ABSTRACT: The United Kingdom's climate and topography enable multiple different calving patterns to operate within the same market, facilitated by industry infrastructure that allows for a variety of milk purchasing arrangements. All-year-round (AYR) calving is most common, and with current labor challenges, spring block (SB), autumn block (AB), and twin block (TB) calving systems could potentially become more popular, but research comparing the efficiency of AYR and block-calving systems operating within the same market conditions is limited. This study compared the costs of production of AYR against 3 block-calving systems on a pence per liter (PPL) of ECM basis (1 pence = ₤0.01, US$1 = £1.28 at the time of the study), to assist benchmarking activities, costs, and management decisions. Farm accounts data (from 2017 to 2020), from 604 farms broadly representing the national split of calving patterns in the United Kingdom were included in a linear mixed effects (LME) model used for inference with maximum likelihood estimation. Random effects included year and farm, with fixed effects including herd size (cows), farm size (hectares), and average annual milk yield per cow, which were each standardized to enable all calving patterns to be compared at the same scale (i.e., same herd size, farm size, and milk yield). Calving pattern was self-determined by the farmer under guidance from a trained data collector. Cost of production variables investigated included milk price, stock sales (calves, cull cows, breeding animals), total income (all dairy farm revenues), total purchased feed, purchased forage, variable costs, gross margin, labor and overhead costs, and net profit. The AB herds had lower total income, lower forage purchases, higher labor costs and lower net profit compared with AYR. The SB herds had higher total income, higher forage purchases, and lower labor and overhead costs compared with AYR. No differences were found between TB and AYR herds. Using the LME model, we estimated the impact of changing the fixed effects on costs of production based on a 1-SD change. Increasing herd size (1 SD, 345 cows) was associated with a reduction in net profit of AB herds by 3.34 PPL but an increase in net profit for SB herds by 5.57 PPL compared with AYR. For increasing farm size (1 SD, 164 ha), all 3 block-calving herds had different associations compared with AYR; net profits would be increased for AB and TB herds (by 1.33 and 2.12 PPL, respectively), whereas SB herds would have reduced net profit by 4.26 PPL. Increasing energy corrected milk yield (1 SD, 4,038 L) would only benefit the net profit of SB herds over AYR by 6.04 PPL, as SB herds had the lowest milk yield per cow. The results demonstrated that increasing land, cows, or milk yield per cow was associated with different responses in cost of production depending on calving pattern. Findings from this study could be used by extension services, farm advisors, and farmers for benchmarking purposes and when considering farm-scale decisions or switching from an AYR to a block-calving pattern.
Denyus Augusto de Oliveira Padilha, Daniela Lourenco, Daniel Gianola
et al.
ABSTRACT: The GEBV for health traits are typically published as probabilities obtained using threshold models. While these models benefit from theoretical properties, they require substantial computational resources and may face convergence issues. Linear models can be a good alternative, but solutions need to be approximated to the liability scale before converting the GEBV into probabilities. Recently, an approximation from observed to liability scales was presented with limited success for traits with low prevalence (<5%). Our objective was to compare a new approximation with the previous one using health traits with very low (<1%) to moderate prevalences (up to 25%). We used data from Jersey cows for lameness, mastitis, retained placenta, ketosis, metritis, and displaced abomasum (up to 800k phenotypes per trait). Genotypes for 45k SNP were available for 200k animals. The GEBV were predicted using single-trait threshold and linear models implemented in the BLUPF90 software suite. Both approximations involved scaling the GEBV in the observed scale. The scaling factor was (1) the square root of the product of the residual variance and the proportion of unexplained variance in the linear model or (2) the height of the ordinate of a standard normal distribution evaluated at the threshold (new approximation). We used rank correlations, regression parameters, the overlapping of the distributions, mean squared error (MSE), and classification accuracy to compare GEBV from linear and threshold models on the probability scale for both approximations. Correlations between GEBV from threshold and linear models across approximations ranged from 0.87 (very low prevalence) to 0.99 (moderate prevalence). Although no differences were observed in the correlations across approximations, regression parameters, the overlapping of the distributions, MSE, and classification accuracy were improved with the new approximation method. Therefore, the new approximation provides greater consistency for large-scale evaluations using linear models for categorical traits with prevalence ranging from very low to moderate.
