Journal of Dairy Science最新文献

{"title":"The economic impact of purulent vaginal discharge in dairy herds within a single lactation","authors":"O.A. Ojeda-Rojas ,&nbsp;J. Pérez-Báez ,&nbsp;S. Casaro ,&nbsp;R.C. Chebel ,&nbsp;F. Cunha ,&nbsp;A. De Vries ,&nbsp;J.E.P. Santos ,&nbsp;F.S. Lima ,&nbsp;P. Pinedo ,&nbsp;G.M. Schuenemann ,&nbsp;R.C. Bicalho ,&nbsp;R.O. Gilbert ,&nbsp;S. Rodriguez-Zas ,&nbsp;C.M. Seabury ,&nbsp;G. Rosa ,&nbsp;W.W. Thatcher ,&nbsp;K.N. Galvão","doi":"10.3168/jds.2024-24897","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jds.2024-24897","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The goal of this study was to calculate the cost of purulent vaginal discharge (PVD) in dairy cows. The dataset included 11,051 cows from 16 dairy herds located in 4 regions of the United States. Purulent vaginal discharge was characterized as a mucopurulent, purulent, or reddish-brownish vaginal discharge collected at 28 ± 7 DIM. Gross profit was calculated as the difference between incomes and expenses, and the cost of PVD was calculated by subtracting the gross profit of cows with PVD from the gross profit of cows without PVD. Continuous outcomes such as milk production (kg/cow), milk sales ($/cow), cow sales ($/cow), feed costs ($/cow), reproductive management costs ($/cow), replacement costs ($/cow), and gross profit ($/cow) were analyzed using linear mixed effects models. Pregnancy and culling by 305 DIM were analyzed by generalized linear mixed effects models using logistic regression. Models included the fixed effects of PVD, metritis, parity, region, season of calving, and morbidity in the first 60 DIM, as well as the interactions between PVD and metritis, PVD and parity group, and PVD and morbidity. Farm and the interaction between PVD and farm were considered random effects in all the statistical models. A stochastic analysis was conducted using 10,000 iterations with varying relevant inputs. Cows with PVD produced less milk (9,753.2 ± 333.6 vs. 9,994.6 ± 330.9 kg/cow), were less likely to be pregnant (70.7 ± 1.7% vs. 78.9 ± 1.2%), and were more likely to be culled by 305 DIM (34.6 ± 1.7% vs. 27.2 ± 1.3%) compared with cows without PVD. Consequently, milk sales (4,744.7 ± 162.3 vs. 4,862.1 ± 161.0 $/cow) and residual cow value (1,079.6 ± 23.0 vs. 1,179.3 ± 20.3 $/cow) were lesser for cows with PVD. Replacement (639.4 ± 26.4 vs. 526.0 ± 23.4 $/cow) and reproductive management costs (76.3 ± 2.5 vs. 69.0 ± 2.4 $/cow) were greater for cows with PVD. The mean cost of PVD was $202. The stochastic analysis also showed a mean cost of $202, ranging from $152 to $265. The robust dataset and the stochastic analysis strengthen both the external and internal validity of our findings, offering a deeper understanding of the economic consequences of PVD. In conclusion, PVD resulted in large economic losses to dairy herds by being associated with decreased milk yield, impaired reproduction, and greater culling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":"108 3","pages":"Pages 2710-2720"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142811816","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Biochar supplementation affects the microbiome of recycled manure solids for cow bedding: A metagenomic analysis","authors":"Joana F. Guerreiro ,&nbsp;Ana J. Pires ,&nbsp;Mónica Nunes ,&nbsp;Ana Esteves ,&nbsp;Lélia Chambel ,&nbsp;Pedro Pascoal ,&nbsp;Marcelo Pereira ,&nbsp;David Fangueiro ,&nbsp;Luís Tavares ,&nbsp;Ricardo Dias ,&nbsp;Ricardo Bexiga ,&nbsp;Manuela Oliveira","doi":"10.3168/jds.2024-25616","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jds.2024-25616","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>The widespread use of recycled manure solids (RMS) as cow bedding material is not without risks, because cattle manure may act as a vehicle for pathogenic and antimicrobial-resistant bacteria dissemination. Thus, our aim was to evaluate RMS supplemented with a pine biochar produced in Portugal as a new cow bedding material, because the use of biochar has been shown to have the potential to mitigate the effect of relevant bacterial species when added to animal manure microbiota. Our experimental setup consisted on fresh RMS samples that were collected on a commercial dairy farm and placed in naturally-ventilated containers for a total of 4 groups: (1) nonsupplemented RMS, (2) RMS supplemented with 2.5% (wt/wt) of biochar, (3) RMS supplemented with 5% (wt/wt) of biochar, and (4) RMS supplemented with 10% (wt/wt) of biochar. Sampling was performed at 4 different incubation times (0, 5, 15, and 30 d) and in 2 distinct seasons: April through May (humid season) and June through July (dry season). The resulting 32 samples were subjected