Evening Milking Research Articles

Effects of breed, feeding system, and lactation stage on milk fat characteristics and spontaneous lipolysis in dairy cows

Spontaneous lipolysis (SL) is an enzymatic reaction that leads to a release of fatty acids that can modify technological and sensory properties of milk and milk products. However, few studies have been done to assess the effect of feeding systems (FS) and breed on SL. Most of them were conducted in the 1980s and are not fully representative of cattle today. No previous study investigated the effect of cow breed at the whole-lactation scale. Thus, a trial was carried out to study the effects of 2 FS (high- and low-input FS) with 2 breeds [Holstein (HO) and Normande (NO)] during 1 entire lactation. Sixty-three cows were followed throughout 1 lactation. Cows were divided into 4 groups according to their breed and their FS. The high FS (HFS) consisted of a high-energy diet (in winter, corn silage with 30% concentrate; otherwise, pasture with 4 kg/d of concentrate) and the low FS (LFS) consisted of a low-energy diet (in winter, conserved grass with no concentrate; otherwise, pasture with no concentrate). The cows calved between January and March. Individual milk samples were collected every month from both morning and evening milkings for fat, protein, milk fat globule size, major fatty acids and proteins profiles, and SL determinations. Data were analyzed using the mixed procedure of SAS. The SL was higher in evening milks compared with morning milks. In early lactation, in evening milks, SL was higher in LFS than in HFS. No difference was shown according to the FS in mid and late lactation. Pasture was associated with low SL rate in mid lactation. The NO cows were less susceptible to SL during the entire lactation than HO cows. Finally, early and late lactation periods were identified as being more susceptible to SL, but this depended on breed and FS. During early lactation, HO cows and LFS were associated with higher levels of SL, particularly in evening milks, and, during late lactation, HO cows were associated with higher levels of SL. No intertreatment or intercow correlations (coefficient of determination <0.16) were found between SL, milk fat and protein contents, milk production, milk fat globule size, proportion of fatty acids and proteins, body condition, and weight during the entire lactation. Effects of breed, FS, and lactation stage were clearly identified and quantified. Causal mechanisms might involve energy balance and circadian secretion of milk fat globule components.

Influencia de la temperatura ambiente en verano sobre la producción de leche en vacas Holstein

The aim of this work was to evaluate milk yield losses directly influenced by the climate without the use of installments’ resources to heating and/ or cooling in a dairy farm. Twenty Holstein cows with an average body weight of 480 kg and different lactation stages were used. The milk yield to each animal and the air temperature during milking were measured for 30 days, twice a day, in the morning and in the evening milking. The cows were divided in three groups, as follows: GROUP L – cows in different lactation periods; GROUP PL – cows in the peak of lactation; GROUP P – cows in the first lactation. Data of milk production were submitted to an analysis of variance, considering the effects of days of observation, of the groups of the animals in each period (morning and afternoon) and considering the air temperature as a covariable of the model. The Pearson correlation was estimated (P

Short communication: Bovine milk sampling efficiency for pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG) detection test

Two experiments were conducted to verify whether the time of day at which a milk sample is collected and the possible carryover in the milking system may affect pregnancy-associated glycoproteins (PAG) levels and, consequently, the pregnancy test results in dairy cows. In experiment one, we evaluated the effect of time of day at which the milk sample is collected from 51 cows. In experiment two, which evaluated the possible occurrence of carryover in the milk meter milking system, milk samples from 94 cows belonging to two different farms were used. The samples were subjected to pregnancy test using ELISA methodology to measure PAG concentrations and to classify the samples as positive (pregnant), negative (nonpregnant), or suspicious (recheck). We found that the time of milking did not affect the PAG levels. As to the occurrence of carryover in the milk meter, the PAG levels of the samples collected from Farm-2 were heavily influenced by a carryover effect compared with the samples from Farm-1. Thus, milk samples submitted to a pregnancy test can be collected during the morning or the evening milking. When the sample is collected from the milk meters, periodic equipment maintenance should be noted, including whether the milk meter is totally drained between different animals’ milking and equipment cleaning between milking is performed correctly to minimize the occurrence of carryover, thereby avoiding the effect on PAG levels and, consequently, the pregnancy test results. Therefore, a single milk sample can be used for both milk quality tests and pregnancy test.

