Effect Of Parity Research Articles

Exploring the association of parity and its interaction with history of preterm delivery on gestational duration

PurposePreterm delivery is a major cause of child mortality. While the relationship between parity and preterm delivery is known, its association with gestational duration and variability remains underexplored. Differences in variance may suggest interaction with other well-established risk factors. MethodsWith 1.1 million spontaneous deliveries (1990–2012) from the Swedish Medical Birth Register, we assessed while accounting for potential confounders the effects of parity on the mean and variance of gestational duration, and its possible interactions with history of preterm delivery. Pedigrees allowed to account for nonobserved, shared confounders using linear mixed models. ResultsParity has a modest association with mean gestational duration, but a large effect on its variance. For example, the first pregnancy had the shortest mean gestational duration, 0.29 days shorter (95% CI: −0.33, −0.25) than the second, and the largest variance (σ2 = 135 days2). Accounting for shared unobserved confounders highlighted a group effect bias, likely linked to the mothers’ total number of offspring. Parity interacts with other risk factors, including previous preterm delivery where the magnitude of its effect increases with parity (up to 4.6 days effect difference). ConclusionsNonshared factors across a mother's pregnancies highlight parity's importance to gain insight into the mechanisms governing the timing of delivery.

Analysis of Early Growth of Piglets from Hyperprolific Sows Using Random Regression Coefficient.

Management of hyperprolific sows is challenging when it comes to controlling birth weight variability and piglet survival in large litters. The growth of low birth weight piglets can be compromised and have a negative impact on production efficiency. The objective of the study was to apply a random regression coefficient model to estimate the main effects of the growth of piglets of highly prolific sows. The dataset contained growth data for 360 piglets from 25 Pen Ar Lan Naima sows. In addition to routine procedures after farrowing, piglets were weighed five times: on day 1 after farrowing, on day 14 of life, at weaning on day 28, on day 30 of nursery period, and at the end of the nursery period when piglets were 83 days old. Data were treated as longitudinal, with body weight as the dependent variable. Fitting age as a quadratic regression within piglets in the random part of the model helped to determine the significant effect of birth weight, litter size, and parity on the growth of the piglets. Since the piglets from large litters often have non-uniform birth weights and this can affect further growth, the use of a random regression coefficient model is practical for analysing the growth of such piglets due to the ability to describe the individual growth pattern of every individual.

Citizenship of the agricultural transfer population and property income‐‐empirical evidence from the Chinese region

AbstractIn urbanization, achieving common prosperity is a common complication faced by human society in the process of development. The citizenship of the agricultural transfer population (CRM) is a vital urbanization goal in developing countries. However, there is rare empirical evidence on the citizenship of agricultural migrants and property income. The relaxation of household registration restrictions and property policy changes under China's new urbanization plan provide crucial material for the test of their causal effects. The results of this study suggest that the citizenship of the agricultural transfer population can be divided into two stages: identity conversion and service sharing. Both the initial household registration conversion and the later service sharing are conducive to the growth of property income of the residents who have switched from agriculture to non‐agriculture. Besides, the increase in transfer length of the “rural‐to‐non‐native” residents further strengthens the positive effect of service parity on property income. This implies that governments and relevant authorities in developing countries should emphasize the construction of a policy system for equalizing basic public services to facilitate the reduction of income disparity while stimulating economic growth. Additionally, the mechanism analysis reveals that the underlying logic of the citizenship of agricultural migrants lies in the ability to enrich total property, adjust asset allocation behavior, reinforce the efficiency of financial asset allocation, and achieve an increase in property income. The quantitative results of this study provide effective information for future sustainable urban development, especially for rational urbanization in developing countries.

Maternal Age, Parity and Nursing Status at Fertilization Affects Postpartum Lactation Up to Weaning in Horses.