to DNA extraction and their microbiome profile determined through complete 16S rDNA gene sequencing using Nanopore next-generation sequencing. We observed that biochar supplementation clearly altered the microbiome of RMS, which was reflected in changes in populations' diversity and the relative abundance of relevant pathogenic bacteria. In particular, we found that long-term storage (30 d) was more beneficial than short-term storage, an effect that was more evident for samples supplemented with 2.5% or 5% biochar. In both seasons, those concentrations of biochar led to a decrease in the levels of several mastitis-causing agents (<em>Enterobacteriaceae</em>, streptococci, enterococci, and staphylococci). In addition, we also observed a reduction in the levels of <em>Salmonella</em> spp. and gram-positive bacilli in the biochar-supplemented samples. Unexpectedly, however, those same conditions yielded an increase in the abundance of <em>Brucella</em> spp., a group that includes important infectious agents, highlighting the need for a deeper evaluation of the effect of biochar supplementation of RMS to ensure the future safe and sustainable use of this environmentally-friendly resource in animal production.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":"108 3","pages":"Pages 2620-2631"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142875702","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Pathway mapping of exhaled volatile organic compounds associated with blood and ruminal fluid metabolites to describe the nutritional and metabolic status of lactating dairy cows","authors":"J. Eichinger ,&nbsp;A.-M. Reiche ,&nbsp;P. Fuchsmann ,&nbsp;L. Eggerschwiler ,&nbsp;A. Münger ,&nbsp;K. Huber ,&nbsp;F. Dohme-Meier","doi":"10.3168/jds.2024-25390","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jds.2024-25390","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Exhaled breath offers an interesting matrix for low invasive sampling of potentially relevant information about the organism's metabolism in the form of volatile organic compounds (VOC). The VOC can be exhaled by the ructus or pass the blood–lung barrier for expiration through the lungs. In this work, we consider exhaled breath as a mixture of VOC derived from the lungs and from the upper gastrointestinal tract. However, the informative value of exhaled breath in ruminants remains largely unstudied. The aim of this study was to identify exhaled VOC that could be used to assess the nutritional and metabolic status of dairy cows. To do so, we performed untargeted analysis of exhaled VOC from dairy cows, investigated their correlations with commonly analyzed blood and ruminal fluid metabolites and the calculated energy balance (EB), and explored the underlying pathways of correlated exhaled VOC. This was done as part of a feeding experiment in which 32 lactating Holstein dairy cows were assigned to 2 basal diets for 12 wk. Half of the cows were fed a hay-based diet, and the other half were fed a silage-based diet. During experimental wk 1 through 8, half of the cows in each basal diet group were supplemented with a control concentrate, and the other half received an experimental concentrate containing essential oils. During experimental wk 9 through 12, all cows received the control concentrate. Exhaled breath, blood, and ruminal fluid samples were collected every 4 experimental weeks (wk 4, 8, and 12) on 3 consecutive sampling days. Exhaled breath was analyzed for VOC, ruminal fluid for VFA and ammonia, and serum samples for albumin, total protein, urea, glucose, cholesterol, BHB, and nonesterified fatty acid (NEFA) concentrations. Pearson correlations were calculated to assess the associations between exhaled VOC and concentrations of blood and ruminal fluid metabolites and the calculated EB. Fifteen correlations were found between exhaled VOC (tetradecanal and γ-hydroxybutyrate [GHB], 3-penten-2-one, 4-hydroxy-4-methylpentan-2-one, 2-ethylhexanal, 2-ethylhexan-1-ol, p-cymene) and ruminal fluid (acetate, butyrate, valerate, and ammonia) and blood metabolite concentrations (BHB, NEFA, glucose, urea, and cholesterol) across the cow groups. The underlying pathways of 3-penten-2-one, GHB, and tetradecanal were mainly related to fat and protein catabolism and therefore to the actual animal metabolism. The correlations with the other 4 exhaled VOC, 4-hydroxy-4-methylpentan-2-one, p-cymene, 2-ethyl-hexan-1-ol, and 2-ethylhexanal, were diet- or time-related, specifically due to differences in feed ingredients. The results demonstrate the associations of single exhaled VOC with the nutritional and metabolic status of healthy dairy cows. Their potential as new biomarkers should be further investigated in cows in various nutritional and metabolic states.