Wykorzystanie technik data mining w analizowaniu czynnik�w wplywajacych na reaktywnosc kr�w podczas doju

Motor activity of 158 Polish Holstein-Friesian cows was evaluated 5 times (before and during milking in a DeLaval 2*10 milking parlour) for both the morning and evening milking, on a 5-point scale, according to the method of Budzynska et al. (2007). The statistical analysis used multiple logistic regression and classification trees (Enterprise Miner 7.1 software which comes in with SAS package). In the evaluation of motor activity, cows that were among the first ten to enter the milking parlour were more often given a score of 3 points before (11.5%) and during milking (23.5%) compared to the other cows. Cows’ activity tended to decrease (both before and during milking) with advancing lactation. The cows’ reduced activity was accompanied by shorter teat cup attachment times and lower milk yields. The criteria calculated for the quality of models based on classification tree technique as well as logistic regression showed that similar variables were responsible for the reactivity of cows before milking (teat cup attachment time, day of lactation, number of lactation, side of the milking parlour) and during milking (day of lactation, side of the milking parlour, morning or evening milking, milk yield, number of lactation). At the same time, the applied methods showed that the determinants of the cow reactivity trait are highly complex. This complexity may be well explained using the classification tree technique.

Relationship of goat milk flow emission variables with milking routine, milking parameters, milking machine characteristics and goat physiology

The aim of this paper was to study the relationship between milk flow emission variables recorded during milking of dairy goats with variables related to milking routine, goat physiology, milking parameters and milking machine characteristics, to determine the variables affecting milking performance and help the goat industry pinpoint farm and milking practices that improve milking performance. In total, 19 farms were visited once during the evening milking. Milking parameters (vacuum level (VL), pulsation ratio and pulsation rate, vacuum drop), milk emission flow variables (milking time, milk yield, maximum milk flow (MMF), average milk flow (AVMF), time until 500 g/min milk flow is established (TS500)), doe characteristics of 8 to 10 goats/farm (breed, days in milk and parity), milking practices (overmilking, overstripping, pre-lag time) and milking machine characteristics (line height, presence of claw) were recorded on every farm. The relationships between recorded variables and farm were analysed by a one-way ANOVA analysis. The relationships of milk yield, MMF, milking time and TS500 with goat physiology, milking routine, milking parameters and milking machine design were analysed using a linear mixed model, considering the farm as the random effect. Farm was significant (P<0.05) in all the studied variables. Milk emission flow variables were similar to those recommended in scientific studies. Milking parameters were adequate in most of the farms, being similar to those recommended in scientific studies. Few milking parameters and milking machine characteristics affected the tested variables: average vacuum level only showed tendency on MMF, and milk pipeline height on TS500. Milk yield (MY) was mainly affected by parity, as the interaction of days in milk with parity was also significant. Milking time was mainly affected by milk yield and breed. Also significant were parity, the interaction of days in milk with parity and overstripping, whereas overmilking showed a slight tendency. We concluded that most of the studied variables were mainly related to goat physiology characteristics, as the effects of milking parameters and milking machine characteristics were scarce.

Relationship of mammary gland health status and other noninfectious factors with electrical conductivity of milk in Manchega ewes

