Herders Research Articles

Prevalence, risk factors and metabolic predictors associated with subclinical ketosis on dairy cattle in Batna, Eastern of Algeria

Economic impact of subclinical ketosis (SCK) in dairy herds resulted from a decreased productivity, reproductive performances, and health condition. In Algeria, data availability regarding the prevalence of SCK in dairy cows were limited. The present study is a contribution in that direction and aimed to determine the prevalence of SCK between 2 and 50 days postpartum whereas investigating herd- and cow-level risk factors and the metabolic profile associated, on two bovine populations imported and native. The study was conducted with 16 typical representative local dairy cow herds (n = 100; 2–12 years old; located at Merouana, Batna Province) with data collected in a period comprised between August and February of the following year. Concentration of cows’ plasma beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHBA) was used for the diagnosis, with values equal or higher than 1.2 mmol/L chosen as the threshold for SCK detection. Other key associated zootechnical parameters such as body condition score (BCS) were monitored at the same sampling points. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to characterize association between parameters. The average SCK prevalence was 9% and resulted highest during first- and second-week postcalving, with a peak in the first week. The herd size (< 30 lactating cows) and BCS (≤ 3) were risk factors associated with SCK prevalence. At the cow-level, risks of SCK increased in thin individuals (P = 0.058; odds ratio (OR) = 5.00, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.95–26.32). At the herd-level, risks of SCK increased in smaller frame size herds (P = 0.047; OR = 8.76, 95% CI = 1.03–74.49). Most cases of SCK were observed in native cows compared to imported. Interestingly, linear stepwise regression showed a good relationship between BHBA and total bilirubin (P = 0.0001; R2 = 0.59). There were significant differences between healthy and ketotic cows regarding plasma concentration of bilirubin (P = 0.003), glucose (P = 0.001), alanine aminotransferase (ALT) (P = 0.008), creatinine (P = 0.007), and sodium (P = 0.02). According to receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, the best parameter for SCK prediction is total bilirubin with more than 4.09 g/L as a cutoff point (77.78% sensitivity and 94.51% specificity). According to metabolic profile and feeding data we suggest that most cases of SCK observed in our study are type I. Further studies are required to validate other metabolic predictors for SCK and investigate adaptation of imported cows in semiarid regions in Algeria.

Prevalence and risk factors of lameness in dairy cattle in Alexandria, Egypt

Aim of study: Providing further information on the prevalence of lameness in four dairy cattle herds and gain insights into the risk factors associated with the frequency of lameness incidence including farm, frequency of mastitis, and number of lactations. Area of study: Alexandria, Egypt. Material and methods: Four dairy Holstein cattle farms near Alexandria Governorate in Egypt were involved in a retrospective investigation of lameness episodes between the years 1987 and 2011. The association between the frequency of lameness injury and the explanatory variables was tested by the maximum likelihood analysis of variance, adopting a loglinear model. The explanatory variables included in the model were farm, frequency of mastitis injury and number of lactations as well as their one-way interactions. Main results: The prevalence of lameness ranged between zero and 19% in the four farms and the frequency of lameness events (from 0 to 4 times) increased with lactation number and mastitis incidence with correlation coefficients of 0.15 and 0.12, respectively. Research highlights: Lameness is present in Egyptian dairy cow herds with highly variable prevalence and the risk increases with lactation number and mastitis.

Body mass index at calving on performance and efficiency of Zebu cow herds

This study examines the impact of the body mass index (BMI) at calving on the development and postpartum efficiency of cows of Zebu origin. The study involved 87 cows and their calves [pure Nellore (N) or predominant Nellore composition in a cross with Charolais (C) (3/4N1/4C and 5/8N3/8C)]. The mothers were grouped into classes according to their BMI at calving, namely, ‘small’, ‘moderate’ and ‘large’. Body mass index was determined by dividing the body weight of the cows by their length and by hip height and then dividing the result by 10. Cows were weighed at calving, at weaning, at the end of the breeding period and at the diagnosis of pregnancy. Calves were weighed at birth, at early weaning (63 days) and at 210 of age. To evaluate milk yield and quality, milk was collected at 21, 42 and 63 days after calving. Milk yield was measured by the direct method, with manual milking, followed by analysis of the lactose, fat, total solids and crude protein contents. Pregnancy rate was similar between the three BMI groups; however, cows with a lower BMI were more efficient at calving in producing kilograms of calf per kilogram of cow kept. Higher BMI provide higher milk yields, without affecting its quality, as well as heavier calves at early weaning and at 210 days of age.