ABSTRACT: Milk has high risk for microbial contamination. RSQ01, a bacteriocin, previously has shown potentiality for pasteurized milk preservation. This study analyzed the effects of RSQ01 on milk microbiota by comparison of bacterial number and composition in 3 pasteurized milk groups: controls without RSQ01, treatment group with the addition of 2× MIC (low concentration), and treatment group with the addition of 4× MIC RSQ01 (high concentration). Integrated 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing and metagenomics of these groups after 3 d of storage showed inhibition of RSQ01 on microbiota diversity. Pathogenic bacteria such as Salmonella showed a decrease in relative abundance after RSQ01 treatment, whereas probiotic bacteria such as Lactococcus showed an increase, indicating that RSQ01 contributed to milk preservation by maintaining a low abundance of pathogens and a relatively high abundance of probiotics. Further investigations revealed that milk preservation was primarily attributed to the ability of RSQ01 to decrease the relative abundance of genes related to metabolism of energy and nutrients (e.g., vitamins, lipids, and AA) of microbiota, with change of genetic, environmental, and cellular processes. Interestingly, RSQ01 generally reduced the relative abundance of virulence factors and quorum-sensing-related genes in microbiota, likely reducing virulence and resistance. The findings provided insights into microbiomics mechanisms regarding pasteurized milk preservation of bacteriocins.
ABSTRACT: This study aimed to determine the effects of a polyherbal mixture (PM) containing 42.3% lignans and 21.2% flavonoids on the performance, ruminal fermentation, and serum biomarkers in preweaning Holstein calves. Sixty-four neonatal calves (40.6 ± 4.3 kg BW; 48 females and 16 males) were allocated to a randomized complete block design stratified by birth weight, birth date, and sex. Starter feed was provided ad libitum from d 4 until weaning. Treatments included a control (no PM supplementation in milk) and milk combined with PM supplement at 10, 20, or 40 g/d. The results revealed that feed efficiency, body length, or heart girth did not significantly differ among treatments. However, BW, DMI, ADG, wither height, and shank circumference increased linearly with increasing PM supplementation, while diarrhea frequency decreased linearly from d 4 to 15. Ruminal ammonia-nitrogen and molar proportions of individual VFA were not significantly affected by PM supplementation, while ruminal pH and total VFA showed a linear decrease and increase with increasing PM, respectively. Similarly, serum glucose, BUN, total protein, albumin, globulin, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, IL-6, and IgM were not significantly affected by PM supplementation, while triglyceride concentrations showed quadratic and cubic decreases with increasing PM. The IGF-1 concentration, total antioxidant capacity, and IL-10 concentration increased linearly, while tumor necrosis factor-α concentrations increased quadratically with increasing PM supplementation. In conclusion, PM additions improved the growth performance of preweaning Holstein calves and reduced diarrhea frequency, with PM supplementation of 40 g/d exerting the most significant effect.
ABSTRACT: Early detection and prompt treatment of lame cows are crucial for proactive lameness management. This study aimed to evaluate a fully automated 2-dimensional imaging system for real-time lameness detection using artificial intelligence. Data were collected from 11 dairy farms in the UK Four trained veterinarians performed 42 mobility scoring sessions using a 0–3 4-grade scoring system, with scores 2 and 3 representing lameness. On each session, individual weekly average scores were calculated. This resulted in 40,116 paired human mobility scores (HMS) and weekly average mobility scores generated using artificial intelligence (AIMS) matched to a cow ID. Categorical agreement for the 4-grade scale was estimated by calculating the weighted Cohen's kappa (κw) and Gwet's agreement coefficient (AC2), and for the 2-grade scale (nonlame vs. lame) by calculating the percentage agreement (PA), unweighted Cohen's kappa (κ) and Gwet's coefficient (AC1). A trained veterinarian recorded the presence and severity of any lesion of 2,515 cows, which also had an AIMS assigned. A subset of 758 cows were also assigned an HMS 1–3 d before trimming. Sensitivity (Se), specificity (Sp), and accuracy (Acc) were calculated to describe the system's and human's ability to detect cows with foot lesions. Additionally, automated