Measuring the electrical conductivity (EC) of milk during milking has been extensively studied in cattle as a low-cost mastitis detection method that can be easily automated. The aim of this work was to study the effect of the health status of the glands and several noninfectious factors (lactation stage, milking session, and lactation number) that affect the use of EC measurement of milk to detect mastitis in dairy sheep livestock. Likewise, we studied the relation between EC and milk composition (macrocomposition and mineral content) and between EC and somatic cell count (SCC). Finally, we evaluated the use of EC thresholds as a mastitis detection method. To this end, we monitored the glandular milk EC throughout 2 consecutive lactations, during which 42 and 40 ewes were controlled, respectively. We carried out 7 biweekly checks, analyzing the EC, SCC, composition, and mineral content of glandular milk at morning and evening milkings. Before the morning milking, samples were aseptically collected for bacteriological analysis, and the results along with the SCC were used to classify the glands according to their sanitary status (healthy, latently infected, or infected). Lactation stage, parity, milking (morning or evening), health status, and the interactions of parity with health status, lactation stage with health status, and parity with lactation stage all had a significant effect on SCC and EC of the milk. The correlation between EC and SCC was only significant when all the data were analyzed jointly (r = 0.33) and for SCC ≥ 600.000 cells/mL (r = 0.25). The changes in milk composition, mainly in fat content, largely explained the variation in EC (R2 = 0.69). For the same EC threshold, the specificity and sensitivity varied depending on the parity or the milking, with the negative predictive value obtained being higher than the positive predictive value at all times. We concluded that developing methods of detecting mastitis in sheep by milk EC readings would require consideration of noninfectious factors that also affect the gauging of EC. One option to consider would be individualized daily monitoring of the glands, as demonstrated in other species such as cattle and goat.

Effects of milking stall dimensions on behavior of dairy cows during milking in different milking parlor types

Dairy cow body size has increased over time because of breeding selection for higher milk yield, but milking stall dimensions have never been adjusted and are based on the practical experience of milking-machine manufacturers and advisory institutions. Narrow, limited milking stall dimensions might lead to behavioral changes during milking due to lack of comfort. The aim of this study was to examine the current space allowance in milking stalls on dairy farms and assess the effect of space allowance on cow behavior during milking. On 15 Swiss dairy farms, we measured clear milking stall dimensions and cow body dimensions. We calculated space ratios for length (SRlength) and width (SRwidth) by dividing the milking stall length or width by cow body length or belly width, respectively. When the space ratio was >1, we assumed that the body length or width of cow was smaller than the milking stall length or width. On each farm, 10 healthy cows were chosen for behavioral observation during 1 evening milking. We recorded rumination, elimination, and latency to enter the milking stall by direct observation. Hind leg activity was recorded using acceleration loggers. Data were analyzed using general linear mixed-effects models with farm as a random effect. Due to a strong collinearity between SRwidth and SRlength, we chose SRlength for further analysis, because it is based on skeletal characteristics. The SRlength was smallest in side-by-side parlors (1.07 ± 0.01) and largest in tandem parlors (1.18 ± 0.01). More cows had a tendency to ruminate with increasing SRlength (odds ratio: 1.8). None of hind leg activity, maximum peaks of hind leg accelerations, or latency to enter the milking stall were significantly affected by SRlength. Latency to enter the milking stall was longer for group milking parlors (side-by-side: 44.0 ± 3.2 s; herringbone: 34.3 ± 2.9 s) than for tandem parlors (19.0 ± 2.7 s). Milking parlor type had no effect on hind leg activity, maximum peaks of hind leg accelerations or rumination. The SRlength affected rumination behavior to some extent, indicating that cow comfort was positively affected by larger milking stall length. Because cow comfort is important for good milking performance, further investigations of milking stall dimensions for cow comfort and thus welfare are needed. Furthermore, the results showed that parlor type affected cow behavior, irrespective of SRlength, making future research necessary to identify the factors leading to this effect of parlor type.

Cheesemaking in highland pastures: Milk technological properties, cream, cheese and ricotta yields, milk nutrients recovery, and products composition.

