Decreased Milk Production Research Articles

Bovine mastitis: Prevalence, causes and associated risk factors in Silte Zone, Ethiopia

Mastitis is an important disease of dairy cows, and it causes huge economic losses to dairy farm owners due to a decrease in milk production, and reduction in milk quality, and an increase in the cost of cow treatment. A crosssectional study was conducted in Southern Ethiopia’s Silte zone from October 2020 to June 2021 aimed to estimate mastitis prevalence, assess related risk factors, and identify prevalent bacterial causes. Three hundred eighty-four lactating cows were examined for abnormalities in udder quarters and teats. Milk samples were tested for subclinical mastitis via the California mastitis test (CMT) and cultured for causative agents from clinical mastitic and CMT-positive cows. The overall prevalence of mastitis was 54.9% (95% CI=49.9-59.9), of which 52.1% (95% CI=47.1-57.1) was subclinical and 2.9% (95% CI=1.6 -5.1) clinical mastitis. From a total of 1536 quarters examined 41 (2.7%) quarters were found blind and 427 (27.7%) quarters were affected by mastitis. Overall, more hind quarters, 236 (55.5%) were affected than the front quarters, 189 (44.5%) of udder. The prevalence of mastitis was significantly higher during early lactation, ≤4 months (p< 0.05); and it was increased with increasing parity (p< 0.05) and age (p< 0.05). Cows with no bedding were more affected than those with bedding (p< 0.05). Multivariable logistic regression showed that cows with round and flat teat ends were 2.84 and 11.85 times more likely to contract mastitis. Also, cows with pendulous udder, producing more than 10 liters per day milk and during the early 4 months of lactation were 1.87, 6.81, and 2.14 more likely affected by mastitis than normal udder, producing less than 10 liters of milk per day and lactation after five months, respectively. Milk samples collected from 211 mastitis-positive cows were cultured using standard bacteriological technique, and the isolated bacteria were Staphylococcus aureus (29.5%), Staphylococcus epidermidis (14.2%), Staphylococcus intermedius (11.6%), Staphylococcus hyicus (11.1%), Streptococcus agalactiae (8.9%), Streptococcus disgalactiae (6.3%), E. coli (5.8%), Streptococcus uberis(5.3%), Klebsiella spp. (1.6%) and Enterococcus spp. (1.1%). Owners should givepro per udder care and are advised to apply dry cow therapy. Extension workers should raise awareness.

Stretching the wings further- susceptibility of Culex pipiens Linnaeus to bovine ephemeral fever virus infection under experimental conditions

Bovine ephemeral fever (BEF) is a significant viral disease of cattle in the tropical, subtropical, and temperate climatic zones. This disease is also known as three-day sickness due to the spontaneous recovery of the cattle within a short period (usually 3–5 days). Despite its short duration, the disease may have a considerable impact. It can cause heavy economic losses, primarily due to decreased milk production, lowered fertility in bulls, and even fatality in severe cases. The virus is suspected to be transmitted by haematophagous insects (mainly mosquitoes and Culicoides biting midges); however, the identity of a competent vector for BEFV remains a mystery. Here, we investigated whether BEFV may replicate for a short duration in Culex pipiens Linnaeus, 1758, the most prevalent mosquito species in Israel and a potential vector of this virus to Israeli cattle. We applied nested- qPCR to test BEFV abundance in Cx. pipiens every 24 h for 14 consecutive days post-infection. Additionally, we collected eggs laid by BEFV-infected females and investigated BEFV abundance in the different developmental stages of F1 mosquitos. Our results suggest that Cx. pipiens mosquitoes have the potential to act as a vector of BEFV and also indicate that BEFV may be vertically transmitted from Cx. pipiens female parent to her female offspring.

Effect of prophylactic calcium supplementation on regulators of calcium homeostasis in multiparous Holstein cows

Post-parturient subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH) in dairy cows, a common metabolic disease which arises from the increased calcium demands of early lactation, has been associated with decreased milk production and negative health outcomes. Our objective was to determine how postpartum calcium supple­mentation methods, and the timing of their administration, affect blood calcium concentrations and regulators of calcium homeostasis, specifically parathyroid hormone and calcitonin.