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":"108 3","pages":"Pages 2947-2963"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142875741","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Residues of dry cow antimicrobials in colostrum and extended-spectrum and AmpC β-lactamase producing Escherichia coli in feces from young dairy calves","authors":"T.J.G.M. Lam ,&nbsp;M.A. Gonggrijp ,&nbsp;A.G.J. Velthuis ,&nbsp;M.G. Pikkemaat ,&nbsp;I.M.G.A. Santman-Berends ,&nbsp;A.E. Heuvelink","doi":"10.3168/jds.2024-25353","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jds.2024-25353","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;The duration of excretion of dry cow antimicrobials is hard to predict and therefore the level of antimicrobial residues in colostrum can differ considerably among cows. Feeding colostrum with antimicrobial residues to newborn calves may lead to antimicrobial resistance in calves. The aim of this study was to quantify the prevalence and residue level of dry cow antimicrobials in colostrum from dairy cows. Additionally, the association between antimicrobial residues in colostrum and the prevalence of extended spectrum and AmpC β-lactamase-producing &lt;em&gt;Escherichia coli&lt;/em&gt; (ESBL/AmpC-EC) in colostrum and in the feces from young dairy calves was evaluated. The work described in this paper consists of 3 studies. In the first study, in 75 of 118 colostrum samples antimicrobial residues were found, in 50 of 88 β-lactam–treated cows, and in 25 of 30 cows treated with a combination of an aminoglycoside and a β-lactam. In cows that had been dried off with a combination of an aminoglycoside and a β-lactam, antimicrobial residues were found in significantly more samples. In 38 of the colostrum samples tested, antimicrobial concentrations (mainly cloxacillin) exceeded the maximum residue limit. The prevalence of antimicrobial-positive colostrum samples presented was much higher than previously described. In the second study 28 dairy cows from 8 farms were dried off with either cloxacillin or a combination of neomycin and benzylpenicillin. Because in study 1 the tendency of a negative association was found between the use of teat sealants and the presence of antimicrobials in colostrum, it was hypothesized that with the stripping of the teat sealant much of the antimicrobial residue was removed. This hypothesis could not be confirmed by comparing antimicrobial concentrations in the first streams of the first milking and the remainder of that milking. The 22 clocaxilin-treated cows were followed up for 6 subsequent milkings, during which a decrease in the concentration of antimicrobial residues was found. In the third study, 87 cows from 10 herds were included, of which 58 cows were dried off with cloxacillin and 29 cows were dried off without antimicrobials. Cows were compared with respect to antimicrobial residues in the first 5 milkings after calving and the occurrence of ESBL/AmpC-EC in the feces from their calves, collected at d 1, d 7 and d 14 of life. Significantly higher percentages of ESBL/AmpC-EC positive samples were found in feces samples collected at d 7 and d 14 compared with the d 1 samples. No significant differences were found in the prevalence of ESBL/AmpC-EC positive fecal samples between calves born from cows that had been dried off without antimicrobials and those that had been dried off with cloxacillin. Given the fact that cloxacillin does not select for ESBL/AmpC-EC, this was not unexpected. This study showed that colostrum from cows dried off with antimicrobials often contains antimicrobial residues. Although no effect of t","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":"108 3","pages":"Pages 2995-3006"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142875745","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Leveraging milk mid-infrared spectroscopy to authenticate animal welfare, farming practices, and dairy systems of Parmigiano Reggiano cheese","authors":"Marco Aurelio Ramirez Mauricio ,&nbsp;Marco Berton ,&nbsp;Nicolò Amalfitano ,&nbsp;Diana Giannuzzi ,&nbsp;Sara Pegolo ,&nbsp;Salvatore Raniolo ,&nbsp;Marco Nocetti ,&nbsp;Riccardo Negrini ,&nbsp;Mauro Coppa ,&nbsp;Bruno Martin ,&nbsp;Stefano Schiavon ,&nbsp;Luigi Gallo ,&nbsp;Enrico Sturaro ,&nbsp;Alessio Cecchinato","doi":"10.3168/jds.2024-25466","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jds.2024-25466","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Increasing consumer concerns underscore the importance of verifying the practices and origins of food, especially certified premium products. The aim of this study was to evaluate the ability of Fourier-transform