Summer transhumance of dairy cows to high Alpine pastures is still practiced in many mountainous areas. It is important for many permanent dairy farms because the use of highland pastures increases milk production and high-priced typical local dairy products often boost farm income. As traditional cheese- and ricotta-making procedures in Alpine pastures are central to this dairy system, the objective of this study was to characterize the quality and efficiency of products and their relationships with the quality and availability of grass during the grazing season. The milk from 148 cows from 12 permanent farms reared on a temporary farm located in Alpine pastures was processed every 2wk during the summer (7 cheesemakings from late June to early September). During each processing, 11 dairy products (4 types of milk, 2 by-products, 3 fresh products, and 2 ripened cheeses) were sampled and analyzed. In addition, 8 samples of fresh forage from the pasture used by the cows were collected and analyzed. At the beginning of the pasture season the cows were at 233±90d in milk, 2.4±1.7 parities, and produced 23.6±5.7kg/d of milk. The milk yield decreased with the move from permanent to temporary farms and during the entire summer transhumance, but partly recovered after the cows returned to the permanent farms. Similar trends were observed for the daily yields of fat, protein, casein, lactose, and energy, as we found no large variations in the quality of the milk, with the exception of the first period of Alpine pasture. The somatic cell counts of milk increased during transhumance, but this resulted from a concentration of cells in a lower quantity of milk rather than an increase in the total number of cells ejected daily from the udder. We noted a quadratic trend in availability of forage (fresh and dry matter weight per hectare), with a maximum in late July. The quality of forage also varied during the summer with a worsening of chemical composition. The evening milk (before and after natural creaming), the whole morning milk, and the mixed vat milk had different chemical compositions, traditional coagulation properties, and curd-firming modeling parameters. These variations over the pasture season were similar to the residual variations with respect to chemical composition, and much lower with respect to coagulation and curd-firming traits. Much larger variations were noted in cream, cheese, and ricotta yields, as well as in nutrient recoveries in curd during the pasture season. The protein content of forage was correlated with some of the coagulation and curd-firming traits, the ether extract of forage was positively correlated with milk fat content and cheese yields, and fiber fractions of forage were unfavorably correlated with some of the chemical and technological traits. Traditional cheese- and ricotta-making procedures showed average cream, cheese, and ricotta yields of 6.3, 14.2, and 4.9%, respectively, and an overall recovery of almost 100% of milk fat, 88% of milk protein, and 60% of total milk solids.

Evaluation of morning and evening milk of Holstein Friesian crossbred cows collected from Bangladesh Agricultural University Dairy Farm

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the organoleptic, specific gravity, chemical and microbiological qualities of morning and evening milk which collected from Bangladesh Agricultural University Dairy Farm, Mymensingh. In this purposes, six Holstein Friesian crossbred cows were selected for this study. Milk samples were collected every morning and evening immediately after milking and then subjected to test all mentioning parameters. Morning milk showed less yellowish than evening milk whereas flavor, body and texture were found normal in both intervals of milk. Specific gravity was found higher (1.030 ±0.000) in morning milk than evening and significantly (p&lt;0.01) higher fat content observed in evening milk sample due to the more exercise the whole day. Again, total solids, solids-not-fat, protein and lactose content of milk showed significant difference at p&lt;0.05. Other parameters like acidity percent and ash did not show any significant difference. Significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher coliform count was noticed in morning milk than evening milk and non-significant (p&gt;0.05) difference found in total viable count of both intervals milk. Considering the research findings, it might be said that evening milk was better than morning milk. Asian Australas. J. Biosci. Biotechnol. 2016, 1 (2), 255-260

An Exploratory study of Dairying Intensification, Women’s Decision Making, and Time Use and Implications for Child Nutrition in Kenya

Dairy intensification as a development strategy is expected to improve household nutrition, yet the pathways by which this occurs are not well understood. This article examines how women’s time use and decision-making patterns related to dairy income and consumption are associated with dairy intensification, as a way of exploring the links between intensification and nutrition. Results from our mixed methods study conducted with households representing low, medium and high levels of dairy intensification in rural Kenya indicated that children in high-intensity households received more milk than children in medium-intensity households. While women seemed to be gaining control over evening milk sales decisions, men seemed to be increasingly controlling total dairy income, a trend countered by the increase in reported joint decision making. Women from medium-intensity households reported spending more time on dairy activities than women from high-intensity households. More research on how dairy interventions affect women is needed.