Correlation of Serum Calcium with Enzymes Aspartate Aminotransfrase, Creatine Kinase and Mastitis in Postpartum Period in Dairy Cattle

Mastitis is inflammation of udder and its chances increases in hypocalcemia cases because sphincters of teat are loosened due to calcium-ion channel blockage. Cows those suffered milk fever have 8 times more chances of developing mastitis than other cows which haven’t suffered hypocalcaemia. The values of AST and CK are high in downer cows due to hypocalcemia as compared to healthy cows. Subclinical hypocalcaemia is one of the major complication occurring just after parturition in local and exotic breeds of cattle in Pakistan. It weakens the immune system of dairy animal and also decreases the production potential of animals thus causing serious economic losses in terms of decrease milk production of animal, decrease earning of animal and increased treatment cost due to secondary infection like mastitis occurred due to weakened immune function. The current study was aimed to the correlation of serum calcium with enzymes Creatine Kinase and Aspartate amino transferase and mastitis in postpartum period in dairy cattle. A total of 50 cattle (n=50) just after parturition were included in this study. The cattle were sampled in two ways. Firstly, 10ml blood was drawn aseptically into clot activator vacutainers from jugular vein. Secondly milk samples were taken from all four teats. First 2 milk strips were discarded and next strips were collected in aseptic test tubes. The samples were transported to Pathology laboratory, Department of Pathology, University of Veterinary and Animal Sciences, Lahore maintaining the cold chain and stored at -20 0C till further analysis. Correlation between calcium and creatin kinase comes out to be 0.279 which is weak positive correlation. Correlation between calcium and aspartate aminotransferase is also weak and comes out to be 0.111. Similarly, correlation between calcium and SCC also weak and comes out to be 0.193.This is the first study of correlation of calcium with CK, AST and SCC in dairy cattle after postpartum period.
 

Evaluation of Cow-Side Meters to Determine Somatic Cell Count in Individual Cow Quarter and Bulk-Tank Milk Samples.

Intramammary infections, which cause mastitis, can increase treatment and labor costs, decrease milk production, and affect milk quality. Meters that measure quarter somatic cell count (SCC) could be used to make more informed dry cow therapy decisions. The objective of this study was to compare the RT-10 iPhone adapter (RT-10; Dairy Quality Inc., Newmarket, ON, Canada), DeLaval Cell Counter (DSCC; DeLaval, Gurnee, IL, USA), Porta Check Quick Test (PortaCheck, White City, OR, USA), California Mastitis Test (ImmuCell, Portland, ME USA), pH meter (Hanna Instruments, Smithfield, RI, USA), electrical conductivity meter (OHAUS, Parsippany, NJ, USA), and the dual laser infrared temperature thermometer (Klein Tools, Lincolnshire, IL, USA) for measuring SCC in individual Holstein mammary quarters in comparison to a reference standard, the Fourier Transform Spectrometer 600 Combi System (Combi; Bentley Instruments, Chaska, MN, USA). Meters were evaluated using 658 individual cow quarter samples and 100 bulk-tank samples to measure SCC. Individual quarter milk samples from 160 cows from four commercial dairy herds were collected just before dry off and tested within 4 h of collection. To test bulk-tank SCC, 100 bulk-tank milk samples (25 mL) were collected from UC Davis Veterinary Medicine Teaching and Research Milk Quality Lab. Meter SCC values were regressed on observed Combi SCC. Goodness of fit was then evaluated by partitioning the mean square predicted error (MSPE). For individual quarter SCC, RT-10 had the highest coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.86), lowest MSPE, and highest proportion of MSPE due to random variation (96%). Both the RT-10 and DSCC had the highest sensitivity and specificity for identifying quarter SCC above and below 200,000 cells/mL. For bulk-tank SCC, DSCC had the highest coefficient of determination (R2 = 0.45), lowest MSPE, and highest proportion of MSPE due to random variation (80%). The RT-10 and DSCC could be used to measure individual quarter SCC to determine which cows to treat at dry off potentially reducing antibiotic use.