mobility scores were retrieved for cows with foot lesion records up to 30 d before trimming. Linear mixed effects models (LMM) were built to assess the association of the lesion status at trimming with the daily scores. The average (mAVG), maximum (mMAX), minimum (mMIN) and the percentage of scores that a cow was identified as lame (mPLS) during the 30 d before foot trimming were calculated and their Se, Sp and Acc in detecting foot lesions were determined. Lastly, longitudinal data were obtained from 143 cows tracking daily scores from 5 to 64 DIM. The association of lesion status at the early lactation routine trim (ELRT) with the daily scores was assessed by fitting LMM. Regarding the 4-grade scale agreement between HMS and AIMS, κw (0.24–0.34) represented fair agreement, whereas AC2 (0.81–0.93) almost perfect agreement. For the 2-grade scale agreement, PA was consistently above 80%, κ (0.23–0.38) represented fair agreement, and AC1 (0.76–0.83) showed substantial to almost perfect agreement. The AIMS detected cows bearing severe lesions with Se = 0.53 and Sp = 0.74, whereas the HMS achieved Se = 0.60 and Sp = 0.78. Using optimal thresholds for mAVG, mMAX, mMIN, and mPLS, the system achieved higher Se than HMS. Moreover, cows with severe lesions had increased scores from 23 d before trimming compared with cows with mild and moderate lesions. Longitudinal data showed that cows with severe lesions at ELRT had higher mobility scores during the first 60 DIM compared with those with mild or moderate lesions. Overall, the system's performance was comparable to that of experienced human assessors in detecting lame cows and cows with foot lesions. Finally, its capability to detect mobility changes before the development of severe lesions highlights its potential for early intervention, which could enhance lameness management in dairy herds.
ABSTRACT: Although 3-nitrooxypropanol (3-NOP) is known to effectively reduce methane (CH4) emissions in ruminants, its effect on rumen microbial communities under different dietary composition remains less understood. This study investigated how different diet compositions with 3-NOP supplementation affected rumen microbial communities in dairy cows. Rumen samples were obtained from 2 previous studies: a crossover design study with two 3-NOP levels (0 and 130 mg/kg DM) under a high-grain diet (HG; grain:forage = 60:40, n = 12), and a 3 × 3 Latin square design study with three 3-NOP levels (0, 68, and 132 mg/kg DM) under a high-forage diet (HF; grain:forage = 40:60, n = 15). A total of 138 rumen samples (HG: 48 and HF: 90 samples) were subjected to metataxonomic analysis to identify the compositional shifts of rumen microbiota (bacteria, archaea, and protozoa) in response to 3-NOP supplementation. The ruminal bacterial response to 3-NOP was more pronounced under HG diet (11 genera affected) than under HF diet (2 genera affected), with Lachnospiraceae NK3A20 group consistently increased under both diets. This bacterial group showed diet-specific fermentation patterns, correlating with increased molar proportion of butyrate under HF diet and potentially contributing to increased molar proportion of propionate under HG diet through succinate production. Methanogen responses to 3-NOP supplementation were also diet-dependent. Methanosphaera sp. increased under both diets, however, distinctive changes including contrasting responses between Methanobrevibacter gottschalkii and Methanobrevibacter ruminantium under HF diet were seen, reflecting their different metabolic capabilities in substrate utilization for methanogenesis in response to 3-NOP. Notably, ruminal Mbb. gottschalkii (H2-dependent) decreased, whereas Mbb. ruminantium (H2/formate-dependent) increased under HF diet, suggesting potential adaptation mechanisms to 3-NOP-induced changes in substrate availability. Ruminal protozoal communities remained unaffected under both diets. Further analysis of combined 2 studies with a batch effect correction approach revealed increases in Lachnospiraceae NK3A20 group, Saccharofermentans, Mbb. ruminantium, and Methanosphaera sp. group 5 and ISO3-F5, and decreases in Mbb. gottschalkii and Methanomassiliicoccaceae group 4 sp. MpT1 under 3-NOP supplementation. These findings demonstrate that 3-NOP has consistent effects on specific microbial taxa regardless of diet composition, and it also has diet-dependent effects on other members of the rumen microbiota. This knowledge provides valuable insights for optimizing CH4 mitigation strategies in dairy production systems under different dietary compositions.