A validation of technologies monitoring dairy cow feeding, ruminating, and lying behaviors

The objective of this study was to evaluate commercially available precision dairy technologies against direct visual observations of feeding, rumination, and lying behaviors. Primiparous (n=24) and multiparous (n=24) lactating Holstein dairy cattle (mean ± standard deviation; 223.4±117.8 d in milk, producing 29.2±8.2kg of milk/d) were fitted with 6 different triaxial accelerometer technologies evaluating cow behaviors at or before freshening. The AfiAct Pedometer Plus (Afimilk, Kibbutz Afikim, Israel) was used to monitor lying time. The CowManager SensOor (Agis, Harmelen, Netherlands) monitored rumination and feeding time. The HOBO Data Logger (HOBO Pendant G Acceleration Data Logger, Onset Computer Corp., Pocasset, MA) monitored lying time. The CowAlert IceQube (IceRobotics Ltd., Edinburgh, Scotland) monitored lying time. The Smartbow (Smartbow GmbH, Jutogasse, Austria) monitored rumination time. The Track A Cow (ENGS, Rosh Pina, Israel) monitored lying time and time spent around feeding areas for the calculation of feeding time. Over 8 d, 6 cows per day were visually observed for feeding, rumination, and lying behaviors for 2 h after morning and evening milking. The time of day was recorded when each behavior began and ended. These times were used to generate the length of time behaviors were visually observed. Pearson correlations (r; calculated using the CORR procedure of SAS Version 9.3, SAS Institute Inc., Cary, NC), and concordance correlations (CCC; calculated using the epiR package of R version 3.1.0, R Foundation for Statistical Computing, Vienna, Austria) evaluated association between visual observations and technology-recorded behaviors. Visually recorded feeding behaviors were moderately correlated with the CowManager SensOor (r=0.88, CCC=0.82) and Track A Cow (r=0.93, CCC=0.79) monitors. Visually recorded rumination behaviors were strongly correlated with the Smartbow (r=0.97, CCC=0.96), and weakly correlated with the CowManager SensOor (r=0.69, CCC=0.59). Visually recorded lying behaviors were strongly correlated with the AfiAct Pedometer Plus (r >0.99, CCC >0.99), CowAlert IceQube (r >0.99, CCC >0.99), and Track A Cow (r >0.99, CCC >0.99). The HOBO Data Loggers were moderately correlated (r >0.83, CCC >0.81) with visual observations. Based on these results, the evaluated precision dairy monitoring technologies accurately monitored dairy cattle behavior.

Diurnal differences in milk composition and its influence on in vitro growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli in bovine quarter milk

In experimental intramammary inoculation studies, it has been observed that mastitis susceptibility is influenced, among others, by cow factors. To identify milk characteristics leading to these differences, quarter milk samples of morning and evening milk were collected and analyzed for their composition (protein, fat, lactose, urea, lactoferrin, lactoperoxidase, and β-lactoglobulin concentrations), somatic cell count, and antibodies against Staphylococcus aureus. Furthermore, in vitro growth of S. aureus and Escherichia coli in fresh quarter milk samples was determined. All measured parameters differed significantly between quarters and also between morning and evening milk with the exception of lactose levels. In addition, quantitative growth of S. aureus and E. coli was significantly different in morning milk compared with evening milk. Mixed model analysis revealed that replication of S. aureus was negatively associated with the presence of fat, S. aureus-specific IgG1 antibodies, contamination of the milk sample and morning milk. Replication of E. coli was negatively associated with fat concentrations, and positively associated with morning milk. The significant difference between morning and evening milk supports the theory that changes in milk composition influence bacterial growth. Although all determined milk components differed significantly between quarters and in time no significant association with bacterial growth could be identified with the exception of fat for both studied species and IgG1 titers for S. aureus. The negative association of fat with bacterial growth was assumed to occur due to activation of lipolysis by milk handling and can most likely be neglected for in vivo relevance. The fact that S. aureus-specific IgG1 titers were negatively associated with S. aureus growth in vitro encourages the ongoing effort to develop a vaccine against S. aureus-induced mastitis.