Effect of heat stress on dairy cow production, reproduction, health, and potential mitigation strategies

Extreme weather events are becoming more common and more severe as a result of climate change, and this has serious implications for the future of livestock, farmer income and livelihoods, and food security worldwide. Dairy cattle have become more heat sensitive due to selective breeding for higher production and increased feedlot operations. The harmful effects of heat stress cause hyperthermia, oxidative stress, and other physiological changes in dairy cows. Environmental heat stress causes a decrease in feed intake, leading to a decrease in milk production in dairy cows. The main method to check for reductions in milk production in dairy cows during the summer is an accurate evaluation of heat stress and effective mitigation strategies. Three primary management strategies have been proposed to reduce heat stress and stabilize dairy cattle performance in increasingly hot and humid climates. Short-term management options include physical alteration of the environment and nutritional management, while long-term management strategy includes discovering heat-tolerant genetic traits and genomic selection for heat tolerance. This review looks at how heat stress has affected the dairy industry’s sustainability and elaborates on genomic selection for thermotolerance in dairy cattle as sustainable breeding practices to increase dairy cows’ ability to withstand high temperatures.

Evaluation of multifactorial digestive disorders in a dairy herd at different stages of lactation.

The manager of a large dairy herd (total confinement, total mixed ration feeding, 10130 kg milk sold per cow and year) requested a workup of a digestive disorder problem that had been ongoing for several years. The cows were at all stages of lactation, and the incidence proportion (events/100 cows at risk) of digestive disorders was approximately 5 to 10%. The clinical picture included an abnormal demeanor of varying severity and signs that differed among the cows. The latter included decreased milk production and physical activity, low body condition score, abnormal rumen motility and stratification, small intestinal dilatation, diarrhea, undigested fiber particles in the feces, fever and abdominal pain.The following approach was used to investigate the digestive disorder problem:1. The herd was assessed for production levels, housing requirements, feeding protocols and animal health management. The latter comprised evaluation of different animal scores, metabolic profile analysis, diagnosis of disease, culling records and slaughter data. The results revealed risk factors concerning the feeding and animal health monitoring, (e. g. in dry matter intake and silage quality management, disease detection and diagnosis in fresh cows). The assessment also identified a high occurrence of digestive disorders of unknown origin.2. Fifteen cows that represented the ongoing digestive disorder problem were selected to undergo clinical examination, hematological analysis, urinalysis, and ultrasonography of the ventral abdomen. The clinical examinations revealed different digestive disorders, which were mainly inflammatory in nature, in all the cows. Eight cows had localized reticuloperitonitis and 13 had left displaced abomasum with different degrees of displacement and adhesions between the abomasum and reticulum attributable to reticuloperitonitis.Our results revealed a multifactorial problem caused by several risk factors relating to animal health and feeding management protocols that resulted in different types of digestive disorders. The wires from damaged tires used to hold the pit silo tarps in place were identified as a possible traumatic cause of the reticuloperitonitis. Treatment, prevention and follow-up of the different conditions were discussed.

The Effect of COVID-19 Vaccine on Women's Reproductive Health: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) vaccine was developed to stimulate acquired immunity against severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). Symptoms of reproductive health abnormalities have been reported following the administration of the adenovirus and mRNA-containing vaccine. Such complaints included irregular menstrual cycles, miscarriages, changes in sexual interest, vaginal bleeding, and decreased milk supply in breastfeeding mothers. This study aimed to explore the effect of the COVID-19 vaccine on the reproductive health of women attending five primary healthcare centers in the western region of Saudi Arabia. A cross-sectional study was conducted with 300 women between 15 and 50 years. Five primary healthcare centers were included from May to September 2022. Non-probability convenient sampling technique was used; data were collected via a self-administered questionnaire from women who received any number or type ofCOVID-19 vaccine. Data were analyzed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) version 22 (IBM SPSS Statistics, Armonk, NY, USA). Of those who responded to the questionnaire (297 participants), 74% were married, and 52% had 1-3 children. Of the pregnant women, only 4% lost their pregnancy. In addition, of the breastfeeding mothers, 10% noticed a decrease in milk production after the vaccination. The effect of the vaccination status on decreased libido was 11%. A small proportion (18%) of the participants reported worsening dietary habits after the vaccine. Less than half of the participants (44%) reported a change in the length and amount of the menstrual cycle, and 29%worsened premenstrual syndrome (PMS). There was no significant association between the type and the number of doses on the rate of miscarriage (p=0.47), breastmilk production (p=0.47), libido (p=0.11), health diet habits (p=0.15), monthly cycle (p=0.570), heavy menses (p=0.999), and PMS symptoms in the study participants. COVID-19 vaccination remains necessary to prevent severe infection and is safe for females of reproductive age, whether trying to get pregnant or lactating, and has no significant effect on the menstrual cycle. This research can be used as a basis when deciding on vaccines in case of future pandemics and remove misinformation and doubts regarding the vaccines that should be adequately addressed.