mid-infrared (FT-MIR) spectroscopy to authenticate animal welfare parameters, farming practices, and dairy systems. Data on farm characteristics were obtained from the Parmigiano Reggiano Consortium in northern Italy. Animal welfare data were collected by trained veterinarians using the assessment protocol developed by the Italian National Reference Center for Animal Welfare (CReNBA), and bulk milk test-day data were obtained from the laboratory of the Breeders Association of the Emilia Romagna Region. A merged final dataset of 12,083 bulk FT-MIR spectra records from 949 farms was created. Using a nonhierarchical clustering approach, the farms were classified into 5 dairy systems: 2 traditional systems comprising farms located in either the Apennines or the Po Plain; 2 modern systems, one that used TMR and one did not; and one traditional dairy system comprising farms rearing local breeds. To evaluate the ability of bulk milk to capture differences in farming systems, we conducted an ANOVA on milk composition. The linear models included the following effects: season, dairy system, farm, and the interaction between dairy system and season. The effect of the dairy system was significant for all milk composition traits. A 10-iteration linear discriminant analysis was used to evaluate the discriminative ability of the spectra in classifying farming practices and dairy systems. The average results of the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve revealed good authentication performance for genetic type (0.98), housing system (0.91), and feeding system (0.89), and medium-low authentication performance for geographical area (0.70); poor results were obtained for the percentage of concentrate in the diet and animal welfare parameters (0.57–0.64). With regard to dairy systems, the best result was obtained when dairy systems were grouped into 2 simplified categories, traditional versus modern (0.89), instead of the 5 categories (0.87). The results of this study show that FT-MIR is a useful tool for authenticating farming practices and dairy systems, but not animal welfare as defined by CReNBA evaluation criteria. Our results show that infrared spectroscopy has the potential to authenticate dairy products and quality label certifications.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":"108 3","pages":"Pages 2642-2657"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142942046","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"M1 polarization of hepatic macrophages in cows with subclinical ketosis is an important cause of liver injury","authors":"Bichen Zhao ,&nbsp;Ming Li ,&nbsp;Huijing Zhang ,&nbsp;Jingyi Wang ,&nbsp;Wanli Zhao ,&nbsp;Yue Yang ,&nbsp;Muhammad Usman ,&nbsp;Juan J. Loor ,&nbsp;Chuang Xu","doi":"10.3168/jds.2024-25500","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jds.2024-25500","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;Subclinical ketosis (SCK) is highly prevalent and easily overlooked, with insidious and slow progression of hepatic injury, often characterized by an imbalance in immune homeostasis. In nonruminants, macrophage polarization plays an important regulatory role in hepatic lipid accumulation, fibrosis, and inflammatory processes. Thus, we aimed to investigate the status of hepatic macrophage polarization in SCK cows and to corroborate its association with liver injury and inflammation. Twelve Holstein dairy cows (parity 2–4) were selected, and liver biopsy and blood were collected on the second week postpartum (10–14 d DIM). On the basis of serum beta-hydroxybutyric acid (BHBA) concentrations, selected cows were categorized into healthy (n = 6; BHBA &lt;1.0 m&lt;em&gt;M&lt;/em&gt;) and SCK (n = 6; 1.2 m&lt;em&gt;M&lt;/em&gt; ≤ BHBA &lt; 3.0 m&lt;em&gt;M&lt;/em&gt;) groups. Serum biochemical parameters were measured using an automatic biochemical analyzer, which indicated higher serum levels of BHBA and nonesterified fatty acids and an upregulation of liver injury indicators (aspartate aminotransferase [AST], alanine aminotransferase [ALT], total protein, globulin) in SCK cows compared with healthy cows. The ELISA assays revealed that SCK cows displayed systemic low-grade inflammation, as demonstrated by increased serum levels of haptoglobin, serum amyloid A, TGF-β, IFN-γ, and IL-1β. Liver biopsies revealed pathological histological alterations, hepatic inflammation, and macrophage polarization status. Oil Red staining indicated steatosis, whereas Sirius red staining demonstrated mild extracellular matrix deposition in the liver of SCK cows. The expression of inflammatory response-related proteins (TLR4, p-NFκB, p-I-κB, NLRP3, and Caspase 1) was elevated in the liver of SCK cows, with the increased