ABSTRACT: Protein-stabilized high internal phase Pickering emulsions (HIPPE) as edible 3-dimensional (3D) food printing materials have various applications within the food industry. Herein, whey protein–based nanoparticles with curcumin (Cur) and different amounts of proanthocyanins (PC) incorporated exerted reduced surface tension, enhanced particle size, Cur loading efficiency, 3-phase contact angle, interfacial protein adsorption, and surface load with increasing PC content, making them excellent Pickering stabilizers for HIPPE. The formed HIPPE also exhibited relatively uniform oil droplets distribution, increased centrifugation stability, enhanced oxidation stability, improved viscoelasticity, and good 3D printing performance (high resolution and shape fidelity). Moreover, the nanoparticle as an interfacial antioxidant reservoir showed a controlled-release behavior for Cur at oil-water interface and then migrated into the oil phase, which was modulated by PC content. This result provided new possibilities for producing whey protein–based HIPPE as 3D printing inks for nutrient delivery and future food manufacturing.
Fabiellen C. Pereira, Sagara Kumara, Anita Fleming
et al.
The societal pressure on intensive pastoral dairying demands the search for strategies to reduce the amount of N flowing through and excreted by dairy cows. One of the strategies that is being currently explored focuses on the animal as a solution, as there are differences in N metabolism between cows even within the same herd. This work was conducted to explore such an approach in A1PF herds in New Zealand and the possibility of identifying A1PF cows that are divergent for milk urea nitrogen (MUN) concentration through phenotyping as a potential viable strategy to reduce N leaching and emissions from temperate dairy systems. Three herd tests were conducted to select a population sample of 200 cows (exhibiting the lowest 100 and highest 100 MUN concentrations). Milk samples were collected from the 200 cows during mid and late lactation to test for milk solids content and MUN. From the 200 cows, urine for urinary N concentration (UN), blood for plasma urea N, total antioxidants (TAS), and glutathione peroxidase (GPx) were collected from the 20 extremes (the lowest 10 and highest 10 MUN concentrations). Milk urea N was greater in cows selected as high-MUN cows (16.2 vs. 14.32 ± 0.23 mg/dL) and greater during late lactation (16.9 vs. 13.0 ± 0.19 mg/dL). Milk solids and fat content were 38% and 20% greater in cows selected as low-MUN cows than in high-MUN cows during mid lactation (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Low-MUN cows had lower UN than high-MUN cows during mid lactation (0.64 vs. 0.88 ± 0.11%). The N concentration in the plasma (<i>p</i> = 0.01) and Tas (<i>p</i> = 0.06) were greater during late lactation. There was a positive relationship between the MUN concentration phenotype used for selection and the MUN concentration for the trial period and MUN concentration and UN concentration during mid and late lactation (<i>p</i> < 0.001). Our results suggest that A1PF cows within a commercial herd can be phenotyped and selected for low-MUN, which may be potentially a viable strategy to reduce N losses to the environment and create healthier systems. Following genetic tracking, those cows can be bred to further promote low-MUN A1PF herds.
ABSTRACT: This research aimed to disclose the antibacterial activity of beetroot extract (Beta vulgaris) against Cronobacter sakazakii and its possible mechanisms. We evaluated its antibacterial activity by measuring the minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) and time-kill kinetics. We also evaluated the intracellular ATP levels, bacterial apoptosis-like death (ALD), and reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels to reveal the possible antibacterial mechanisms. Our results showed that the MIC of beetroot extract against C. sakazakii was 25 mg/mL and C. sakazakii (approximately 8 log cfu/mL) was completely inhibited after treatment with 2 MIC of beetroot extract for 3 h. Beetroot extract reduced intracellular ATP levels and facilitated characteristics of ALD in C. sakazakii, such as membrane depolarization, increased intracellular Ca2+ levels, phosphatidylserine externalization, caspase-like protein activation, and DNA fragmentation. Additionally, and different from most bacterial ALD caused by the accumulation of ROS, beetroot extract reduced the intracellular ROS levels in C. sakazakii. Our experimental data provide a rationale for further research of bacterial ALD and demonstrate that beetroot extract can inhibit C. sakazakii in food processing environments.