Salmonellosis in Young Calves: A Perplexing Problem beyond Diarrhea

Introduction: Salmonellosis is a well-known infectious disease invading both adult and young cattle, commonly characterized by severe diarrhea and septicemia in calves as well as fever, dysentery, abortion, increased salivation, and decreased milk production in adults. Rapid outbreaks and heavy mortality rates have turned Salmonella spp. into a violent organism from farmers’ and experts’ perspectives. The objective of this article was to pragmatically underline different aspects of Salmonellosis infections in young calves with emphasis on novel clinical and post-mortem signs. Case report: Two calves aged 70–80-day old were primarily diagnosed with respiratory disease, high body temperature (> 40°C), and hyperpnea in the Behroozi Dairy Farm, Tehran, Iran. Calves were treated with anti-inflammatory drugs and antibiotics (amikacin and penicillin) immediately, but they died the next day. After that, the number of ill calves increased dramatically and 120 calves were discovered with the same signs, including persistent high body temperature, hyperpnea, and recumbency. Early diagnosis and proper treatment and nursing were key factors in reducing the recovery time and mortality rate. Conclusion: In some salmonellosis cases, treatment could become complicated due to developing resistance to various antibiotics. Calves born in filthy calving pens and those with depressed immunity are susceptible to salmonellosis. Therefore, complying with sanitary practices as well as precise nutrition programs for pre-weaning and weaning calves could provide a preventive tool to reduce the risk of Salmonellosis outbreak.

WITHDRAWN: RNA binding protein Musashi2 regulates dairy cows' mastitis by activating the TGFβ signaling pathway

Bacteria-induced mastitis decreased milk production and quality in cows. Persistent inflammation induces epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) in mammary epithelial cells, disrupting tight junctions and losing the immunity of the blood-milk barrier. Maintenance of the blood-milk barrier and reducing the negative effects of inflammation is a challenge. The mouse model and bovine mammary epithelial cells (BMECs) were used to establish mastitis models. Exploring the molecular mechanisms of the RNA-binding protein Musashi2 (Msi2) in mastitis. The results showed that Msi2 regulates the inflammatory response and the blood-milk barrier in mastitis. We found that Msi2 expression was upregulated during mastitis. In LPS-induced BMECs and mice, elevated Msi2 was accompanied by an increase in inflammatory factors and a decrease in tight junction proteins. Silencing of Msi2 alleviated the above indicators induced by LPS. Transcriptional profiling revealed that Msi2 silencing activated the transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathway. RNA-interacting protein immunoprecipitation experiments showed that Msi2 could bind transforming growth factor β receptor 1 (TGFβ R1) and affect its mRNA translation, thereby affecting the TGFβ signaling pathway. These results suggest that in mastitis, Msi2 modulates the TGFβ signaling pathway by binding to TGFβR1, inhibits the inflammatory response, and repairs the blood-milk barrier, mitigating the negative effects of mastitis. Msi2 may be a potential target for the treatment of mastitis.