mean fluorescence intensity of NFκB further confirming the activation of the inflammatory pathway. Furthermore, the levels of pro-inflammatory factors, TNF-α and IFN-γ, were elevated in the tissue homogenate. Macrophage phenotypic changes in SCK cows were further explored based on the results of liver injury and inflammation. Compared with healthy cows, the protein and mRNA abundance of the macrophage marker CD68 in the liver of SCK cows was higher, along with an increased mean fluorescence intensity of CD68. The SCK cows also exhibited reduced mRNA expression of the Kupffer cell marker &lt;em&gt;CLEC4F&lt;/em&gt; and elevated chemokine levels (&lt;em&gt;CXCL1&lt;/em&gt; and &lt;em&gt;CCL2&lt;/em&gt;). As evidenced by greater protein and mRNA abundance of macrophage M1 polarization markers (iNOS, IL-1β, CD86, IL-6, IL-12b, and CCL3), higher fluorescence intensity of iNOS and CD86, and an increased number of CD68&lt;sup&gt;+&lt;/sup&gt;/CD86+-positive cells observed via immunofluorescence, the macrophage polarization phenotype in the liver of SCK cows was predominantly M1. In contrast, the protein and mRNA abundances of M2 polarization markers (CD206, IL-10, and Arg1) were lower in SCK cows, accompanied by a reduced fluorescence i","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":"108 3","pages":"Pages 2933-2946"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142794263","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Evaluation of changes in calf management from 2012 to 2022 on Austrian dairy farms using an online questionnaire","authors":"Daniela Klein-Jöbstl ,&nbsp;Helene Merkinger ,&nbsp;Florian Slamanig ,&nbsp;Christian Guse ,&nbsp;Simone Steiner ,&nbsp;Lukas Kalcher ,&nbsp;Nicole Hechenberger ,&nbsp;Marc Drillich ,&nbsp;Michael Iwersen","doi":"10.3168/jds.2024-25307","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jds.2024-25307","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Calf management is important for the development, health, and welfare of the animals. In this follow-up study, we evaluated calf management practices on dairy farms in Austria using an online questionnaire in 2021 and 2022. We tested the hypothesis that farmers changed calf management on their farm within these 10 years. The total number of analyzable surveys in 2022 was 2,314. All variables changed significantly between years. Therefore, farms were chosen randomly by controlling for confounding changes in herd size (number of dairy cows), farm type (conventional vs. organic), and type of cows' barn (freestall vs. tiestall). From 2012 to 2022, the median number of cows per farm increased from 20 (interquartile range [IQR] 13 to 30) to 22 (IQR 13 to 35), and the percentage of organic-producing farms increased from 23.9% (2012) to 30.6% (2022). The number of farms offering colostrum within 4 h after birth increased from 83.7% to 87.2%. This change was significant when subsampling was performed. The quantity of first colostrum offered to the newborns was mainly 2 to 4 L (69%), with an increased percentage of farms offering less than 2 L (13.3% vs. 18.3%). The percentage of farms testing colostrum quality using an objective method (hydrometer, Brix refractometer, outflow funnel) increased significantly by 4.9-fold and was 9.4% in 2022. On most farms (88.8% and 86.6% in 2012 and 2022, respectively), calves were housed individually after birth. A higher percentage reported grouping calves at an earlier age than in 2012. In both years, mainly whole milk was fed (85.1% vs. 86.3%). The number of farms where nonsalable or waste milk was fed to calves decreased significantly from 84.0% to 74.1%. Milk allowance increased nonsignificantly. Subsampling revealed that the age at weaning increased significantly between years. The most important health problem in calves was diarrhea (in 59.8% of farms, &gt;10% of calves; and in 27.4%, &gt;25%), followed by respiratory tract disease (in 39.8% of farms, &gt;10% of calves; and on 16.4%, &gt;25%). Compared with 2012, in 2022, a significantly higher percentage of farmers stated that they had a calf diarrhea incidence of &gt;10% (39.8% vs. 59.8%). In our study, weak points regarding calf management on farms were not offering enough first colostrum, missing testing for colostrum quality, not housing calves socially in the first weeks postnatum, and feeding restricted amounts of milk. The median mortality rate of 3% (IQR 1 to 5) and increasing diarrhea incidence also show that calf management practices need improvement. Thus, how to get farmers motivated to implement changes in their management in accordance with science-based recommendations remains an open question.