ABSTRACT: The aim of this trial was to determine the effect of a garlic and citrus extract supplement (GCE) on the performance, rumen fermentation, methane emissions, and rumen microbiome of dairy cows. Fourteen multiparous Nordic Red cows in mid-lactation from the research herd of Luke (Jokioinen, Finland) were allocated to 7 blocks in a complete randomized block design based on body weight, days in milk, dry matter intake (DMI), and milk yield. Animals within each block were randomly allocated to a diet with or without GCE. The experimental period for each block of cows (one for each of the control and GCE groups) consisted of 14 d of adaptation followed by 4 d of methane measurements inside the open circuit respiration chambers, with the first day being considered as acclimatization. Data were analyzed using the GLM procedure of SAS (SAS Institute Inc.). Methane production (g/d) and methane intensity (g/kg of energy-corrected milk) were lower by 10.3 and 11.7%, respectively, and methane yield (g/kg of DMI) tended to be lower by 9.7% in cows fed GCE compared with the control. Dry matter intake, milk production, and milk composition were similar between treatments. Rumen pH and total volatile fatty acid concentrations in rumen fluid were similar, whereas GCE tended to increase molar propionate concentration and decrease the molar ratio of acetate to propionate. Supplementation with GCE resulted in greater abundance of Succinivibrionaceae, which was associated with reduced methane. The relative abundance of the strict anaerobic Methanobrevibacter genus was reduced by GCE. The change in microbial community and rumen propionate proportion may explain the decrease in enteric methane emissions. In conclusion, feeding GCE to dairy cows for 18 d modified rumen fermentation and microbiota, leading to reduced methane production and intensity without compromising DMI or milk production in dairy cows. This could be an effective strategy for enteric methane mitigation of dairy cows.
ABSTRACT: The extent to which a nutrition-related disorder such as ketosis alters the ruminal microbiota or whether microbiota composition is related to ketosis and potential associations with host metabolism is unknown. We aimed to evaluate variations occurring in the ruminal microbiota of ketotic and nonketotic cows in the early postpartum period, and how those changes may affect the risk of developing the disease. Data on milk yield, dry matter intake (DMI), body condition score, and blood β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) concentrations at 21 d postpartum were used to select 27 cows, which were assigned (n = 9 per group) to a clinical ketotic (CK, 4.10 ± 0.72 mmol BHB/L, DMI 11.61 ± 0.49 kg/d, ruminal pH 7.55 ± 0.07), subclinical ketotic (SK, 1.36 ± 0.12 mmol BHB/L, DMI 15.24 ± 0.34 kg/d, ruminal pH 7.58 ± 0.08), or control (NK, 0.88 ± 0.14 mmol BHB/L, DMI 16.74 ± 0.67/d, ruminal pH 7.61 ± 0.03) group. Cows averaged 3.6 ± 0.5 lactations and a body condition score of 3.11 ± 0.34 at the time of sampling. After blood serum collection for metabolomics analysis (1H nuclear magnetic resonance spectra), 150 mL of ruminal digesta was collected from each cow using an esophageal tube, paired-end (2 × 300 bp) sequencing of isolated DNA from ruminal digesta was performed via Illumina MiSeq, and sequencing data were analyzed using QIIME2 (v 2020.6) to measure the ruminal microbiota composition and relative abundance. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to evaluate relationships between relative abundance of bacterial genera and concentrations of serum metabolites. There were more than 200 genera, with approximately 30 being significant between NK and CK cows. Succinivibrionaceae UCG 1 taxa decreased in CK compared with NK cows. Christensenellaceae (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.6), Ruminococcaceae (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.6), Lachnospiraceae (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.5), and Prevotellaceae (Spearman correlation coefficient = 0.6) genera were more abundant in the CK group and were highly positively correlated with plasma BHB. Metagenomic analysis indicated a high abundance of predicted functions related to metabolism (37.7%), genetic information processing (33.4%), and Brite hierarchies (16.3%) in the CK group. The 2 most important metabolic pathways for butyrate and propionate production were enriched in CK cows, suggesting increased production of acetyl coenzyme A and butyrate and decreased production of propionate. Overall, the combined data suggested that microbial populations may be related to ketosis by affecting short-chain fatty acid metabolism and BHB accumulation even in cows with adequate feed intake in the early postpartum period.