Some production traits and phenotypic relationships betweenudder and production traits of Hair goats

The study was conducted to determine the production characteristics and to find out the phenotypic relationships between udder and milk production traits in Hair goats. A total of 403 Hair Goats under extensive conditions of Çine town of Aydin province of Turkey were constituted the animal material of the study. The live weights of all goats were recorded just before breeding season. Milk was measured in every month according to the basis of morning or evening milking in a day to estimation of milk yields. Live weights of kids were recorded monthly intervals. Measurements for udder characteristics were determined for two times at 30th and at 180th of the lactation period. Average lactation length, lactation milk yield and daily milk yield of goats were 192.4 days, 139.1 kg and 0.7 kg, respectively. The live weights at birth, 30th, 60th, 90th and 120th days of goat kids were 3.1, 8.6, 13.9, 19.1 and 24.5 kg, respectively. Mean values of withers height, body length and live weight of goats were measured as 73.2 cm, 71.3 cm and 54.5 kg, respectively. Udder and teat characteristics of goats were found positively correlated with milk production characteristics both 30th and 180th days of the lactation period. It can be concluded that Hair goats in extensive conditions had a substantial level of milk yield and their kids had sufficient levels of live weight gains. Furthermore, the udder measurements at the beginning of the lactation could be used for identifying the differences among does.

Jumlah Staphylococcus aureus dan kandungan nutrien susu akibat dipping puting menggunakan ekstrak daun belimbing wuluh (Averrhoa bilimbi Linn) pada sapi perah penderita mastitis subklinis

The aim of the experiment was to examine the influence of Averrhoa bilimbi leaves extract as an antiseptic for teat dipping in dairy cattle on the number of Staphylococcus aureus and milk nutrients. A total of 16 subclinical mastitic cows were used in a completely randomized Split in Time Design with 4 treatments and 4 replications. Teat dipping was conducted everyday after morning and evening milking for 9 days. The main plot was the different antiseptic: antiseptic solution containing 1%, 3% and 5% of Averrhoa bilimbi leaves extract (T1, T3 and T5 respectively) and povidone iodine (K+). The sub plot was the duration of teat dipping, in which the milk samples were taken at before treatment (H0) and 3 day, 6 day and 9 day of the treatment (H3, H6 and H9, respectively). The result showed no interaction between the different antiseptic and the duration of teat dipping. The number of Staphylococcus aureus in milk was reduced significantly (P<0.01) from H0 (5.26x10 3 CFU/ml) to H9 (0.09x10 3 CFU/ml). Moreover, the contents of protein, lactose and fat were increased significantly (P<0.01) with teat dipping treatment for 9 days. In conclusion, Averrhoa bilimbi leaves extract could be used as a natural teat dip antiseptic to prevent Staphylococcus aureus infection and to ensure a better milk quality. Keywords: Averrhoa bilimbi leaves, antiseptic, Staphylococcus aureus , milk nutrients

Effects of stocking density on behavior, productivity, and comfort indices of lactating dairy cows

The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of different stocking densities of 82 (0.82 cows per freestall and feed bin), 100, and 129% on behavior, productivity, and comfort indices of lactating Holstein dairy cows. Twenty-seven lactating cows (15 primiparous and 12 multiparous) were assigned to 1 of the 3 treatments, which were balanced for parity, milk yield, days in milk, and body weight in a 3×3 Latin square design with 14-d periods. After 7 d of adaptation to the treatments, lying time and bouts were recorded at 1-min intervals for 3 d, DMI and feeding time were monitored electronically by feed bins, and rumination time was quantified at 2-h periods for 5 d during each period. The cow comfort index, stall standing index, stall perching index, and stall use index (SUI) were calculated using 10-min scan samples of video recording from d 8 to 10 of each period. Milk yield was recorded from d 8 to 12 and milk composition was determined from composite samples on d 12 in each period. Daily lying time, lying bouts, and bout duration did not differ among the stocking densities. The ratio of lying time ≥12 h/d (the number of cows with daily lying time ≥12 h/d divided by number of cows per pen) was higher for cows housed at 82% stocking density compared with those housed at 100% stocking density, with stocking density of 129% intermediate. Hourly lying time was lower at 100% stocking density compared with 82 and 129% stocking densities during the peak period (2300–0400 h), determined based on diurnal pattern of lying time. Daily dry matter intake, feeding time, and feeding rate were not affected by stocking density. After morning milking, dry matter intake and feeding time was reduced at 129 versus 82% stocking density during peak feeding time (0600–0800 h), determined based on diurnal patterns of feeding behavior. Stocking density had no effect on rumination time, milk yield and milk composition. The ratio of SUI ≥85% (mean of the number of SUI ≥85% divided by the number of SUI at 10-min scan samples during a 24-h period) was lower at 129 versus 82% stocking density, with stocking density of 100% intermediate. During peak lying time after evening milking (2300–0400 h), both cow comfort index and SUI were higher at 129 than at 100% stocking density. The SUI was lower 2h after morning milking (0800–0900 h) for cows housed at 129% compared with those housed at 82 and 100% stocking densities. In conclusion, when compared with 100% stocking density, understocking contributed to natural behaviors of cows that including lying, feeding, and rumination behavior, whereas overstocking did not cause negative effect on behavior, productivity, and comfort indices of cows in this study.