Species identification and antimicrobial susceptibility profile of bacteria associated with cow mastitis in southern Brazil

ABSTRACT: Bovine mastitis is the most common disease in dairy cattle and responsible for economic losses in the milk industry. The present study aimed to identify the main species and to evaluate the antimicrobial susceptibility of bacterial isolates from cow herds with mastitis in dairy farms from southern Brazil. A total of 107 milk samples were collected from different cow herds in one important dairy producing region in southern Brazil, including farms located in ten cities from the Northeast region in the Rio Grande do Sul state. Bacterial strains were isolated and submitted to presumptive identification by classical bacteriological methods. Bacterial species were also identified by MALDI-TOF MS and antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed with 12 antimicrobials commonly used in dairy farms. Fifty-one bacterial strains were isolated and the presumptive identification demonstrated the occurrence of Staphylococcus spp. (82.3%), Bacillus spp. (3.9%), Klebsiella spp. (3.9%), Streptococcus spp. (3.9%), Corynebacterium sp. (2%), Enterococcus sp. (2%) and Serratia sp. (2%). Forty-one isolates were successfully identified in the MALDI-TOF analysis, including 35 isolates from eleven different bacterial species. Importantly, there were eight different Staphylococcus species, with a high frequency of Staphylococcus chromogenes (48.6%) and Staphylococcus aureus (20%). Overall, bacterial isolates demonstrated resistance to penicillin (46.3%), tetracycline (39%), amoxicillin (36.6%), ampicillin (34.1%) and sulfamethoxazole/trimethoprim (31.7%). Enrofloxacin was the unique antimicrobial that all isolates were susceptible. In addition, there were six multidrug resistant isolates (five S. chromogenes and one S. aureus). This study highlights that bacterial pathogens with resistance to several antimicrobials were identified in cows from dairy farms in a very important milk producing region located in southern Brazil. Microbial identification of the bovine mastitis pathogens and determination of the antimicrobial profile is necessary for the rational use of the medicines.

Потенциал наращивания производства продукции мясного скотоводства за счет включения в оборот неиспользуемых естественных кормовых угодий

The article discusses the possibilities of increasing the production of cattle meat. The area of unused natural forage lands in five regions of the Central Chernozem Economic Region and their fodder potential for the development of beef cattle breeding is estimated. The potential of increasing beef production has been assessed, primarily in small-scale farms and rural households with a herd of cows.

Characteristics of the milk productivity of Simmental cows in herds with different levels of feed supply

Characteristics of the milk productivity of Simmental cows in herds with different levels of feed supply

Effect of selective dry cow therapy on dry period intramammary infection dynamics and their association with management factors in Japan.

Selective dry cow therapy (SDCT) allocates antibiotics in the dry period to cows or quarters with a high risk of intramammary infection (IMI), potentially improving antibiotic stewardship. However, SDCT has not been used in Japan, possibly due to concerns of negative impacts on udder health. This research aims to evaluate how the SDCT use affected dry period IMI dynamics in Japan. Additionally, the effects of management factors were also considered. At dry-off, 44 cows received antibiotics plus external teat sealant or external sealant in isolation based on their IMI risk, which was assessed using milk culture, a modified California mastitis test (CMT), and mastitis records. The SDCT approach allowed antibiotic use to be reduced by 33.7%. However, quarters with a low risk of infection who received no antibiotics had a numerically higher prevalence of IMI before calving than those who received antibiotics (28.6% vs. 19.2%). In addition, an increased risk of IMI in quarters without antibiotics was also attributed to poor herd hygiene and a shorter duration of external teat sealant adherence. The result suggests that these factors influence the outcome of an SDCT program. Therefore, a uniform recommendation for dry cow herd management may not be optimal.

Weight at conception and gestational gains in the efficiency of beef cows and progeny performance.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of conception weight and gestational weight gain on performance and productive efficiency in beef cows and their calves. Eighty-eight primiparous, three-year old Braford females were used, divided according to weight at conception and gestational performance (High and Low): cows with a low conception weight and low gestational weight gain (LL), cows with low conception weight and high gestational weight gain (LH), cows with high conception weight and low gestational weight gain (HL), and cows with high conception weight and high gestational weight gain (HH). At calving, HH cows were heavier than LH and HL and these were heavier than LL cows. Male calves born to HH cows were superior in body weight to those born to LL cows at 150, 210 and 365 days. Female calves born to HH, HL or LH cows were superior to those born to LL cows in pregnancy at 14 months of age. The LL and HL cows were more efficient in calf production. Actual fertility was influenced by the nutritional level of the herd, where HH cows were superior than LL cows. Better cow herd nutrition increases the development and performance of the progeny.

