by the regression analysis of log and exponential transformed adjustment coefficients, age-month and lactation stage coefficients were estimated, and applied to real data to check the variation in the age-month and lactation stage effects. The estimated mean squares showed that the variation in all the linear traits significantly were decreased for the adjusted factors without the significant changes of variation in calving year month and classifier. That udder depth adjusted for both the age-month and lactation stage resulted in the decreases of variation in the both effects.

• Journal of Veterinary Clinics
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• v.27 no.3
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• pp.246-251
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• 2010

Mastitis is an inflammation of the mammary gland that develops as a response to pathogenic microorganisms. Somatic cell count (SCC) and bacteriological analysis are the most accepted tools to determine udder health. This study evaluated the effects of intra-mammary gland infusion of silver ion against clinical mastitis in Holstein cows. Silver ion (20 ${\mu}g$/ml) was infused through the intra-mammary gland in quarters having clinical mastitis and milk was collected to determine SCC, and levels of lactoferrin and bovine serum albumin (BSA). Silver ion infusion decreased udder inflammation, firmness and swelling, and reduced clots, BSA, lactoferrin and SCC in milk. However, milk yield and circulating blood cells remained unchanged. The silver ion-mediated reductions of BSA and SCC indicate reduced inflammation and bacterial activity in silver ion-treated mammary glands in Holsteins with mastitis, which may be exploited in a curative strategy.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.4
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• pp.872-883
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• 2021

We evaluated the effects of heat stress on physiological responses and milk production in Holstein and Jersey cows reared in Korea. The mean average temperature-humidity index (THI) increased significantly from May to August and then decreased until October. The mean average rectal temperature (RT) was increased in Holstein cows compared with Jersey cows, as the THI values increased from 61 to 85. The average respiratory rate (RR) was increased in Jersey cows compared with Holstein cows when the THI value increased from 61 to 85. The average surface temperature of the rumen and udder was higher in Jersey cows than in Holstein cows when the THI value increased from 61 to 85. No significant difference was noted with respect to relative serum volumes between the breeds and THI ranges, but we measured significant changes in serum pH in Holstein and Jersey cows when the THI value increased from 61 to 85. Milk production was not significantly changed in Holstein cows when the THI increased from 61 to 85, but milk production and milk protein content were significantly altered in Jersey cows when the THI increased from 61 to 85. Current study suggests that Holstein cows still have an advantage in terms of the economic returns of dairy farms in Korea. Therefore, further research is required regarding the heat tolerance of Jersey cows in Korean climatic conditions.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.203-211
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• 2020

Objective: Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the major microorganisms responsible for subclinical mastitis in dairy cattle. The present study was designed with the aim to explore the DNA methylation patterns using the Fluorescence-labeled methylation-sensitive amplified polymorphism (F-MSAP) techniques in a S. aureus-infected mouse model. Methods: A total of 12 out-bred Institute of Cancer Research female mice ranging from 12 to 13 weeks-old were selected to construct a mastitis model. F-MSAP analysis was carried out to detect fluctuations of DNA methylation between control group and S. aureus mastitis group. Results: Visible changes were observed in white cell counts in milk, percentage of granulocytes, percentage of lymphocytes, CD⁴⁺/CD⁸⁺ ratio (CD⁴⁺/CD⁸⁺), and histopathology of mice pre- and post-challenge with S. aureus. These findings showed the suitability of the S. aureus-infected mouse model. A total of 369 fragments was amplified from udder tissue samples from the two groups (S. aureus-infected mastitis group and control group) using eight pairs of selective primers. Results indicated that the methylation level of mastitis mouse group was higher than that in the control group. In addition, NCK-associated protein 5 (Nckap5) and transposon MTD were identified to be differentially methylated through secondary polymerase chain reaction and sequencing in the mastitis group. These observations might play an important role in the development of S. aureus mastitis. Conclusion: Collectively, our study suggests that the methylation modification in Nckap5 and transposon MTD might be considered as epigenetic markers in resistance to S. aureus-infected mastitis and provided a new insight into S. aureus mastitis research in dairy industry and public health.

• Journal of Animal Science and Technology
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• v.63 no.1
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• pp.1-15
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• 2021

As a result of intensive breeding, litter size has considerably increased in pig production over the last three decades. This has resulted in an increase in farrowing complications. Prolonged farrowing will shorten the window for suckling colostrum and reduce the chances for high-quality colostrum intake. Studies also agree that increasing litter sizes concomitantly resulted in decreased piglet birth weight and increased within-litter birth weight variations. Birth weight, however, is one of the critical factors affecting the prognosis of colostrum intake, and piglet growth, welfare, and survival. Litters of uneven birth weight distribution will suffer and lead to increased piglet mortality before weaning. The proper management is key to handle the situation. Feeding strategies before farrowing, management routines during parturition (e.g., drying and moving piglets to the udder and cross-fostering) and feeding an energy source to piglets after birth may be beneficial management tools with large litters. Insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1)-driven recovery from energy losses during lactation appears critical for supporting follicle development, the viability of oocytes and embryos, and, eventually, litter uniformity. This paper explores certain management routines for neonatal piglets that can lead to the optimization of their colostrum intake and thereby their survival in large litters. In addition, this paper reviews the evidence concerning nutritional factors, particularly lactation feeding that may reduce the loss of sow body reserves, affecting the growth of the next oocyte generation. In conclusion, decreasing birth weight and compromised immunity are subjects warranting investigation in the search for novel management tools. Furthermore, to increase litter uniformity, more focus should be placed on nutritional factors that affect IGF-1-driven follicle development before ovulation.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.30 no.8
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• pp.1093-1098
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• 2017