Nulliparity is associated with intra-uterine growth retardation and foal delayed catch-up growth. Older mares produce larger/taller foals than the precedents. Nursing at conception on foal growth had not been investigated yet. In any case, milk production conditions the foal's growth. This study aimed to determine effects of mare parity, age and nursing on subsequent lactation quantity and quality. Saddlebred mares and their foals (N=43) run as a single herd over the same year were: young (6-7-year-old) primiparous, young multiparous, old (10-16-year-old) multiparous nursing at insemination time or old multiparous barren the previous year. No young nursing nor old multiparous mares were available. Colostrum was collected. Milk production and foal weight were monitored at 3-, 30-, 60-, 90- and 180-days postfoaling. The foal average daily weight gain (ADG) was calculated for each period between two measurements. Milk fatty acid (FA), sodium, potassium, total protein and lactose contents were determined. The primiparous versus multiparous colostrum was richer in immunoglobulin G, with lower production but greater FA contents in milk. The primiparous foals had a lower ADG for 3 to 30 days postpartum period. Old mares' colostrum contained more SFA and less polyunsaturated FA (PUFA) whereas their milk was richer in proteins and sodium and poorer in short-chain-SFA with a reduced PUFA/SFA ratio at 90 days. Nursing mares' colostrum was richer in MUFA and PUFA and late-lactation milk production was reduced. In conclusion, parity, age and nursing at conception affect mare's colostrum and milk production and foal growth and should be considered for broodmares' management.

Birthweight of the subsequent singleton pregnancy following a first twin or singleton pregnancy.

Birthweight is an important pregnancy indicator strongly associated with infant, child, and later adult life health. Previous studies have found that second-born babies are, on average, heavier than first-born babies, indicating an independent effect of parity on birthweight. Existing data are mostly based on singleton pregnancies and do not consider higher order pregnancies. We aimed to compare birthweight in singleton pregnancies following a first twin pregnancy relative to a first singleton pregnancy. This was a prospective registry-based cohort study using maternally linked offspring with first and subsequent pregnancies registered in the Medical Birth Registry of Norway between 1967 and 2020. We studied offspring birthweights of 778 975 women, of which 4849 had twins and 774 126 had singletons in their first pregnancy. Associations between twin or singleton status of the first pregnancy and birthweight (grams) in subsequent singleton pregnancies were evaluated by linear regression adjusted for maternal age at first delivery, year of first pregnancy, maternal education, and country of birth. We used plots to visualize the distribution of birthweight in the first and subsequent pregnancies. Mean combined birthweight of first-born twins was more than 1000 g larger than mean birthweight of first-born singletons. When comparing mean birthweight of a subsequent singleton baby following first-born twins with those following first-born singletons, the adjusted difference was just 21 g (95% confidence interval 5-37 g). Birthweights of the subsequent singleton baby were similar for women with a first twin or a first singleton pregnancy. Although first twin pregnancies contribute a greater combined total offspring birthweight including more extensive uterine expansion, this does not explain the general parity effect seen in birthweight. The physiological reasons for increased birthweight with parity remain to be established.

Social interactions, feeding patterns, and feed efficiency of same- and mixed-parity groups of lactating cows