Role of Economy as Social Institution in Cholistan Desert

Cholistan is the second largest desert of Pakistan with semi-nomadic culture. Based on its landscape, Cholistan is divided into two parts, i.e., Greater and Lesser Cholistan. This study review highlights the economic activities of native people of Cholistan, challenges faced by people and ways to improve the economic standard of native people. Due to its rough terrain, Cholistan is hardly accessible from outside except specialized vehicles. The entire Cholistan is the least populated area and the existing population is scattered among sand dunes. Cholistan is deprived of socio-economic development and hence there is a lack of basic amenities of life such as drinking water, food, education, healthcare and housing. Due to the scarcity of irrigation water and the landscape of Cholistan, there is hardly any possibility of agri-farming and production grains for livelihood. Animal herds are a major source of livelihood and sustenance for the people of Cholistan. Local people own larger herds of cows, camels, goats and sheep, which are vital for survival, i.e., food sources and money for purchasing necessities. Cholistani people do not possess formal education and skills and are unable to avail any job opportunity in the formal sector. As a result, Cholistani people are choiceless except to depend upon animal husbandry. All the family members, including women, participate in animal husbandry and other small scale agri-farming for earning a livelihood. Life is simple, and daily needs of local people are very limited, and economic activities are few in Cholistan. Social institution is playing their role to educate the people and fulfilling the economic needs of the Cholistani people.

A Simulation-Based View on Mesopotamian Computational Practices

It is argued that iterative computations which are attested in Mesopotamian and other ancient sources can be productively analyzed and interpreted in a simulation-based framework. Ancient Mesopotamia present us with a rich body of textual evidence for computational practices over a period of more than three millennia. This paper is concerned with Mesopotamian iterative computations of empirical phenomena, where each iteration updates the values of certain quantities from one state to the next state. It will be argued that these computations can be fruitfully interpreted in the so-called simulation-based framework, which was recently developed by philosophers of science in order to better account for the role of simulations in modern science. This is exemplified on the basis of a text from the Ur III period (2100–2000 BCE) about the growth of a cow herd. Other Mesopotamian sources with iteratively computed sequences, in particular various types of mathematical tables, are ignored here, because they do not directly correspond to any phenomena. Section 1 briefly addresses some developments in the philosophy and historiography of science in order to introduce the simulation-based framework. Section 2 discusses the textual example. Section 3 contains the conclusions.

Selective dry cow therapy effect on milk yield and somatic cell count: A retrospective cohort study

Antibiotic dry cow therapy (aDCT) at the end of lactation is an effective mastitis control measure. Selective dry cow therapy means that only infected or presumed-infected cows are treated, instead of aDCT being used as a treatment for all cows. Because antibiotic resistance poses a global threat, livestock production is under increasing pressure to reduce antibiotic use. Changes in management should not, however, impair animal welfare or cause significant economic losses. Our objective was to compare milk yield and somatic cell count (SCC) between aDCT-treated and untreated cows in herds that used selective aDCT, taking into account risk factors for reduced yield and high SCC. The information source was 2015 to 2017 Dairy Herd Improvement data, with 4,720 multiparous cows from 172 Finnish dairy farms. The response variables were test-day milk yield (kg/d) and naturally log-transformed composite SCC (×1,000 cells/mL) during the first 154 d in milk (DIM). The statistical tool was a linear mixed-effects model with 2-level random intercepts, cows nested within herds, and a first-order autoregressive [AR(1)] correlation structure. The overall proportion of aDCT-treated cows was 25% (1,176/4,720). Due to the interaction effect, SCC on the last test day prior to dry-off affected postcalving milk yield differently in aDCT-treated cows than in untreated cows. A higher SCC prior to dry-off correlated with a greater daily yield difference after calving between cows treated and untreated. The majority of cows had SCC < 200,000 cells/mL before dry-off, and as SCC before dry-off decreased, difference in yield between aDCT-treated and untreated cows decreased. Postcalving SCC was lower for aDCT-treated cows compared with untreated cows. To illustrate, for cows with an SCC of 200,000 cells/mL before dry-off, compared with untreated cows, aDCT-treated cows produced 0.97 kg/d more milk and, at 45 DIM, had an SCC that was 20,000 cells/mL lower. Higher late-lactation SCC and lactational mastitis treatments were associated with higher postcalving SCC. A dry period lasting more than 30 d was associated with higher yields but not with SCC. Our findings indicate that a missed aDCT treatment for a high-SCC cow has a negative effect on subsequent lactation milk yield and SCC, which emphasizes the importance of accurate selection of cows to be treated.