The Effectiveness of Papaya on Increasing Breast Milk Production in Nursing Mothers at Bd. Yuliati Clinic in 2023

The global strategy of infant and child feeding states that prevention of infant mortality is exclusive breastfeeding for 6 months along with continued breastfeeding until the age of 2 years or more. But there are still many breastfeeding mothers who experience a decrease in milk production. Research has reported that papaya fruit that grows a lot in Indonesia has the potential to increase breast milk through lactagogum content. This study aims to analyze the effect of papaya fruit on increasing breast milk production. This study was conducted in the period April – May 2023 on 35 postpartum mothers day 2 . Papaya fruit is given for 7 days as much as 600 grams gr, 3 times a day and observed on the 9th postpartum day. Statistical analysis using independent t-test Bivariate analysis showed that there was an effect of giving papaya fruit as much as 600 grams for 7 days on increasing maternal breast milk and statistically the difference was considered significant, because the p-value of 0.039 < 0.05.

Lentivirus malih preživača

Small ruminant lentivirus (SRLV) is a group of viruses of the Retroviridae family, shared between caprine, ovine and wild ruminants. It is responsible for a systemic infection that can affect the lungs, central nervous system, mammary gland and joints, causing chronic, insidious, and progressive diseases, seriously affecting animal health. Concurrently, it is associated with a decrease in milk production, leading to malnutrition of lambs and goat kids and to the premature slaughter of adult animals, causing substantial economic losses. This review aims to gather the latest information regarding lentivirusin small ruminants in the clinical practice, their economic importance, and diagnostic and prevention methods. Diagnosis is based on clinical, analytical, and post-mortem findings. The feasibility of imaging diagnosis is also highlighted. Preventive measures and management interventions, including the culling or segregation of positive animals, are effective options to control or even eradicate this disease. SRLV prevention strategies must be applied continuously to progressively eradicate infection.

MILK PRODUCTION AND BUSINESS ANALYSIS ON DAIRY CATTLE AFFECTED BY PMK IN “KAMPOENG TERNAK” SIDOARJO LIVESTOCK: A LITERATURE REVIEW

mineral superboosters and concentrating immunoboosters in the feed. This research was conducted on the smallholder dairy cattle in "Kampoeng Ternak," Taman District, Sidoarjo, for 42 days. The material used was 18 Friesian Holstein (FH) dairy cattle suffering from FMD and decreased milk production. This research was carried out experimentally with three treatments: P0 (treatment injected multivitamins 10 ml + antibiotic long-acting 20 ml), P1 (treatment injected multivitamins 10 ml + antibiotic long-acting 20 ml and mineral super booster 40 grams), and P2 (10 ml treatment injected multivitamins + 20 ml long-acting antibiotics, adding 40-gram mineral super booster and 800-gram concentrate immunobooster). The data collected in this study is feed consumption, milk production, and profit analysis of business in the farm. The data were calculated and analyzed using anova. This literature review aims to describe adding mineral supplements to FH dairy cattle suffering from foot and mouth disease (FMD) as an alternative because it can increase milk production.

Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) practices amongst mothers in Hospitals of Mohali district (Punjab, India)

India has achieved significant improvement since 2000, yet there are still areas of alarm, notably with regard to child nutrition. Adequate nutrition during infancy and early childhood is critical to each child’s development of his or her full human potential. The period from birth to two years of age is widely acknowledged as a “critical window” for promoting optimal growth, health, and behavioral development. The present study was conducted on 500 mothers of infant and young children (0-24 months) visiting OPDs of government and private hospitals of district Mohali. The respondents were interviewed using a questionnaire provided by WHO (WHO, 2021). It was found that only a few mothers (n=20) practiced hand expression of breast milk irrespective of the type of hospital visiting. A majority gave pre-lacteal food among those visiting both the private and government hospitals. 89.4 percent (n=447) had ever breastfed their infants while a majority visiting government (52.1%) as well as private (53.3%) hospitals practiced exclusive breastfeeding. Reasons for stopping breastfeeding included medical advice, family advise, perceived decreased milk production or birth of another child. IYCF practices were found to be similar amongst mothers visiting the government and private hospitals. Therefore, breastfeeding counselling at antenatal clinics and peer support for exclusive breast feeding as per WHO recommendations should be included as part of breast-feeding promotional programs both in private as well as government hospitals, dispensaries and clinics.