Social dynamics in group-housed animals can have important impacts on their welfare, feed efficiency, and production potential. Our objectives were to: 1) evaluate the effects of parity and social grouping on competition behavior, feeding patterns, and feed efficiency, and 2) investigate cow-level relationships between competition and feeding behavior, production, and feed efficiency. Fifty-nine Holstein cows (144.5 ± 21.8 starting DIM, mean ± SD) were housed in a freestall pen with 30 Roughage Intake Control (RIC) bins. We evaluated the effects of parity [primiparous (PR, n = 29) vs. multiparous (MU, n = 30)] and group composition at the feed bunk [same-parity (SM, n = 39) vs. mixed-parity (MX, n = 20, 50% of each parity)] with a 2 × 2 factorial design (SM-MU: n = 20; SM-PR: n = 19; MX-MU: n = 10; MX-PR: n = 10) on competition behavior, feeding patterns, and feed efficiency. Within the pen, groups of 9 to 10 cows were considered subgroups and assigned to treatments defined by sets of 5 assigned bins (2:1 stocking density). Feed bunk competition and feeding patterns were recorded via continuous video in the first hour after morning feed delivery and 24-h RIC data, respectively. Residual feed intake (RFI) was calculated as the difference between predicted and observed dry matter intake (DMI) after accounting for known energy sinks. Linear models were used to evaluate the effects and interactions of parity and group composition on competition, feeding behavior, and feed efficiency. Within-cow correlations were performed between competition, feeding behavior, and RFI. Cows in MX, compared with SM, were involved in more competitive interactions [mean (95% CI): competitive contacts: 11.5 (8.1,16.3) vs. 7.2 (5.5,9.3) events; displacements: 4.0 (3.0,5.3) vs. 2.1 (1.7,2.7) events, and replacements: 3.5 (2.6,4.7) vs. 1.9 (1.5,2.5) events]. Cows in MX vs. those in SM had more bunk visits/meal [ 4.3 (3.9, 4.8) vs. 3.7 (3.4, 3.9) visits/meal] and longer meals (31.2 vs. 27.4 ± 0.9 min/meal) and tended to have higher RFI (0.41 ± 0.3 vs. -0.21 ± 0.2) and were therefore less feed efficient. Multiparous vs. PR cows had greater DMI per day (29.3 ± 0.6 vs. 25.5 ± 0.4 kg/d) and per meal [4.2 (4.0, 4.4) vs. 3.4 (3.2, 3.6) kg/meal], faster eating rates [0.14 (0.13, 0.15) vs. 0.12 (0.11, 0.13) kg/min], and fewer bunk visits/d [26.6 (24.0, 29.4) vs. 32.8 (29.7, 35.9)]. Regardless of grouping or parity, cows with shorter latencies to first visit the bunk after feed delivery were involved in more competition and tended to be less feed efficient. Overall, individual cow- and group-level relationships among competition, feeding behavior, and feed efficiency play an important role in feed bunk social dynamics. At a competitive 2:1 stocking density, mixed-parity groups for lactating cows may have potentially negative animal welfare and feed efficiency implications that should be considered when selecting grouping strategies on the farm.

Simmental Irkı İneklerde Optimum Gönüllü Bekleme Süresi ve Senkronizasyon Programının Belirlenmesi

The objective of the present study was to compare four different synchronization protocols at the end of various voluntary waiting period (VWP) and evaluate the effect of parity and milk yield on pregnancy rates with synchronization in Simmental cows. All animals were randomly allocated into four synchronization groups and one control group. Parity, milk yield (≤23 kg/d; >23 kg/d), and days in milk (DIM; 45-60, 61-90, >90 days) were compared according to synchronization protocols. Ovsynch (Group I; n=81), Ovsynch+Progesterone (Group II; n=30), G6G (Group III; n=66), 2xG6G (Group IV; n=45), and a control group (n=35) were designed for the study. The parity significantly affected the pregnancy rates in the primiparous cows, especially in Group II (P0.05). There was no significant difference between milk yield and pregnancy rates (P>0.05). In conclusion, the synchronization of Simmental cows with Ovsynch, Ovsynch+Progesterone, G6G, or 2xG6G did not affect pregnancy rates across various DIM. These data suggest that the suitable VWP could be planned according to the farm’s economic and local market targets, with veterinarians able to choose a protocol based on practicality, effectiveness and cost, as well as the specific requirements of the herd.