The Influence of Age and Winter Environment on Protein Block Intake Behavior of Beef Cattle Winter Grazing Mixed-Grass Rangelands

This study evaluated the influence of cow age and temperature adjusted for windchill (Twindchill) on supplement intake behavior of cattle winter grazing rangelands. A mixed-age herd of Angus-based cows (291 and 316 in year 1 and 2, respectively) were classified by age (1-, 2-, 3-, 4-, 5–7-, and ≥8-year-old) and grazed rangeland pasture (329-ha) for two consecutive winters. Cows were provided free-choice access to supplement protein blocks in a SmartFeedPro self-feeder system. An Onset HOBO Weather Station collected data throughout the grazing period. Supplement intake (expressed as kg∙d−1 and g∙kg body weight−1), the coefficient of variation in supplement intake and intake rate (g∙min−1) displayed Twindchill × cow age × year interactions (p ≤ 0.02). In general, cow age displayed a quadratic effect on all supplement intake variables (p ≤ 0.04), where 3- to 4-year-old cattle had the greatest supplement intake with the least variation, while yearling cattle had the least amount of supplement intake and the greatest variation. In conclusion, winter environmental conditions interacted with cow age to affect cattle supplement intake behavior and, consequently, the efficacy of nutrient delivery systems for beef cattle winter grazing on rangelands.

AYRSHIRE BREED IN THE CONDITIONS OF UKRAINE

AYRSHIRE BREED IN THE CONDITIONS OF UKRAINE

The relationship between milk productivity and reproduction in cows in highly productive Ayrshire herds

The purpose of the study is to study the relationship between the rates of dairy productivity and reproduction of cows in the highly productive Ayrshire herds of the Republic of Karelia.Materials and methods. The work was performed on the basis of the four Stud of the Airshire rock at the "Megrega" trivial, "Ilyinskoe", Mayak LLC, Agrocomplex OJSC. V. M. Zaitseva "(Republic of Karelia). Data on dairy productivity and reproductive ability are collected and processed in 24,720 cows. Materials of zootechnical accounting and bonitations for 2004-2020 were used. At the end of the observation period, the productivity of the Stud was 7500-8500 kg of milk.From indicators of the productivity of cows, the amount of fishing, fat products for full lactation and 305 days of lactation, from the reproduction indicators - the duration of the service period, a dry period, an interstitial period (MOP), the age of the first calf, the age of cows during the selection, the causes of the selection are taken.The main biometric constants (X ̅, ϭ, CV) were calculated, the grouping method was used to characterize the signs of signs calculated the correlation coefficients.Results. The relationship between milk productivity and reproduction was studied in 4 Ayrshire herds of 24,720 cows with an average productivity of 7500-8500 kg of milk. A high positive relationship of milk yield and milk fat production with the duration of the service period (SP) was established, the correlation coefficient was up to 0.929 (P&lt;0.001), which is consistent with the data of other researchers of this problem. It is shown that in herds with a milk yield of 8500-9000 kg of milk, the SP duration of 135-140 days is justified. It was noted that the decrease in the age of the first calving of cows led to an increase in the milk yield of the entire herd (r =-0.676; -0.686; P&lt;0.05).A relatively short period of use of cows in herds was recorded – 3.5-3.7 lactations, while the milk yield of cows aged six lactations and older significantly exceeded the average milk yield for the herd. This leads to a positive correlation of the period of use of cows (r =0.935; P&lt;0.001) and the proportion of cows with six lactation and older (r =0.788; P&lt;0.05) with the milk yield of the herd. Cows with six lactations and older can stay in the herd, provided that their performance exceeds the average level of the herd. The influence of milk yield on the length of the service period and the MOP is manifested not only within one lactation, but also in adjacent lactation. It was found that with an increase in milk yield from less than 6000 kg of milk to 9500-10000 kg or more in the previous lactation, the duration of SP in the subsequent lactation increased from 112 to 170 days, MOP – from 391 to 436 (correlation coefficients from 0.138 (P&lt;0.01) to 0.870 (P&lt;0.001).Conclusion. The results obtained indicate the need to develop operating conditions for cows that provide a combination of high and record milk yield with normal reproductive abilities. In particular, to ensure maximum optimization of feeding conditions, maintenance, breeding and veterinary services, and control of animal health.