ABSTRACT: Ketosis is often accompanied by a reduction in milk production in dairy cows, but the molecular mechanism has not been fully elucidated. Ketotic cows possess systemic oxidative stress (OS), which may implicate apoptosis in mammary glands. Sirtuin 3 (SIRT3) is a vital regulator of cellular redox homeostasis and is under the control of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) signaling in nonruminants. Thus, we aimed to investigate (1) the AMPK-SIRT3 and apoptosis status of mammary glands from ketotic cows, (2) the effect of SIRT3 on OS-induced apoptosis in bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMEC), and (3) the role of AMPK signaling on SIRT3-mediated effects on apoptosis. Mammary gland samples were reused from a previous study, which contained healthy and ketotic cows (both n = 15). BMEC were incubated with 0, 0.3, 0.6, or 0.9 mM H2O2 for 6 h with/without a 30 min incubation of an antioxidant MitoQ (1 μM). Then BMEC were incubated with SIRT3 overexpression adenovirus (Ad-SIRT3) for 6 h followed by a 6 h incubation with 0.6 mM H2O2. Finally, BMEC were treated with the AMPK inhibitor Compound C (Cd C,10 μM) for 30 min before the H2O2 challenge, or cells were initially treated with the AMPK agonist MK8722 (10 μM) for 30 min followed by a 30-h culture with/without si-SIRT3 and eventually the H2O2 exposure. Ketotic cows displayed higher levels of Bax, Caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2 but lower levels of Bcl-2 in mammary glands. H2O2 incubation displayed similar results, exhibiting a dose-dependent manner between the H2O2 concentration and the apoptosis degree. Mito Q pretreatment reduced cellular reactive oxygen species and rescued cells from apoptosis. Ketotic cows had a lower mammary protein abundance of SIRT3. Similarly, H2O2 incubation downregulated both mRNA and protein levels of SIRT3 in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Ad-SIRT3 infection lowered levels of cellular reactive oxygen species, Bax, Caspase-3 and Bax/Bcl-2 but increased levels of Bcl-2. TUNEL assays confirmed that Ad-SIRT3 infection mitigated H2O2-induced apoptosis. Both ketotic cows and H2O2-induced BMEC had lower levels of p-AMPK and p-AMPK/AMPK. Additionally, Cd C pretreatment decreased SIRT3 and Bcl-2 expression but increased levels of Bax and Caspase-3. Contrary to the inhibitor, MK8722 had opposite effects and reduced the percentage of apoptotic cells. However, these effects of MK8722 were reversed upon SIRT3 silencing. In conclusion, in vivo data confirmed that ketosis is associated with greater apoptosis and restricted AMPK-SIRT3 signaling in mammary glands; in vitro data indicated that SIRT3 mitigates OS-induced apoptosis via AMPK signaling. As such, there may be potential benefits for targeting the AMPK-SIRT3 axis to help counteract the negative effects of mammary glands during ketosis.
ABSTRACT In this essay, I utilize the U.S. Congress’ DAIRY PRIDE Act to critique the animal-sourced dairy industry's use of legislative and nutritional discourse to claim the name “dairy” and its analogs. Contextualizing the role of naming, re-naming, and un-naming in environmental communication, I begin with an overview of the U.S. animal-sourced dairy industry’s effort to suppress plant-based alternatives through strategic un-naming practices. I call this genre of un-naming “hypocognitive rhetoric.” I problematize hypocognitive rhetoric by demonstrating how the U.S. animal-sourced dairy industry uses this rhetorical strategy to obfuscate alternative (more specifically, plant-based) agricultural futures. In claiming dairy’s name and painting industrialized, animal-sourced dairying practices as natural, normal, and necessary for human advancement, the animal-sourced dairy industry not only renders invisible the human inequities inherent in animal-sourced dairy production and consumption, but also cloaks the experiences the nonhuman animals used for lactation.