Effects of Parity on Udder and Teat Traits among Three Breeds of Cattle Raised Extensively in Nigeria

Selection of dairy cows traditionally among farmers using phenotypic traits is a major problem in the northern part of Nigeria. This work studied udder and teat traits of cows based on three parities (parity 1, 2 and 3). The knowledge of the relationship between the physical characteristics of the udder and teats with milk yield as selection indices would improve performance in dairy cattle. A total of 270 cows comprising 90 each of Sokoto Gudali, White Fulani and Red Bororo were used in this study. Each breed was further divided into 3 groups of thirty cows according to parity (Parity 1, 2, and 3). Udder traits measured were udder width (UW), udder length (UL) and udder depth (UD) while teat traits were front teat length (FTL), hind teat length (HTL), distance between front and hind teat (DBFHT), distance within front teat (DWFT), distance within hind teat (DWHT). Data obtained were subjected to analysis of variance and significant means were separated using the Duncan Multiple Range Test. The results showed that in Sokoto Gudali, Parity 2 and 3 were similar and significantly (p<0.05) superior in FTL (6.570.43cm and 6.710.42cm) and DBFHT (9.500.50cm and 9.280.47cm) respectively whereas parity 1 was significantly (p<0.05) low in FTL (5.330.32cm) and DBFHT (8.300.49cm). Parity 1 was significantly (p<0.05) low in HTL (5.250.31cm) and UD (42.900.54cm) whereas parity 3 was significantly (p<0.05) superior in HTL (7.070.60cm) and UD (49.140.34cm). In White Fulani cows, Parity 3 was significantly (p<0.05) higher in DWFT (9.900.37cm), UW (29.100.43cm) and UL (28.300.44cm). Parity 1 and parity 2 were statistically similar and significantly (p<0.05) lower in DWFT, UW and UL as 7.400.40cm and 8.100.27cm, 26.000.59cm and 27.000.49cm and 26.000.59cm and 26.800.41cm respectively. In Red Bororo cows, Parity 2 and Parity 3 were statistically similar and significantly (p<0.05) higher in FTL and HTL as 6.200.29cm 5.60030cm and 6.130.52cm and 5.500.43cm respectively whereas Parity 1 was significantly (p<0.05) lower in FTL (4.500.31cm) and HTL (4.00021cm). Parity 3 was significantly (p<0.05) superior in UW 27.630.03cm whereas Parity 1 was significantly (p<0.05) low in UW 23.800.47cm. The study discovered that Parity had a significant effect on udder and teat traits in all three breeds studied.

Gestational stress decreases postpartum mitochondrial respiration in the prefrontal cortex of female rats

Postpartum depression (PPD) is a major psychiatric complication of childbirth, affecting up to 20% of mothers, yet remains understudied. Mitochondria, dynamic organelles crucial for cell homeostasis and energy production, share links with many of the proposed mechanisms underlying PPD pathology. Brain mitochondrial function is affected by stress, a major risk factor for development of PPD, and is linked to anxiety-like and social behaviors. Considering the importance of mitochondria in regulating brain function and behavior, we hypothesized that mitochondrial dysfunction is associated with behavioral alterations in a chronic stress-induced rat model of PPD. Using a validated and translationally relevant chronic mild unpredictable stress paradigm during late gestation, we induced PPD-relevant behaviors in adult postpartum Wistar rats. In the mid-postpartum, we measured mitochondrial function in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) and nucleus accumbens (NAc) using high-resolution respirometry. We then measured protein expression of mitochondrial complex proteins and 4-hydroxynonenal (a marker of oxidative stress), and Th1/Th2 cytokine levels in PFC and plasma. We report novel findings that gestational stress decreased mitochondrial function in the PFC, but not the NAc of postpartum dams. However, in groups controlling for the effects of either stress or parity alone, no differences in mitochondrial respiration measured in either brain regions were observed compared to nulliparous controls. This decrease in PFC mitochondrial function in stressed dams was accompanied by negative behavioral consequences in the postpartum, complex-I specific deficits in protein expression, and increased Tumor Necrosis Factor alpha cytokine levels in plasma and PFC. Overall, we report an association between PFC mitochondrial respiration, PPD-relevant behaviors, and inflammation following gestational stress, highlighting a potential role for mitochondrial function in postpartum health.