Veterinary and hygienic methods of directed reproduction in formation of healthy herds of cows

Our work provided for the study of the impact of directed reproduction of cows on the formation of highly productive healthy herds in the basic farms of the Republic of Kazakhstan. For accelerated replacement of herd and increase of number of highly productive cows in large farms for milk production one uses sexed semen at the first and the second insemination of primiparous cows obtained from highly productive mothers. The efficiency obtained from using this technique is 65-95% of individuals of the desired sex. Insemination was carried out by recto-cervical method using a tool AlphaVision frozen-thawed sexed semen divided by sex. The highest results of the fruitfulness of insemination with sexed semen in Agricultural production cooperative “Breeding Plant Almaty”, Individual entrepreneur “Karimov” and Kakpatas Kordai were obtained in the autumn-winter period and ranged from 58.1 to 65.2%, with an insemination index of 1.58-1.72. Economic efficiency when using the technology of artificial insemination of calves with sexed semen amounted to 10,040.2 tenge. When using sexed semen, an average of 92% of calves were obtained from bovine. Less insemination costs, the profit from calf production amounted to 76,109.2 tenge.

Поліморфізм гена бета-лактоглобуліну (BLG) у корів молочних порід української і зарубіжної селекції

The aim of the study was to study the polymorphism of the beta-lactoglobulin gene in cows of Ukrainian Red-Spotted dairy cattle and Montbéliarde breeds and animals obtained by crossing the local Ukrainian Red-Spotted dairy cattle with bulls of Montbéliarde breed and its relationship with milk productivity. Blood samples were taken from the cows Ukrainian Red-Spotted dairy cattle and crossbreeds (SE DG “Niva” of the Institute of Animal Breeding and Genetics named after M. V. Zubets) and from cows of Montbéliarde breed (PSP “Zhadkivske”, Chernihiv region). with the end of the first lactation. To study the single nucleotide polymorphism of the beta-latoglobulin (BLG) gene, the PCR-RFLP method with specific primers and restrictases was used. Dairy productivity of cows was determined by control milkings. Statistical processing of the obtained research results was carried out by the methods of biological statistics using the computer program Microsoft Excel. In our groups of cows, we have found three variants of genotypes at the locus of the beta-lactoglobulin gene — homozygous AA and BB and heterozygous AB. In the firstborns of the Montbéliarde breed and crossbreeds of the Ukrainian Red-Spotted dairy cattle with the Montbéliarde bulls, animals with the AB genotype were most common (0.57 and 0.524), in the group of the Ukrainian Red-Spotted dairy cattle — homozygous carriers of the BB genotype with a frequency of 0.433. In individuals of the Ukrainian Red-Spotted dairy breed, the expected heterozygosity (He) exceeds the actual (Ho), which indicates a decrease in heterozygosity in the herd of cows of this breed. In groups of Montbéliarde cows and crossbreeds, the situation is opposite: the actual heterozygosity exceeds the expected one and the fixation index is negative. Analysis of milk productivity of cows of the three studied groups revealed the same trend: cows with the AA genotype for the beta-lactoglobulin gene were dominated by peers with the AA and AB genotypes. The highest hopes for 305 days of the first lactation were found in crossbred cows with genotype AA (6728 kg). The difference in milk yield in crossbreeds with genotypes BB and AB was 311 (5%) and 195 (3%) kg, respectively. The highest indicators of fat content were found in the milk of first-born crossbreeds with the AA genotype, which is 0.1% and 0.75% higher than in the first-born with the AA genotype of Montbéliarde and Ukrainian Red-Spotted dairy cattle, respectively. Among cows with genotype AB, the highest mass fraction of fat was found in crossbreeds — 4.15%. The mass fraction of protein is highest in first-borns with the BB genotype — 3.89%, which was 0.51 higher than in Montbéliarde cows and 0.43% in the Ukrainian Red-Spotted dairy cattle. Thus, the results of molecular genetic analysis of the studied breeds reflect the specificity of the genetic structure at individual loci of quantitative traits, in particular the beta-lactoglobulin gene, which gives grounds to use this pattern to improve breeding work with dairy breeds.