Previous work has demonstrated some benefit from alternative breeds in low-input dairying, although there has been no systematic analysis of the simultaneous effect of Jersey crossbreeding on productivity, health, fertility parameters or milk nutritional quality. This work aimed to understand the effects of, and interactions/interrelations between, dairy cow genotypes (Holstein-Friesian (HF), Holstein-Friesian × Jersey crossbreds (HF × J)) and season (spring, summer, autumn) on milk yield; basic composition; feed efficiency, health, and fertility parameters; and milk fatty acid (FA) profiles. Milk samples (n = 219) and breed/diet data were collected from 74 cows in four UK low-input dairy farms between March and October 2012. HF × J cows produced milk with more fat (+ 3.2 g/kg milk), protein (+ 2.9 g/kg milk) and casein (+ 2.7 g/kg milk); and showed higher feed, fat, and protein efficiency (expressed as milk, fat and protein outputs per kg DMI) than HF cows. Milk from HF × J cows contained more C4:0 (+ 2.6 g/kg FA), C6:0 (+ 1.9 g/kg FA), C8:0 (+ 1.3 g/kg FA), C10:0 (+ 3.0 g/kg FA), C12:0 (+ 3.7 g/kg FA), C14:0 (+ 4.6 g/kg FA) and saturated FA (SFA; + 27.3 g/kg milk) and less monounsaturated FA (MUFA; -23.7 g/kg milk) and polyunsaturated FA (− 22.3 g/kg milk). There was no significant difference for most health and fertility parameters, but HF × J cows had shorter calving interval (by 39 days). The superior feed, fat and protein efficiency of HF × J cows, as well as shorter calving interval can be considered beneficial for the financial sustainability of low-input dairy farms; and using such alternative breeds in crossbreeding schemes may be recommended. Although statistically significant, it is difficult to determine if differences observed between HF and HF × J cows in fat composition are likely to impact human health, considering average population dairy fat intakes and the relatively small difference. Thus, the HF × J cow could be used in low-input dairying to improve efficiency and productivity without impacting milk nutritional properties.
In the livestock sector in India, poultry farming holds a prominent position owing to its impressive growth led by the private sector. Poultry sector has shown rapid growth, with chicken meat growing at an average annual growth rate of 9% and eggs growing at 6% from 2000–01 to 2018–19 (DAHD DAHD (2020) Basic animal husbandry statistics 2020. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying and Fisheries. Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare. Government of India). The recent steady growth in domestic demand for chicken meat has made it possible to increase production with a ready market putting India among the top poultry producers in the world. India was the third-largest egg producer after China and the USA with a production of 88 billion eggs and fifth-largest chicken meat producer with a production of 3.5 million tonnes during 2017–18 (FAOSTAT (2018) Food and Agriculture data. Retrieved from Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations: http://www.fao.org/faostat/en/#data). This transformation in the poultry sector was led by the commercial poultry industry which contributes about 80% of the total poultry production. The other 20% is produced by the traditional backyard poultry. The broiler industry is concentrated in the southern and western states and accounts for a major share of total output. Similarly, the layer industry is dominated by well-developed states like Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra, accounting for nearly 60% of the production (DAHDF (2017) National Action Plan for Egg & Poultry-2022 for Doubling Farmers’ Income by 2022. Department of Animal Husbandry, Dairying & Fisheries Ministry of Agriculture & Farmers Welfare Government of India.). Commercial poultry farming is yet to make a dent in more populous states like Bihar, Orissa and Uttar Pradesh.
The Kura-Araxes (KA) cultural phenomenon (dated to the Early Bronze Age, c. 3500/3350-2500 BCE) is primarily characterised by the emergence of a homogeneous pottery style and a uniform 'material culture package' in settlements across the South Caucasus, as well as territories extending to the Ancient Near East and the Levant. It has been argued that KA societies practised pastoralism, despite a lack of direct examination of dietary and culinary practices in this region. Here, we report the first analyses of absorbed lipid residues from KA pottery to both determine the organic products produced and consumed and to reconstruct subsistence practices. Our results provide compelling evidence for a diversified diet across KA settlements in Armenia, comprising a mixed economy of meat and plant processing, aquatic fats and dairying. The preservation of diagnostic plant lipid biomarkers, notably long-chain fatty acids (C20 to C28) and n-alkanes (C23 to C33) has enabled the identification of the earliest processing of plants in pottery of the region. These findings suggest that KA settlements were agropastoral exploiting local resources. Results demonstrate the significance of applying biomolecular methods for examining dietary inferences in the South Caucasus region.