Objective: The aim of the current study was to describe the relationship between milk yield and lactation number, stage, length and milking frequency in Korean Holstein dairy cows using an automatic milking system (AMS). Methods: The original data set consisted of observations from April to October 2016 of 780 Holstein cows, with a total of 10,751 milkings. Each time a cow was milked by an AMS during the 24 h, the AMS management system recorded identification numbers of the AMS unit, the cow being milking, date and time of the milking, and milk yield (kg) as measured by the milk meters installed on each AMS unit, date and time of the lactation, lactation stage, milking frequency (NoM). Lactation stage is defined as the number of days milking per cows per lactation. Milk yield was calculated per udder quarter in the AMS and was added to 1 record per cow and trait for each milking. Milking frequency was measured the number of milkings per cow per 24 hour. Results: From the study results, a significant relationship was found between the milk yield and lactation number (p<0.001), with the maximum milk yield occurring in the third lactation cows. We recorded the highest milk yield, in a greater lactation length period of early stage (55 to 90 days) at a $4{\times}$ milking frequency/d, and the lowest milk yield was observed in the later stage (>201 days) of cows. Also, milking frequency had a significant influence on milk yield (p<0.001) in Korean Holstein cows using AMS. Conclusion: Detailed knowledge of these factors such as lactation number, stage, length, and milking frequency associated with increasing milk yield using AMS will help guide future recommendations to producers for maximizing milk yield in Korean Dairy industries.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.28 no.3
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• pp.303-310
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• 2015

The study was conducted to analyze the genetic parameters of somatic cell score (SCS) of Holstein cows, which is an important indicator to udder health. Test-day records of somatic cell counts (SCC) of 305-day lactation design from first to fifth lactations were collected on Holsteins in Korea during 2000 to 2012. Records of animals within 18 to 42 months, 30 to 54 months, 42 to 66 months, 54 to 78 months, and 66 to 90 months of age at the first, second, third, fourth and fifth parities were analyzed, respectively. Somatic cell scores were calculated, and adjusted for lactation production stages by Wilmink's function. Lactation averages of SCS ($LSCS_1$ through $LSCS_5$) were derived by further adjustments of each test-day SCS for five age groups in particular lactations. Two datasets were prepared through restrictions on number of sires/herd and dams/herd, progenies/sire, and number of parities/cow to reduce data size and attain better relationships among animals. All LSCS traits were treated as individual trait and, analyzed through multiple-trait sire models and single trait animal models via VCE 6.0 software package. Herd-year was fitted as a random effect. Age at calving was regressed as a fixed covariate. The mean LSCS of five lactations were between 3.507 and 4.322 that corresponded to a SCC range between 71,000 and 125,000 cells/mL; with coefficient of variation from 28.2% to 29.9%. Heritability estimates from sire models were within the range of 0.10 to 0.16 for all LSCS. Heritability was the highest at lactation 2 from both datasets (0.14/0.16) and lowest at lactation 5 (0.11/0.10) using sire model. Heritabilities from single trait animal model analyses were slightly higher than sire models. Genetic correlations between LSCS traits were strong (0.62 to 0.99). Very strong associations (0.96 to 0.99) were present between successive records of later lactations. Phenotypic correlations were relatively weaker (<0.55). All correlations became weaker at distant lactations. The estimated breeding values (EBVs) of LSCS traits were somewhat similar over the years for a particular lactation, but increased with lactation number increment. The lowest EBV in first lactation indicated that selection for SCS (mastitis resistance) might be better with later lactation records. It is expected that results obtained from these multi-trait lactation model analyses, being the first large scale SCS data analysis in Korea, would create a good starting step for application of advanced statistical tools for future genomic studies focusing on selection for mastitis resistance in Holsteins of Korea.

• Journal of agriculture & life science
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• v.51 no.6
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• pp.89-105
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• 2017

This study utilized 32,312 records of 17 linear type and 10 conformation traits(including final scores) of Hanwoo cows in the KAIA(Korea Animal Improvement Association) ('09~'10), with 60,556 animals in the pedigree file. Traits included stature, body length, strength, body depth, angularity, shank thickness, rump angle, rump length, pin bone width, thigh thickness, udder volume, teat length, teat placement, foot angle, hock angle, rear leg back view, body balance, breed characteristic, head development, forequarter quality, back line, rump, thigh development, udder development, leg line, and final score. Genetic and residual(co) variances were estimated using bi-trait pairwise analyses with EM-REML algorithm. Herd-year-classifier, year at classification, and calving stage were considered as fixed effects with classification months as a covariate. The heritability estimates ranged from 0.03(teat placement) to 0.42(body length). Rump length had the highest positive genetic correlation with pin bone width(0.96). Moreover, stature, body length, strength, and body depth had the highest positive genetic correlations with rump length, pin bone width, and thigh thickness(0.81-0.94). Stature, body length, strength, body depth, rump length, pin bone width, and thigh thickness traits also had high positive genetic correlations.