Assessing the Viability of Establishing a Dairy Milk Business in the Village Unit Cooperative of Gandusari District, Blitar Regency: A Feasibility Analysis

Milk is a vital animal-derived food product, along with meat and eggs, for human consumption. In Indonesia, the dairy industry is dominated by small and medium-sized dairies. Dairy cows are a significant source of animal protein, and their primary product is milk. In the North of Blitar Regency lies the sub-district of Gandusari, where dairy cow milk is produced in the villages under the coverage of the Village Unit Cooperative called KUD "Semen." This research was initiated to address a problem. Primary and secondary data were collected using a puIDRosive sampling technique, questionnaires, literature review, and observation. The collected data is quantitative, and investment criteria were utilized for analysis. The results of the NPV analysis showed an amount of IDR 18,672,631,280, IRR of 29%, B/C Ratio of 184.04, and PP for eight years and six days, indicating the feasibility of investing in KUD "Semen." Sensitivity analysis was performed based on three assumptions, including the increase in feed costs, operational costs, and decreased milk production of dairy cows. The analysis revealed that the dairy milk business in KUD is sensitive to increased feed prices and decreased production, among the three assumptions.

Role of Molecular diagnostic technique , improving management and hygiene in Control of Subclinical Mastitis in diary Cattles

Sub clinical mastitis is a common disease caused by lack of good management and biosecurity of dairy cattle which cause expensive losses due to decrease milk production effect on the quality efficiency of milk losses in livestock production. the study designed to review the researcher's study to detect important strategies controlling of subclinical mastitis resulting from environmental & contagious pathogens such as E.coli, k.pneumonia, proteus spp.,Enterobacter spp., Staphylococcus aureus , Streptococcus agalactia and mycoplasma pyogenes, also other microorganism in dairy cow. A wide range of genetic diagnostic methods can be using for investigation of mastitis such as RT-PCR and MPCR methods.Further accurate improving hygiene and improve management considerable for controlling of the disease in dairy cattle they are commitment of hygiene procedure as milking, animal condition and floor that incorporated management strategies. Regard to dry period of cattle the usage of antibiotic treatment , supplements foods ,optimization of animal body condition ,scientific management of milk procedure and ventilation are considered important factor to control of bovine mastitis. on the other hand,this review provides the role using advance diagnostic technologies of this disease. and can provide safeguard of dairy animals as well as improving hygiene as a good controlling of mastitis pathogens..

Occurrence of gastrointestinal parasitic infection in bovines of Haryana

Gastrointestinal (GI) parasitic infections are the major constraint for livestock production causing huge economiclosses to the livestock producers in terms of decreased milk production and reduced weight gain. Gastrointestinaldisorders including diarrhoea may be caused by various etiological factors but parasitic infections play a significantrole. A total of 1755 faecal samples from cattle (n = 594) and buffaloes (n = 1161) with the history of digestive disturbances/disorders were tested at four Disease Investigation Laboratories at Ambala, Bhiwani, Mahendergarhand Rohtak in Haryana during July 2020 to June 2021. All the faecal samples were processed by floatation and sedimentation methods. Coprological examination revealed 33.5% cattle and 37.3% buffalo as positive for GIparasites. The major parasitic infection of Amphistomes (6.3%), Buxtonella sulcata (14.8%) and Strongyles (11.05%)was observed in bovines. Highest infection of Strongyles (13.3%) and Buxtonella sulcata (17.4%) was found in cattle and buffaloes, respectively. Gastrointestinal parasitic infections in calves were in higher frequency than adult animals. Season-wise GI parasitic infections were recorded to be non-significantly higher in rainy season. Area-wiseoccurrence of parasitic infection was recorded highest in Rohtak followed by Bhiwani, Ambala and the least in Mahendergarh district of Haryana. This kind of study is found to be helpful in formulating effective control trategiesagainst GI parasitic infections on regional basis.

Intestine microbiota and SCFAs response in naturally Cryptosporidium-infected plateau yaks.