The Dairy-4-Future project focuses on improving the sustainability of dairy farming in the UK, Ireland, France, Spain, and Portugal. Improvement in dairying sustainability can be achieved by supporting and expanding the positive impacts and services that dairy farming has upon, and offer to, the local communities and by reducing the disservices, or negative impacts associated with dairying. To create a qualitative identification of a relevant, ranked list of items or issues associated with dairying in each territory in the project, interactive workshops with local stakeholders were organized in each regional case study. Stakeholders identified positive or negative impacts of local dairy farming on their territories, broken down into four specific categories: provisioning (e.g., food), rural vitality, environmental quality, cultural heritage, and quality of life. A total of 165 services and 135 dysservices were identified, balanced across the four categories. From these services and dysservices, groupings showed correlations between items and/or territories (for example, between Northern Ireland and Cornwall; Southern Ireland and Normandy; Galicia and Brittany). The impact of farm system type, specifically grassland, played a strong role in the linking of services and dysservices. Doi: 10.28991/HEF-2022-03-03-010 Full Text: PDF
Meghan L. Ruebel, Lilian Rigatto Martins, Peter Z. Schall
et al.
ABSTRACT: The objective of this study was to determine the effect of early lactation body condition (BC) loss in multiparous dairy cows on serum lipids and the effect of these changes on oocyte and cumulus cell transcriptomes. Body condition loss in dairy cattle after parturition is associated with reduced fertility and increased pregnancy loss. The complex interplay between BC, nutrition, dry matter intake, milk production, and time of calving has presented a barrier to understanding mechanisms leading to reduced fertility. We identified cows that lost BC (L group; n = 10) or maintained or gained BC (M/G group; n = 8) during the first 27 to 33 d in milk and investigated changes in serum fatty acids and oocyte and cumulus cell transcriptomes at 75 to 81 d in milk. The L group had increased serum levels of nonesterified fatty acids and mead acid, and reduced serum levels of petroselaidic acid and behenic acid. Transcriptome analyses revealed 38 differentially expressed genes (DEG) in oocytes and 71 DEG in cumulus cells of L (n = 3) compared with M/G group (n = 3). Network analysis connected serum fatty acid changes to downstream effects including reduced inflammatory response and mitochondrial membrane depolarization, increased production of reactive oxygen species, and functions related to fatty acid metabolism and cytoplasmic organization in oocytes. These effects were associated with predicted effects on signaling in oocytes through calcium, insulin, O-GlcNAcase (OGA), fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGF4R), peroxisome proliferator activated receptor gamma coactivator 1 α (PPARGC1A), and phospholipase D2 (PLD2) pathways, with a connection to the cumulus cell via calcium signaling. These results connect BC loss following parturition to changes in serum lipid levels, and changes potentially affecting oocyte quality; thus, these results provide new insight into mechanism of reduced fertility.
ABSTRACT: Resilience is the ability of an animal to cope with environmental disturbances, such as pathogens or negative energy balance. To improve resilience through breeding, we need resilience indicators. Functional longevity might be a good indicator of a dairy goat's lifetime resilience as it results from the ability to cope with and recover from all the challenges faced throughout its lifetime. The aim of this study was to validate the use of functional longevity as an indicator of resilience for selection. To address this question, we created 2 genetic lines of Alpine goats using hyperselected artificial insemination bucks with the most extreme estimated breeding values for functional longevity and the same milk yield performance. A total of 440 goats, 228 in the high longevity (high_LGV) and 221 in the low longevity (low_LGV) lines, were bred and monitored for 4 yr. Health treatments, serum IgG concentration as a proxy of passive immune transfer in early life, kidding, age, and reason of culling were systematically noted. Weight and body morphology were monitored. Weight and growth during the first year of life were similar in both goat lines. In contrast, the low_LGV goats had a lower weight during the beginning of first lactation than high_LGV goats. The milk fat-to-protein ratio was also significantly higher in low_LGV goats during first lactation. A multivariable Cox regression was fitted to the data to decipher survival at different stages of life in the 2 lines. The overall survival of high_LGV goats was significantly better than low_LGV goats (hazard ratio = 0.63, confidence interval = 0.47; 0.86) even after we included treatment, growth, serum IgG concentration at birth, and year effects in the model. The line effect was not constant over time; no significant effect was found during the first year, and the difference was observed after first kidding. This result suggested that survival at an early stage of life and during later productive life are under different genetic regulation. Altogether, this monitoring of the goat lines indicated that functional longevity-based selection helps to improve resilience by improving survival and mitigating some indicators of fat mobilization during early lactation.