Altitude Modifies the Effect of Parity on Birth Weight/Length Ratio: A Study Comprising 2,057,702 Newborns between 1984 and 2020 in Austria.

(1) Background: Lower birth weight among newborns in higher altitudes has been well documented in previous literature. Several possible causes for this phenomenon have been investigated, including biophysiological adaptation, epigenetic or genetic mechanisms or lifestyle changes. This is the first study to show the effect modification of altitude and parity on the birth weight length ratio (BWLR) in women resident in moderate altitudes compared to a low sea level.; (2) Methods: This population-based study obtained data on altitude (0-300, 300-500, 500-700,700-900, >900 m), parity (1, 2, …, 7, 8/9), birth weight and length on all births in Austria between 1984 and 2020 from birth certificates provided by Statistics Austria. The BWLR was calculated, and the effect of moderate altitude and parity was estimated using multivariable linear mixed models adjusting for predefined variables. Sub-group regression analyses were conducted by altitude group. (3) Results: Data on 2,057,702 newborns from 1,280,272 mothers were analyzed. The effect of parity on BWLR, as indicated by the difference of BWLR between the first- and second-born infants, ranged between 1.87 to 2.09 g per centimeter across all altitude groups. Our analyses found that the effect of parity on BWLR diminished from parity three onwards at altitude 0-300, whilst the effect of parity on BWLR continued to increase at higher than 300 m and was most notable in the highest altitude group >900 m. (4) Conclusions: Findings from our study indicated that the negative effect of increasing altitude on BWLR was deprived for newborns of higher parity. It shows that the residential altitude can modify the effect of parity on BWLR.

Effect of Parity, Body Condition Score at Calving, and Milk Yield on the Metabolic Profile of Gyr Cows in the Transition Period.

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of parity, body condition score (BCS) at calving, and milk yield on the metabolic profile of Gyr (Zebu) cows. Healthy cows in late pregnancy were grouped according to parity (primiparous, biparous, and multiparous); to BCS scale at calving (high-HBCS and normal-NBCS); and to milk yield (high-HP and moderate-MP production). BCS was assessed, and blood samples were collected on -21, -7, 0, 7, 21, and 42 days relative to parturition. The concentrations of non-esterified fatty acids (NEFA), beta-hydroxybutyrate (BHB), cholesterol, glucose, total protein (TP), albumin, total calcium (Ca), phosphorus (P), and magnesium (Mg); and activities of aspartate aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase were measured. Data were analyzed by two-way repeated measures ANOVA. The frequencies of high lipomobilization, subclinical ketosis, subclinical hypocalcemia (SCH), and the occurrence of diseases during early lactation were established. Regardless of grouping, NEFA, BHB, and cholesterol increased during early lactation; glucose showed higher values at calving; TP and albumin were higher at 21 and 42 DIM; and Ca, P, and Mg were lower at calving. Parity had little effect on the metabolic profile, HBCS did not differ from NBCS cows, and HP did not differ from MP cows in most metabolites. High lipomobilization in early lactation and SCH at calving were the most common imbalances but were not related to postpartum diseases. High-yielding Gyr cows have a balanced metabolic profile during the transition period, with few biologically relevant effects of parity, BCS at parturition, or milk yielded.

Effects of the self-propulsion parity on the efficiency of a fuel-consuming active heat engine.

We propose a thermodynamically consistent, analytically tractable model of steady-state active heat engines driven by both temperature difference and a constant chemical driving. While the engine follows the dynamics of the active Ornstein-Uhlenbeck particle, its self-propulsion stems from the mechanochemical coupling with the fuel consumption dynamics, allowing for both even- and odd-parity self-propulsion forces. Using the standard methods of stochastic thermodynamics, we show that the entropy production of the engine satisfies the conventional Clausius relation, based on which we define the efficiency of the model that is bounded from above by the second law of thermodynamics. Using this framework, we obtain exact expressions for the efficiency at maximum power. The results show that the engine performance has a nonmonotonic dependence on the magnitude of the chemical driving and that the even-parity (odd-parity) engines perform better when the size of the engine is smaller (larger) than the persistence length of the active particle. We also discuss the existence of a tighter upper bound on the efficiency of the odd-parity engines stemming from the detailed structure of the entropy production.