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":"108 3","pages":"Pages 2756-2766"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142862674","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Comparing the antioxidant effects of single and binary combinations of Lactiplantibacillus plantarum in vitro and in vivo and their application in yogurt","authors":"Kun Yang ,&nbsp;Bingjing Zhou ,&nbsp;Qianping Xu ,&nbsp;Yingtong Li ,&nbsp;Junqing Lin ,&nbsp;Yang Zhou ,&nbsp;Mingqi Liu ,&nbsp;Jin Zhao ,&nbsp;Yang Zhu ,&nbsp;Xianjun Dai","doi":"10.3168/jds.2024-25722","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jds.2024-25722","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div><em>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</em> have been studied for their antioxidant properties, which can mitigate oxidative stress and improve health outcomes. The study aimed to compare the antioxidant properties of single and binary <em>L. plantarum</em> and their impact on yogurt. <em>Lactiplantibacillus plantarum</em> 847 (Lp-C), <em>L. plantarum</em> 8014 (Lp-G), and their combination were chosen for their in vitro antioxidant potential. In vivo experiments were performed in <em>Drosophila melanogaster</em> and results showed that binary <em>L. plantarum</em> notably improved the survival time, weight, catalase activity and intestinal integrity in H₂O₂-induced flies. As compared with single <em>L. plantarum</em> treated flies, binary strains improved the survival curve, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities in females, prolonged the average survival time in males, and increased the expression level of <em>keap1, Nrf2</em>, and <em>SOD</em> genes in all sexes. To explore the effect of single and binary <em>L. plantarum</em> on milk fermentation, the physicochemical properties and antioxidant activity of yogurt were detected, and results presented that yogurt fermented with <em>L. plantarum</em> exhibited the improved antioxidant capacity, with the binary strain combination demonstrating superior effects in rheological properties and the later period of yogurt storage. This research offers a foundation for choosing the combinations of lactic acid bacteria with antioxidant properties.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":"108 3","pages":"Pages 2276-2292"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142942248","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Consequences of weaning and separation for feed intake and milking characteristics of dairy cows in a cow-calf contact system","authors":"C.L. van Zyl ,&nbsp;H.K. Eriksson ,&nbsp;E.A.M. Bokkers ,&nbsp;B. Kemp ,&nbsp;A.T.M. van Knegsel ,&nbsp;S. Agenäs","doi":"10.3168/jds.2024-25202","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jds.2024-25202","url":null,"abstract":"&lt;div&gt;&lt;div&gt;In cow-calf contact (CCC) systems breaking the maternal bond may induce stress for the cow, thereby affecting feed intake, milk yield, milk flow rate, and milk electrical conductivity. This study aimed to determine the consequences of weaning and separation strategies in CCC systems for feed intake and milking characteristics of the cow. In 2 experiments, Swedish Holstein and Swedish Red cows either had (experiment 1) whole-day CCC (CCC1, n = 12) for 8.5 ± 1.2 wk (mean ± SD) followed by 12 h of daytime CCC for 8 wk, before abrupt weaning and separation at 16.4 ± 1.2 wk, or (experiment 2) whole-day CCC for 16 ± 1.0 wk; thereafter half of the calves were weaned via nose flaps for 2 wk (NF, n = 10) before physical separation and half via nose flaps for 1 wk and fence-line contact for 1 wk (NFFL, n = 9). Cows were compared with conventionally managed cows (CONV1 or CONV2 in experiment 1 or 2) separated from their calves within 12 h postpartum. In experiment 1, the study period included the week before and after the system switch from whole-day to daytime CCC, and the week before and after separation. In experiment 2, the study period included the week before the start of weaning, during weaning, and 1 week after separation. All cows were milked in the same automatic milking unit. In experiment 1, feed intake of CCC1 cows at separation tended to be lower than CONV1 cows. In experiment 2, roughage intake of NF, NFFL, and CONV2 cows did not differ, but the concentrate intake of NF cows was lower than that of CONV2 cows. In experiment 1, the system switch did not affect milking characteristics. However, after separation, machine milk yield and milk electrical conductivity of CCC1 cows increased, remaining lower than CONV1 cows. In experiment 2, machine milk yield of NF and NFFL cows increased when calves were fitted with nose flaps, but remained lower than CONV2 cows. In the week after separation, milk yield of NFFL cows was similar to