Study on feeding effect of dietary protein sources of on blood or milk urea nitrogen in native cows

A feeding trial with 30 Pabna milking cows of 2 to 4 parities dividing equally into 5 groups was conducted to determine the effect of feeding protein from different sources on blood or milk urea nitrogen, and milk yield or protein content in native cows. Considering a group of cows fed a diet of rice straw and concentrate as the control (T0), two out of the rests were fed either with urea-molasses straw (UMS) (T1) or Matikalai (Vigna mungo) hay ( T2) as sources of basal roughage. The rest two groups of cows were fed the control diet replacing percent (%) of feed protein by the amount of urea and molasses fed to UMS group. The amount of urea and molasses was fed daily either in two meals (T3) or fed to cows mixing with other concentrate feed (T4). Feeding a basal diet of UMS, DS or leguminous hay did not affect milk protein (%) and daily milk production Feeding urea and molasses in meals or mix (T3 and T4) did not affect significantly (p&gt;0.05) BSU and MUN contents. It indicates that feeding urea and molasses in two meals in a day either as a single mix of the two or as a mix of the two with concentrates significantly (p&gt;0.05) reduced the concentration of BSU or MUN without having any change in milk protein (%) of the cows. Dry matter (DM) intake was significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher in T1 treatment group followed by T4, T0, T3 and T2, respectively. Similarly, CP intake was significantly (p&lt;0.05) higher in T1 and T2 treatment groups followed by T3 and T4 treatment groups. The values of CP intake were 490, 770, 760, 630 and 580 g/day for treatment groups T0, T1, T2, T3, and T4, respectively. Feedings urea and molasses as meals (T3) significantly (p&lt;0.05) reduced the fat content in milk compared with other treatment groups. Similar to T3, UMS feeding also significantly (p&lt;0.05) reduced fat content in milk compared to Matikalai hay and T4 treatment groups. Milk urea nitrogen (MUN) content in morning milk was lower compared to evening milk. These data showed that feeding urea or protein of organic sources had effect on BSU and MUN contents in the morning milk but had no significant effect on evening milk. The lower BSU or MUN content in milk of the cows fed urea and molasses either in daily meals or as mix with concentrates may be due mainly to a lower CP intake compared to UMS and Matikalai. Therefore, it may be concluded that feeding urea or organic protein had no significant effect on milk protein percent.Bangladesh J. of Livestock Res. 19(1-2): 85-96, Jan-Dec 2012

Chemical and microbial qualities of morning and evening milk collected from selected dairy farms in Chittagong City of Bangladesh

This study was undertaken to evaluate the nutritional and microbiological qualities of raw milk in the Chittagong City. Eighty samples of raw milk of cow were collected in the morning and evening from the surrounding farms of Chittagong Veterinary and Animal Sciences University (CVASU), Chittagong, Bangladesh. The results of compositional analysis evolved that fat, SNF, protein, lactose, specific gravity, freezing point and mineral were (3.94±0.22%), (7.91±0.17%), (3.11±0.08%), (4.32±0.10%), (1.026±0.00), (-0.46±0.007), (0.68±0.01%), respectively. The fat% of evening milk was significantly higher (p‹0.001) than morning milk. Rest of the parameters were not significant. Microbiological enumeration revealed for the counts of total viable bacteria (cfu/ml) and coliform (cfu/ml) were 730500±639 and 280±1.36 in the morning milk and 628625±566 and 326±1.84 in the evening milk, respectively. The results of the current study indicated that the nutritional quality of evening raw milk was higher than in the morning raw milk.Bang. J. Anim. Sci. 2015. 44 (3):171-175