Diarrhea is a severe bovine disease, globally prevalent in farm animals with a decrease in milk production and a low fertility rate. Cryptosporidium spp. are important zoonotic agents of bovine diarrhea. However, little is known about microbiota and short-chain fatty acids (SCFAs) changes in yaks infected with Cryptosporidium spp. Therefore, we performed 16S rRNA sequencing and detected the concentrations of SCFAs in Cryptosporidium-infected yaks. Results showed that over 80,000 raw and 70,000 filtered sequences were prevalent in yak samples. Shannon (p<0.01) and Simpson (p<0.01) were both significantly higher in Cryptosporidium-infected yaks. A total of 1072 amplicon sequence variants were shared in healthy and infected yaks. There were 11 phyla and 58 genera that differ significantly between the two yak groups. A total of 235 enzymes with a significant difference in abundance (p<0.001) were found between healthy and infected yaks. KEGG L3 analysis discovered that the abundance of 43 pathways was significantly higher, while 49 pathways were significantly lower in Cryptosporidium-infected yaks. The concentration of acetic acid (p<0.05), propionic acid (p<0.05), isobutyric acid (p<0.05), butyric acid (p<0.05), and isovaleric acid was noticeably lower in infected yaks, respectively. The findings of the study revealed that Cryptosporidium infection causes gut dysbiosis and results in a significant drop in the SCFAs concentrations in yaks with severe diarrhea, which may give new insights regarding the prevention and treatment of diarrhea in livestock.

PREVALENCE, ECONOMIC IMPACT AND THERAPEUTIC EFFICACY IN ACUTE INFECTIOUS PODODERMATITIS IN SHEEP

This study assessed seasonal incidence, economic losses, the efficacy of therapeutic protocols, the recovery time of affected animals and specific prophylactic measures applied to sheep with acute infectious pododermatitis. The studies were conducted over a period of 12 months in 3 different sheep farms from private units in the same area. The results of the study showed an increased incidence of the disease in all 3 farms, with an average of 26.94% of the sheep flock. The incidence of the disease was increased in the months of April-May-June-July and September-October (30%), when there were heavy rains. The high morbidity led to economic losses through the decrease in milk production by approximately 30% and the decrease in the weight of the sheep by 10.58% (4.2 kg) of their normal weight. The therapeutic protocol applied locally as well as parenterally, combined with a foot bath with 10% zinc sulphate solution, were effective in treating acute infectious pododermatitis of sheep. The average recovery time (days) was approximately the same in the three groups of sheep (5.25 ± 0.68 days for cases with moderate diseases and 10.2 ± 0.22 for cases with severe diseases).

Effects of Protein Supplementation Strategy and Genotype on Milk Production and Nitrogen Utilisation Efficiency in Late-Lactation, Spring-Calving Grazing Dairy Cows

The objectives of this study were to evaluate the effects of (1) protein supplementation strategy, (2) cow genotype and (3) an interaction between protein supplementation strategy and cow genotype on milk production and nitrogen (N) utilisation efficiency (milk N output/ total dietary N intake × 100; NUE) in late-lactation, spring-calving grazing dairy cows. A 2 × 2 factorial arrangement experiment, with two feeding strategies [13% (lower crude protein; LCP) and 18% CP (higher CP; HCP) supplements with equal metabolisable protein supply] offered at 3.6 kg dry matter/cow perday, and two cow genotype groups [lower milk genotype (LM) and higher milk genotype (HM)], was conducted over 53 days. Cows were offered 15 kg dry matter of grazed herbage/cow/day. Herbage intake was controlled using electric strip wires which allowed cows to graze their daily allocation-only. There was an interaction for herbage dry matter intake within cows offered HCP, where higher milk genotype (HM) cows had increased herbage dry matter intake (+0.58 kg) compared to lower milk genotype (LM) cows. Offering cows LCP decreased fat + protein yield (-110 g) compared to offering cows HCP. Offering cows LCP decreased the total feed N proportion that was recovered in the urine (-0.007 proportion units) and increased the total feed N proportion that was recovered in the faeces (+0.008 proportion units) compared to offering cows HCP. In conclusion, our study shows that reducing the supplementary CP concentration from 18% to 13% resulted in decreased milk production (-9.8%), reduced partitioning of total feed N to urine (-0.9%) and increased partitioning of total feed N to faeces (+14%) in late lactation, grazing dairy cows.