• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.11 no.5
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• pp.470-474
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• 1998

Data on the first lactation performance traits of $F_1$, $F_2$ and $F_3$ crosses covering the period from 1972 to 1995 of a total of 803 dairy cows of three genetic grades maintained at Livestock Production Research Farm, Indian Veterinary Research Institute, Izatnagar were analysed. Three genetic grades were 1/2 Friesian + 1/2 Hariana (FH), 1/2 Friesian + 1/4 Brown Swiss and 1/4 Hariana (FBH) and 1/2 Friesian+ 1/4 Jersey + 1/4 Hariana (FJH). Age at first calving increased by 7% and 8% in $F_2$ and $F_3$, respectively, over the $F_1$ in FH. The reduction in age at first calving at $F_2$ and $F_3$ levels by 2-7% over the $F_1$ was observed in FBH and FJH. The lactation milk yield of $F_1$, $F_2$ and $F_3$ crosses was $1,943{\pm}100.3$, $2202{\pm}120.5$ and $1,925{\pm}123.2kg$ in FH; $2,014{\pm}76.7$, $2,264{\pm}91.5$ and $2,096{\pm}123.9kg$ in FBH and $2,005{\pm}87.0$, $2,414{\pm}94.4$ and $2,093{\pm}121.1kg$ in FJH, respectively. The lactation milk yield improved by 12-20% in $F_2$ crosses in various genetic grades. The performance of $F_1$ was, however, maintained in FH $F_3$ crosses, it improved by 4% in FBH and FJH $F_3$ crosses. The lactation lengths and calving intervals were nearly the same for $F_1$, $F_2$ and $F_3$ crosses in FH while lactation lengths and calving intervals were reduced by 3-11% in $F_2$ and $F_3$ crosses in FBH and FJH genetic grades. The milk yield/day of lactation length and milk yield/day of calving interval increased by 16-35% in $F_2$ and 2-14% in $F_3$ over the $F_1$ in various genetic grades. It is recommended that a sufficiently large effective population size of these three genetic grades be maintained by inter se matings and rigorous selection of sires so for developing a genetic base population for new breed development.

• Korean Journal of Organic Agriculture
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• v.26 no.3
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• pp.515-532
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• 2018

Light is an essential and powerful element to animals. A light-emitting diode (LED) is most efficient in terms of economic benefits. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effects of LED lighting time on milk production, milk composition, and the immune response of Holstein cows. Forty lactating cows were assigned to four experimental groups: control; natural daylight, treatment; am3-6, pm6-12 and pm6-am6. We found that there was no significant effect on the decrease ratio in milk production among the groups. Milk urea nitrogen (MUN) was significantly decreased in pm6-am6 and pm6-12 than the control. With regard to the hemolytic biochemical analysis, GLU was significantly increased and CRE, T-BIL were significantly decreased in the pm6-12 than the control. IGF-1 levels were significantly increased in pm6-12 compared to other groups. Besides, cortisol was significantly lowered in the pm6-12 than the control, while prolactin, IgA and IgG were not significant among the groups. In addition, catalase and glutathione peroxidase were also significantly increased in pm6-12 than the control. However, antioxidant enzyme activity and superoxide dismutase were not significant among the experimental groups. Therefore, it was concluded that LED lighting time had some impact on blood parameters and immune responses in dairy cows without any changes in milk production.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.41 no.3
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• pp.407-412
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• 2001

Milk data may be increasingly used as indicators of the protein-energy balance and actual farm feeding practices. It was related to milk production, nutritional and reproductive disorders. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between level of fat, protein or milk urea nitrogen (MUN) from the first test within 35 days in milk and displaced abomasum (DA) in a large dairy herd with high yielding Holstein cows. Milk data from forty-five DA cases were compared to those from 90 healthy cows. Higher odds of DA diagnosis was found with higher 5.0% milk fat, lower 3.0% milk protein. Therefore, cows with a fat to protein ratio of>1.5 had higher risks for DA. Also, incidence rates of DA was higher in the cows which the level of MUN was lower than 12.0 mg/dl or higher than 25.0 mg/dl relative to healthy cows. These results indicate that cows diagnosed with DA were energy deficient prior to DA diagnosis. We conclude that level of fat, protein or MUN serve as a monitoring tool of protein and energy nutritional balance in early lactation cows and also as a significant predictor of risk for DA.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.1
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• pp.88-91
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• 2001