Factors influencing productive traits of Awassi crossbreeds in Macedonia

The purpose of the survey was to determine a bond between certain factors that affect most of the production traits in crossbreeds between Awassi and Ovchepolian indigenous sheep in Macedonia. We implemented 1145 individual lactation controls in two years of production (2012 and 2013). The impact of individual factors is studied using F-test and the analyses are made using SPSS set of programs. Many factors (lactation, lambing month and number of milk controls) had highly significant impact (P<0.001) on daily milk production (morning, evening and total milk, fat percentage and fat kg) in this breed of sheep. Only fertility had no impact on any of the examined factors, with the exception of total daily milk, on which manifested with highly significant impact (P<0.01). The average milk yield in examined crossbred sheep was 109 ± 0.479 l in two years of production, while the production of milked milk was 72 ± 0.421 l for the same period of time. The length of lactation period in these sheep was average 203 ± 0.61 days, for two analysed years. In relation to the age, in second lactation sheep was determined somewhat higher daily milk yield (0.478 ±0.01 l.), compared to sheep in first lactation (0.475 ± 0.01 l.). This is quite logical, keeping in mind the lactation curve in sheep, especially those of dairy breeds to which Awassi breed belongs.

Calving management practices on Canadian dairy farms: Prevalence of practices

Little information is available about current practices around calving in dairy cattle. The aim of this study was to describe calving management practices in the Canadian dairy industry related to housing, calving protocols, monitoring of parturition, and calving assistance. Information was gathered by in-person interviews from 236 dairy farms from 3 Canadian provinces (Alberta, Ontario, and Québec) with freestalls and an automatic milking system (n=24), freestalls with a parlor (n=112), and tiestalls (n=100). The most commonly used types of calving facilities were group calving pens (35%) followed by individual calving pens (30%). Tiestalls were used by 26% of all surveyed producers as their main type of calving area (49% of the tiestall, 7% of the freestall with parlor, and 13% of the automatic milking system farms). Written protocols related to calving were found on only 7% of the farms visited, and only 50% of those protocols were developed with a veterinarian. However, 90% of producers kept written records of calving difficulty. Monitoring of cows around calving occurred 5 times more often during the daytime (between morning and evening milking) compared with nighttime. Cameras were used to monitor cows around and during calvings on 18% of farms. Sixteen percent of producers vaginally palpated all animals during calving. Twenty-seven percent of producers interviewed assisted all calvings on their farms by pulling the calf, and 37% assisted all heifers at calving. According to the producers’ reported perception, 93% of them had “a minor problem” or “no problem” with calving difficulties on their farms. This study provides basic data on current calving practices and identifies areas for improvement and potential targets for knowledge transfer efforts or research to clarify best management practices.

Whey starter addition during maturation of evening milk: effects on some characteristics of cheese milk and Parmigiano–Reggiano cheese

Cheese milk “maturation” during natural creaming in large flat vat is a critical step in the production of Parmigiano–Reggiano cheese. Thanks to an improved management, during the last years, a generalized reduction of mesophilic microbial counts has occurred, which did not favour an adequate increase in milk acidity during natural creaming. For this reason, some cheesemakers have introduced the practice to add a rate of natural whey starter in active fermentation in the evening milk to favourize its “maturation”. The aim of this work was to verify the effects of this practice on the characteristics of Parmigiano–Reggiano milk and on some chemical, microbiological and sensory properties of the ripened cheese. Thirty-six cheesemaking trials were carried out in a dairy: 12 with 0.2% of young whey starter addition, 12 with 0.4% and 12 as control. The addition of young whey starter improved the coagulation properties of the cheese milk and did not affect the normal succession of thermophilic and mesophilic lactic acid bacteria during the cheese ripening. The chemical composition of the ripened cheeses was not affected by the practice of whey starter addition. From the sensory point of view, the addition of natural whey starter improved the compliance scores and decreased the defects, as eyes and cracks. This work confirmed the empirical observations of some cheesemakers. The adoption of this technique has considerable technological importance, improving the coagulation properties of the milk and the sensory characteristics of the cheese.