Assessment of statewide and within-herd seroprevalence of Anaplasma marginale antibodies in 12 Bos taurus–Bos indicus cow herds and the association with sporadic outbreaks of bovine anaplasmosis in Florida

Our objective was to assess within-herd seroprevalence of Anaplasma marginale antibodies across 12 Florida beef cattle herds and compare with statewide seroprevalence. Twelve surveyed herds ranged in size from 160 to 456 adult Bos taurus – Bos indicus cattle. Statewide A. marginale seroprevalence relied on blood samples obtained at slaughter from 201 Florida cattle. Screening relied on competitive ELISA. Before serology, an outbreak of anaplasmosis resulted in increased mortality (up to 17.8%) and abortions in several herds. Up to 29.2% of cows aborted late in gestation in 2 herds that included many cattle introduced from Texas. Among 1,085 cattle tested in the 12 herds, seroprevalence of A. marginale varied from 2.6 to 85%, with an overall seropositive rate of 50.3%. Cattle in open herds were 6.23 (95% CI: 4.26–9.17) times more likely to experience mortality and 3.10 (95% CI: 2.39–3.98) times more likely to abort than animals in closed herds. Average mortality (12%) and abortion (16.3%) among open herds were significantly ( P < 0.05) higher than mortality (1.9%) and abortion (5.3%) among closed herds. Overall seropositivity among affected herds was higher than the apparent statewide seroprevalence of 20.32%. This survey provides estimates of seropositivity among Florida cattle and reports the absence of uniform herd immunity in an area considered endemic for bovine anaplasmosis. These data highlight unrestricted cattle movement and environmental conditions that favor vector-borne disease transmission as risk factors for disease outbreaks even in regions that are considered endemic for bovine anaplasmosis.

Changes in metabolic and hormonal profiles during transition period in dairy cattle \u2013 the role of spexin

BackgroundThis study aimed to evaluate spexin as a novel blood marker and to describe the relationship of this peptide with selected biochemical metabolites measured during the transition period in dairy cows. Additionally, mRNA expression of the spexin gene as well as spexin receptors – galanin receptor type 2 and galanin receptor type 3, was investigated in several bovine tissues. Blood samples were collected at weekly intervals starting at 21 days before the estimated parturition day until 21 days in milk to determine concentrations of spexin, nonesterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate acid, total and active ghrelin, progesterone, glucose, insulin, IGF–I, triglycerides, cholesterol, leptin, corticosterone and 17-β-estradiol as well as the activity of aspartate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyl transferase.ResultsSpexin concentration decreased from 21 d before parturition to calving day and next it rose during the first 14 d of lactation. The lowest concentration of spexin was recorded on the calving day and it differed from the mean level of this peptide before parturition as well as postpartum. Moreover, differences were observed between mean spexin concentrations before and after calving. Spexin levels were moderately negatively correlated with NEFA (r = − 0.39) and total ghrelin contents (r = − 0.41), weakly correlated with BHBA (r = − 0.35) while they showed a moderate positive relationship with progesterone concentrations (r = 0.42). Moreover, we detected that mRNA expression of GALR2, GALR3 and SPX is present in various bovine tissues (kidney, bowel, rumen, spinal cord, lung, skeletal muscle, liver, heart, fat and spleen).ConclusionA negative correlation between spexin concentration and NEFA, BHBA and total ghrelin contents as well as a positive relationship with levels of progesterone, metabolites and hormones, which are key players in the dairy cow transition period, may confirm an important function of this peptide in metabolism regulation. Thus measurement of spexin concentration could provide useful supplementary information for dairy cow herd health monitoring.

Incorporating Brahman Genetics in the Cow Herd to Alleviate Heat Stress

Incorporating Brahman genetics into the cow herd alleviates heat stress. This publication discusses Brahman adaptation, challenges and benefits, and recommended Brahman incorporation. Written by Kaitlyn Sarlo Davila, Heather Hamblen, Serdal Dikmen, Peter Hansen, Todd Thrift, and Raluca Mateescu, and published by the UF/IFAS Department of Animal Sciences, October 2021.

Doctors and climate change: First do no harm.

Imagine a herd of cows in a fenced, lush green meadow shared with birds, bees and other small animals. Now imagine that everything the cows eat or drink comes in a plastic container. Humanity is on an appalling trajectory. Most of us are now aware that a crisis is upon us. If you are like me, you are struggling to consider what you should do about it. Those who read this journal are for the most part child health professionals; it is our job to look after children. This job must surely include caring for their future. Yet we, like most of the rest of human society, are actively supporting behaviours which will deprive children of their future, and potentially the future of much of the animal kingdom along with them.