Associations between serum gamma-globulin concentration, enzyme activities, growth and survival in preweaning Alpine goat kids

Colostral immunity is crucial for young ruminants, but the individual factors that may affect passive transfer status and its effects on preweaning growth performance have not been widely investigated in goats. The methods to quantify immunoglobulins G can be expensive. Colostrum enzymes, though, pass the intestinal barrier and might be suitable as markers of passive transfer status, as demonstrated in other ruminant species. This study aimed to investigate the effect of sex, litter size, dam parity, and birth body weight on passive transfer status and the relationship between gamma-globulin concentration (GG) and pre-weaning growth performance in Alpine goat kids. The association between serum GG, serum total protein concentration and serum activity of colostrum enzymes including γ-glutamyltransferase (GGT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (AST), and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) was examined for their use as predictors of passive transfer status in neonatal goat kids. Sixty-six Alpine goat kids (39 males, 27 females), born to 28 does at one dairy goat farm during two delivery seasons, were enrolled. Kids nursed their dams in group housing until weaned at 50 days of age. Blood samples were collected 24 h after birth. Body weights (BW) were taken at birth and weaning. Serum enzyme activities and total protein concentration were measured using a clinical biochemical analyser. Serum GG was determined by gel electrophoresis. Statistical analysis was performed using GraphPad Prism (v. 8.2.1). No significant differences in serum GG between males and females, singlets and twins, multiparous’ and primiparous’ kids were found. No association was detected between birth BW and GG. Serum GG was strongly and significantly associated with TP (R2 =0.85; p 0.0001) and moderately associated with GGT (R2 =0.47; p 0.0001). No correlation was found with ALP, AST, and LDH. Although partial failure of passive transfer (FPT) was diagnosed in 23% of kids, no effects on morbidity (3%), mortality (0%) and pre-weaning growth performance were observed. Our results confirm that serum total proteins can be used to indirectly estimate immunoglobulin concentration. Contrarily, passive transfer status can be predicted with little success by measuring the activity of serum GGT. It is not advisable to use ALP, AST and LDH as indicators of passive transfer status. Finally, FTP is not necessarily associated with the health and preweaning growth performance of Alpine goat kids reared in non-intensive breeding systems that follow good farming practices.

Associations Between Parity and Cognition: Race/Ethnic Differences.

Race/ethnicity is associated with differences in reproductive history and cognition individually, yet it remains an understudied factor in the relationship between parity and later-life cognition. To evaluate if the association between parity and cognition differs between racial/ethnic groups. Participants included 778 older, postmenopausal women from the Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (Latina: n = 178, Non-Latino Black [NLB]: n = 169, Non-Latino White [NLW]: n = 431) who self-reported at least one birth. Cognitive outcomes included working memory, learning memory, and verbal fluency. Covariates included age, education, cardiovascular and other reproductive health factors, adult socioeconomic status (SES) and depressive symptoms. We fit a series of linear models to examine a) whether parity was associated with cognitive functioning, b) if this association varied by race/ethnicity through parity by race/ethnicity interactions, and c) individual parity with cognition associations stratified by race/ethnicity. In the full sample, parity was significantly negatively associated with Digit Symbol Substitution Test (DSST) performance (b = -0.70, p = 0.024) but not Animal Fluency or word-list learning and memory. Tests of race/ethnicity-by-parity interactions were not statistically significant (ps > 0.05). However, stratified analyses by race/ethnicity showed a differential effect of parity on DSST performance, such that parity was significantly negatively associated with DSST performance (b = -1.66, p = 0.007) among Latinas but not in NLWs (b = -0.16, p = 0.74) or NLBs (b = -0.81, p = 0.191). Among Latina, but not NLB or NLW women, greater parity was associated with worse processing speed/executive functioning later in life. Further research is needed to understand the mechanisms driving racial/ethnic differences.