that of CONV2 cows, and the NF cows remained lower. In the week before weaning, milk flow rates of NF cows were lower than those of CONV2 cows, and the NFFL cows did not differ. Before weaning, milk electrical conductivity of NF and NFFL cows was lower than that of CONV2 cows, but not thereafter. In conclusion, machine milk yield of CCC cows remained lower either until the week of separation, for NFFL cows, or until 3 or 11 wk after weaning and separation for CCC1 and NF cows of experiments 1 and 2, respectively. Cow-calf contact reduced milk electrical conductivity, and milk and peak milk flow rates increased the week after separation of cow and calf. Not for experiment 2, but for experiment 1, cow roughage and concentrate intake decreased at separation and recovered within a week, indicating that abrupt separation exerted a greater impact on the cow than separation after nose flap weaning or fence-line contact. Future studies should compare both weaning strategies within the same experimental setup, also focusi","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":"108 3","pages":"Pages 2820-2838"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142942254","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}

{"title":"Influence of dairy cow personality traits on response to extended milking intervals and removal of supplemental concentrate in a free-traffic automated milking system","authors":"A.J. Schwanke ,&nbsp;J.E. Brasier ,&nbsp;G.B. Penner ,&nbsp;R. Bergeron ,&nbsp;T.J. DeVries","doi":"10.3168/jds.2024-25787","DOIUrl":"10.3168/jds.2024-25787","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Provision of supplemental concentrate in an automated milking system (AMS) is commonly used to encourage voluntary attendance; however, the motivation to voluntarily milk is highly variable between cows. The objectives of this study were to determine whether dairy cow personality is associated with (1) their short-term response to changes in factors believed to motivate voluntary AMS visits, such as udder pressure and provision of supplemental feed (modulated by longer milking intervals or removal of AMS concentrate, respectively); and (2) their milking activity, production, and feeding behavior after returning to pretreatment AMS milking interval and concentrate feed settings (i.e., behavioral flexibility). A total of 31 early-lactation Holstein cows (95 ± 13 DIM), who had been acclimated to, and were using, an AMS for 2 wk, were enrolled in this study. Baseline AMS settings restricted milking intervals to a minimum of 6 h and an AMS concentrate allocation of up to 5.4 kg/d DM. Previously, at 80 DIM, each cow was assessed for personality traits using a combined arena test consisting of exposure to a novel environment, novel object, and novel human. Principal component analysis of behaviors observed during the personality assessment revealed 3 factors (interpreted as sociable-explorative, active, and bold) that together explained 81% of the variance. Cow scores for each factor ranged from −2.29 to 2.34. Cows were exposed to each of 2 treatments in a crossover design, with a 6-d baseline period, followed by 2 experimental treatment periods of 6 d each, and finally a 6-d period during which all cows returned to baseline AMS settings (total duration of 24 d/cow). Treatments consisted of (1) increased minimum milking interval of 9 h and an AMS concentrate allowance of up to 5.4 kg DM/d (INT); or (2) supplemental AMS concentrate being removed and a minimum milking interval of 6 h (CONC). During the experimental periods, cows had more voluntary AMS visits on INT compared with CONC (7.3 vs. 5.2 visits/d), and cows who were more active had fewer voluntary AMS visits compared with less active cows (visits/d = −2.2 × activeness score + 6.0). Among cows in the INT-CONC treatment order group, more active cows made fewer voluntary AMS visits (visits/d = −4.1 × activeness score + 5.8) during the baseline 2 period. More sociable-explorative cows had greater milk yield (kg/d = 1.8 × sociable-explorative score + 36) in baseline 2 compared with less sociable-explorative cows. These results suggest that cow personality may not affect the response of cows to factors that affect voluntary AMS visits, although individual personality does influence overall behavior in AMS.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":354,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Dairy Science","volume":"108 3","pages":"Pages 2856-2874"},"PeriodicalIF":3.7,"publicationDate":"2025-03-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"142997737","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":1,"RegionCategory":"农林科学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}