In order to investigate the relationship between the incidence of displaced abomasum and feeding, the actual feeding practices and chemical compositions of roughage were examined in 2 kinds of farms at Tokachi district in Hokkaido. Examination of animal health records revealed that the annual milk yield per cow in high incidence (H-DA) farms was significantly higher than that in low incidence (L-DA) farms. The amount of concentrates fed in H-DA farms tended to be higher than that in L-DA farms during lactation. Compared to L-DA farms, the amount of juicy roughage (corn silage and grass silage) and dry roughage (hay, hay cube and roll wrap silage) during lactation in H-DA farms tended to be higher and lower, respectively. Moreover, the amount of roughage and the ratio of roughage to concentrates in H-DA farms tended to be lower than in L-DA farms. The survey indicated that displaced abomasum was associated with insufficient feeding of dietary fiber and overfeeding of concentrates.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.19 no.10
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• pp.1415-1421
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• 2006

Proper nutritional management during the dry period is required to prevent metabolic disorders during the time of parturition and for potential increase milk yield during early lactation, especially under the heat of summer. The effect of prepartum diets on partitioning of nitrogen (N), calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), magnesium (Mg) and potassium (K) during dry period and early lactation in summer was investigated. Nine cows were assigned to two groups and fed either control (group C: four cows) or high concentrate (group H: five cows) diets to meet 110% of their requirements before parturition. The proportion of concentrate in control diet was 35%, and that in the high concentrate diet was 45%. After parturition, all cows were fed the same diets ad libitum during lactation. Balance trials were conducted at 9, 8 and 7 days before parturition and at 12, 13 and 14 days after parturition. Before parturition, dry matter intake (DMI), DM and NFE digestibility in group C tended to be lower than those in group H. The retention of N (p<0.01) and P (p<0.05) in group C during the dry period was significantly lower than those in group H. The retention of Mg in group C during the dry period tended to be lower than in group H. The concentration of plasma NEFA in group C tended to be higher than in group H during dry period. The prepartum diet did not have an apparent effect on DMI and milk yield at 2 weeks after parturition and N, Ca, P, Mg and K balance after parturition.

• Korean Journal of Veterinary Research
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• v.42 no.2
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• pp.163-170
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• 2002

The relationship between level of milk composition and conditions of ovary and uterus were analyzed in Holstein cows at seven farms participating in a reproductive herd health management program. Milk data were taken from 503 early lactating cows between 30 and 60 days in milk with reproductive examination with ultrasonography from september 1999 to August 2000. Milk fat, protein and solid-not-fat concentration in the herds were $3.70{\pm}1.08%$, $2.97{\pm}0.35$, and $8.41{\pm}0.61%$, respectively. The reproductive disorder relative to normal cows had higher risk in the cows that the level of protein was lower than 2.70%. Also, the higher milk fat than 4.50% were associated with a higher risks in the uterine disease and follicular cysts. Therefore, the cows with the fat to protein ratio of > 1.30 had higher risks for reproductive disorder such as cystic ovarian diseases, inactive ovaries and endometritis. These results indicated that cows diagnosed with reproductive disorder were energy deficient prior to reproductive disorder diagnosis. Consequently, milk fat and protein analyses may be used serve as a monitoring tool for condition of ovary and uterus in early lactating cows

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.14 no.8
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• pp.1090-1097
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• 2001

Nine tons of fresh rice straw from early-maturing varieties was ensiled with 50 g urea $kg^{-1}$ DM straw in plastic bags immediately after threshing. Five months after storage, preserved straw was used to partially replace elephant grass (Pennisetum purpureum, Schumach) for lactating cows. Eight crossbred Holstein lactating cows (75% of Holstein blood) in their second to fourth lactation and in mid-lactation were arranged in a balanced design with two squares consisting of $4\;periods{\times}4\;treatments$ (100% grass ad lib. as a control; 75% grass+urea treated fresh rice straw (UTrFRS) ad lib.; 50% grass+UTrFRS ad lib.; 25% grass+UTrFRS ad libitum) in one square. A concentrate supplement was given at a rate of 400 g per day per kg of milk produced. Samples of fresh straw taken in the field and UTrFRS and elephant grass taken at feeding time were evaluated in a degradation trial with 3 fistulated heifers (undefined blood ratio of crossbred of Sindhi and local yellow cattle). Straw preserved for 5-9 months was in nearly all cases of good quality. Crude protein (CP) content was increased 2.1 fold and 48 h dry matter loss (DML) was 20% higher compared to dry straw. Elephant grass cultivated intensively was low in DM content and 10% higher in 48 h DML compared to UTrFRS. Dry matter intake (DMI) was higher for the mixture of UtrFRS and Elephant grass, and highest when one-third of the roughage was UTrFRS. Higher DMI of mixed roughage diets was probably due to the low DM content of elephant grass in the sole grass roughage diet. Increasing substitution of elephant grass with UTrFRS up to 75% of the roughage component increased milk fat content and had no effect on milk yield and other milk composition parameters. Feeding UTrFRS, partially replacing elephant grass in the diets of lactating cows in the dry season can reduce the cost of roughage.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.22 no.2
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• pp.216-224
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• 2009