Pengaruh Paritas Dan Hemoglobin Terhadap Kejadian Preeklamsia

Preeclampsia is one of the leading causes of maternal morbidity and mortality in the world. Parity factors and hemoglobin are suspected of increasing the incidence of preeclampsia. This study aims to determine the effect of parity and hemoglobin on the incidence of preeclampsia. This research is an observational analytic study with a prospective design. The population in this study were preeclampsia pregnant women and healthy pregnant women at Aghisna Medika Kroya General Hospital and Cilacap Regional General Hospital in August–November 2021, with the following inclusion criteria: gestational age 20 weeks, single pregnancy, willingness to become research subjects, and having gadgets. Exclusion criteria were pregnant women who had incomplete medical record data. A total of 36 respondents in the case group were taken by total sampling technique, and 36 respondents in the control group were taken by purposive random sampling technique with a ratio of 1:1. Statistical test using Chi-Square The results showed that 63.89% (23 people) in the case group and 58.33% (21 people) in the control group were multiparas (p = 0.326 0.05), while 69.45% (25 people) in the case group and 58.33% (21) in the control group had normal hemoglobin levels (p = 0.326 0.05). These data show that there is no effect of parity or hemoglobin level on the incidence of preeclampsia.

Effect of maternal experience and body condition on patterns of ewe-lamb bonding behaviors and pre-weaning growth performance of lambs

Many factors, involving parity and body condition can have a profound effect on physiological and sensory determinants of maternal behavior and, consequently, the establishment of the ewe-lamb bond. Thus, exploring the factors and their interactions that influence maternal behavior is critical to improve the overall lamb survival and welfare. The aim of this study was to determine the effects of parity and body condition score (BCS) on early ewe–lamb bonding behaviors and pre-weaning growth performance in lambs. The study was carried out with 12 first-parity (primiparous; PP), 12 second-parity (biparous: BP), and 14 third or more parity (multiparous: MP) Norduz ewes and 38 singleton lambs. In the study, ewe–lamb bonding behaviors were analyzed based on parity (PP, BP, and MP) and body condition score groups (BCS ≤ 3 and BCS > 3). Behaviors of ewes and lambs from each group were monitored for a period of 3 hours after parturition, and the ewe–lamb separation test was performed within the first 24 hours after parturition. Maternal behaviors such as latency to grooming, the number of low and high pitch bleats, and preventing sucking and neonatal behaviors such as latency to successful suck, the number of bleats and the total sucking duration were determined. The live weights of the lambs were recorded every 2 weeks until the 90th day. Ewes were grazed entirely on pasture without extra feed supplementation during the pasture season. Ewes were fed with alfalfa hay and gradually supplemented with barley and concentrate throughout the winter. While the grooming duration was not affected by parity, BCS > 3 ewes had longer grooming duration than BCS ≤ 3 ewes (P < 0.05). More prevention of sucking, butting, and low and high pitch bleating were counted for PP ewes than BP and MP ewes (P < 0.05). Parallel to these results, PP lambs had the longest latency to successful suck (P = 0.046) and the highest number of sucking attempts (P = 0.033). The mean sucking duration of MP lambs was significantly longer than PP lambs (P < 0.038). Birth weight of PP lambs was lower than MP lambs, but neither parity nor BCS had a significant effect on growth performance of lambs. In conclusion, the findings of the study showed that lack of maternal experience caused a negative effect on co-operation with lamb sucking attempts, but did not significantly affect growth performance. It can be suggested that BCS had little effect on maternal behavior and growth performance of lambs for ewes with a body condition score of 2.85-3.33 during the mating period.