In Japan, since rice consumption has been decreasing with the westernization of Japanese eating habits, surplus paddy fields have been increasing. If these surplus paddy fields can be utilized for forage rice production as feed for animal production and excretions (feces and urine) from animal production can be applied to the paddy fields as manure, then the problems of surplus paddy fields and excretions from animal production may be solved, and the environment kept sustainable. The objectives of the present study were to apply a bio-economic model to dairy and forage rice integration systems in Japan and to examine the merit of introducing whole crop rice silage (WCRS), as well as economic and environmental effects of various economic and management options in the systems. Five simulations were conducted using this model. The use of WCRS as a home-grown feed increased environmental loads and decreased economic benefit because of the higher amount of purchased feed, when compared to the use of typical crops such as maize, alfalfa and timothy silage (simulation 1). Higher economic benefits from higher forage rice yields and higher milk production of a dairy cow were obtained (simulations 2, 3). There were no economic and environmental incentives for utilizing crude protein (CP) rich WCRS, because an increase in the CP content in WCRS led to the use of more chemical fertilizers, resulting in high production costs and nitrogen outputs (simulation 4). When evaluated under the situation of a fixed herd size, increasing forage rice yields decreased the total benefit of the production, in spite of the fact that the amount of subsidies per unit of land increased (simulation 5). It was indicated that excess subsidy support may not promote yield of forage rice. It was, however, observed in most cases that dairy and forage rice integration systems could not be economically established without subsidies.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.24 no.8
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• pp.1031-1040
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• 2011

The objective of this study was to characterize factors influencing genetic improvement of dairy cattle for milk production at farm level. Data were accumulated from 305-day milk yields and pedigree information from 1,921 first-lactation dairy cows that calved from 1990 to 2007 on 161 farms in Central Thailand. Variance components were estimated using average information restricted maximum likelihood procedures. Animal breeding values were predicted by an animal model that contained herd-year-season, calving age, and regression additive genetic group as fixed effects, and cow and residual as random effects. Estimated breeding values from cows that calved in a particular month were used to estimate genetic trends for each individual farm. Within-farm genetic trends (b, regression coefficient of farm milk production per month) were used to classify farms into 3 groups: i) farms with negative genetic trend (b<-0.5 kg/mo), ii) farms with no genetic trend (-0.5 kg/$mo{\leq}b{\leq}0.5$ kg/mo), and iii) farms with positive genetic trend (b>0.5 kg/mo). Questionnaires were used to gather information from individual farmers on educational background, herd characteristics, farm management, decision making practices, and opinion on dairy farming. Farmer's responses to the questionnaire were used to test the association between these factors and farm groups using Fisher's exact test. Estimated genetic trend for the complete population was $0.29{\pm}1.02$ kg/year for cows. At farm level, most farms (40%) had positive genetic trend ($0.63{\pm}4.67$ to $230.79{\pm}166.63$ kg/mo) followed by farms with negative genetic trend (35%; $-173.68{\pm}39.63$ to $-0.62{\pm}2.57$ kg/mo) and those with no genetic trend (25%; $-0.52{\pm}3.52$ to $0.55{\pm}2.68$ kg/mo). Except for educational background (p<0.05), all other factors were not significantly associated with farm group.

• Asian-Australasian Journal of Animal Sciences
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• v.17 no.4
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• pp.479-484
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• 2004

The study was conducted to assess the effect of milk production, parity, stage of lactation, season and individual milk components themselves on milk urea nitrogen (MUN) concentration and other milk components of 3,219 Holstein dairy cows in Korean dairy farms. The MUN concentrations in Korean dairy cows were estimated to 16.68$\pm$5.87 mg/dl. Milk yield was negatively correlated with fat and protein contents and somatic cell counts (SCC) in milk (p<0.01). The increasing MUN concentration has positive correlation with yield and fat content. By increasing somatic cell, milk yield was reduced and MUN level was increased. Cows in spring and winter produced more milk over 1.43 and 0.93 kg/day, respectively, than cows in summer (p<0.01). Milk urea nitrogen concentrations of milk produced in summer and fall were significantly lower (p<0.01) than those in spring and winter. Both MUN concentration and somatic cell counts were highest in winter. Milk yield was lower (p<0.01) in the first calving than other calving time and was tended to increase until the fifth parity and then decrease. Milk urea nitrogen and SCC were not related to parity of cows in this study. Milk yield and SCC were positively related to lactation period while MUN concentrations and milk fat and protein contents were negatively influenced by stage of lactation. In the present study, the relationship between MUN and reproduction of dairy cows was also investigated. Cow produced milk in high MUN concentrations (greater than 18 mg/dl) had more open days than cows in MUN concentrations less than 18 mg/dl. However, no significant difference between MUN concentration levels and frequency of artificial insemination was found in this study. It is suggested that although MUN values for nutritional management and measures of production or reproduction are used, non-nutritional factors should be considered.