Relationship between Milk Yield and Udder Morphology Traits in White Fulani Cows

The study examined the relationship between milk yield and udder morphology traits in White Fulani cows. Fifty-eight apparently healthy cows in early lactation at 2nd, 3rd, and 4th parity were used in the study. The data obtained from the cows were test day milk yield (TDMY) from single milking and udder morphology traits comprising udder length (UL), udder width (UW), udder depth (UD), fore teat length (FTL), rear teat length (RTL), fore teat diameter (FTD), and rear teat diameter (RTD). There was no significant effect of parity on TDMY or the udder morphology traits. Phenotypic correlations between TDMY, UL, UW, and UD were positive and significant. Notably, phenotypic correlations between UL and TDMY at different parities were the strongest. Teat measurements had no significant correlation with TDMY. Stepwise and principal component regressions were implemented to assess the relationship between milk yield and udder morphology traits. Interestingly, UL was the only trait that entered the reduced models. The results suggest a probable genetic correlation between milk yield and udder length. Therefore, since udder conformation traits are heritable, when selecting for udder length in White Fulani cows, a correlated response in milk yield is expected.

High risk of dairy cow mortality in early lactation.

On-farm mortality among dairy cows constitutes a major problem in modern dairy production. Detailed knowledge about when cows die may help guide the prevention of future deaths. Data from 46,927 on-farm dairy cow deaths reported to the Danish Cattle Database were analysed to evaluate the distribution of deaths in relation to time after calving and the effect of parity and breed. Of all on-farm deaths, 15.2% occurred within 7 days after calving, 32.2% within 30 days and 49.4% within 90 days. Older cows generally died sooner after calving compared to younger cows, and Jersey cows died later than other breeds. The results are based on a large and reliable dataset but include only data from Danish dairy cows. The distribution of on-farm deaths was very uneven, with a large proportion of deaths occurring during the first few weeks after calving, especially in older cows.

Proximate factors affecting mortality and maternal abandonment of young free-roaming feral horse foals

The burgeoning population of feral horses in the American west is due to high population growth, resulting from low adult mortality and high foal survival. In two populations of feral horses in western Utah, USA only 15 foals died (5%; mean age <1 month) over a 4-year period. Seven additional foals (age <70 days) were observed separated from their dam, with no return to suckling or associating with the dam (i.e., abandoned). Factors affecting fate of foals were examined by comparing dead and separated foals with siblings (n = 19 dams, n = 32 siblings). Foals becoming separated or dying were observed in all years of the study, were unrelated to horse density, environmental effects, or gather events. There was no effect of dam body condition, parity, or age on foal survival or separation, and no effect of length of time the dam was in a group, whether the foal was born into the same group as conceived, and number of group changes made by the dam while pregnant. Dams of foals that died or were separated were more likely to change groups within 2 months after the foal was first seen, mostly after foal death or separation. Separated foals were near their dam less often, but there was no difference in frequency of social interactions. Separation of foals and dams is a natural occurrence in feral horses and survival likelihood for these foals is high – all separated foals that remained on the range in this study survived.

Kütahya İlinde Yetiştirilen Anadolu Mandalarında Buzağılama Aralığı ve Kuruda Kalma Süresi Üzerine Araştırmalar

The study is intended to determine the calving interval (CI) and Dry period (DP), which are reproductive characteristics of Anatolian buffaloes reared under farm conditions, to investigate the environmental effects on these characteristics, and to use the results in stud selection programs for breeding in buffalo herds. In the study, 1427 calving interval and dry period records of 756 heads of Anatolian buffalo reared between 2014-2021 were used. In this study, the overall mean and standard error of CI and DP were determined as 411.374.10 days and 191.703.13 days, respectively. The effects of county, calving year, season and parity on these features were determined. In the study, the effect of all environmental factors on CI and DP, apart from the county, was found to be significant (p