Increased Milk Yield Research Articles

Association Between Body and Udder Measurement Traits and Milk Yield of Holstein Cows

The association between body and udder measurements can be used towards the improvement of milk yield. Hence, this study aimed to identify the udder measurement traits and body measurement traits that may be used by farmers to increase milk yield of Holstein cows. The study was conducted at Limpopo Dairy Farm in Makhado Local Municipality at Louis Trichardt, Limpopo Province, South Africa where a total of 50 lactating Holstein cows were used. Pearson’s correlation technique was used for data analysis. Findings between body measurement traits and milk yield showed that milk yield had a highly positive significant (p ˂ 0.01) correlation with rump height (r = 0.55), and positive significant (p < 0.05) with withers height (r = 0.44) and body length (r = 0.42). Results between udder measurement traits and milk yield showed that milk yield had a highly positive significant (p < 0.01) correlation with udder length before milking (r = 0.57), udder circumference before milking (r = 0.55) and udder circumference after milking (r = 0.51) The results also showed that milk yield had a positive significant (p < 0.05) correlation with teat diameter before milking (r = 0.30), teat length before milking (r = 0.31), teat circumference before milking (r = 0.36) and udder length after milking (0.47). The findings imply that all traits correlated with milk yield can be used to enhance milk yield of Holstein cows through selection during breeding. Vol. 10, No. 3, December 2023: 335-340

Unlocking insights: text mining analysis on the health, welfare, and behavior of cows in automated milking systems

Abstract Automated Milking Systems (AMS) have undergone significant evolution over the past 30 yr, and their adoption continues to increase, as evidenced by the growing scientific literature. These systems offer advantages such as a reduced milking workload and increased milk yield per cow. However, given concerns about the welfare of farmed animals, studying the effects of AMS on the health and welfare of animals becomes crucial for the overall sustainability of the dairy sector. In the last few years, some analysis conducted through text mining (TM) and topic analysis (TA) approaches have become increasingly widespread in the livestock sector. The aim of the study was to analyze the scientific literature on the impact of AMS on dairy cow health, welfare, and behavior: the paper aimed to produce a comprehensive analysis on this topic using TM and TA approaches. After a preprocessing phase, a dataset of 427 documents was analyzed. The abstracts of the selected papers were analyzed by TM and a TA using Software R 4.3.1. A Term Frequency-Inverse Document Frequency (TFIDF) technique was used to assign a relative weight to each term. According to the results of the TM, the ten most important terms, both words and roots, were feed, farm, teat, concentr, mastiti, group, SCC (somatic cell count), herd, lame and pasture. The 10 most important terms showed TFIDF values greater than 3.5, with feed showing a value of TFIDF of 5.43 and pasture of 3.66. Eight topics were selected with TA, namely: 1) Cow traffic and time budget, 2) Farm management, 3) Udder health, 4) Comparison with conventional milking, 5) Milk production, 6) Analysis of AMS data, 7) Disease detection, 8) Feeding management. Over the years, the focus of documents has shifted from cow traffic, udder health and cow feeding to the analysis of data recorded by the robot to monitor animal conditions and welfare and promptly identify the onset of stress or diseases. The analysis reveals the complex nature of the relationship between AMS and animal welfare, health, and behavior: on one hand, the robot offers interesting opportunities to safeguard animal welfare and health, especially for the possibility of early identification of anomalous conditions using sensors and data; on the other hand, it poses potential risks, which requires further investigations. TM offers an alternative approach to information retrieval in livestock science, especially when dealing with a substantial volume of documents.

Impacts of preweaning colostrum feeding practices and health measures on dairy cow production, while accounting for genetic potential.

Calf management and health are essential for setting up the foundation of a productive cow. The objectives of this study were to estimate the impact of preweaning practices on milk production parameters while accounting for an animal's genetic potential in New Brunswick, Canada. A retrospective cohort study was performed on 220 heifer calves from eight herds born in 2014-2015. Preweaning practices and health data were recorded by producers and reviewed by the herd veterinarian for each calf. The herd veterinarian also visited the farms to collect serum samples from calves and frozen colostrum samples. The production outcomes assessed were milk, protein and fat yields, standardized to 305 d for the first lactation (L1) and a combined group of lactations two and three (L2 + 3). The genomic potential was determined as genomic parent averages (GPA) for the associated production parameters. Analysis was performed with multivariable linear (L1) and linear mixed (L2 + 3) regression models. In L1, for every 1.0kg increase in weaning weight, milk, protein, and fat yield increased by 25.5, 0.82, and 1.01kg, respectively (P < 0.006). Colostrum feeding time (CFT) positively impacted L1 milk and protein production, with feeding between 1-2h of life producing the greatest estimates of 626kg of milk and 18.2kg of protein yield (P < 0.007), compared to earlier or later CFT. Fat yield production was decreased by 80.5kg (P < 0.006) in L1 when evaluating animals that developed a preweaning disease and were not treated with antibiotics compared to healthy untreated animals. Impacts on L2 + 3 were similar across all production outcomes, with a positive interaction effect of CFT and weaning weight. Compared to CFT < 1h, the later CFT groups of 1-2h and > 2h produced greater yield outcomes of 68.2 to 72.6kg for milk (P < 0.006), 2.06 to 2.15kg for protein (P < 0.005), and 1.8 to 1.9kg for fat (P < 0.045) for every 1kg increase of weaning weight, respectively. The fit of all models was significantly improved with the inclusion of GPA. These results indicate that colostrum management and preweaning health measures impacted production parameters as adults. The inclusion of GPA significantly improved the accuracy of the models, indicating that this can be an important parameter to include in future studies.

Изменение количества водорастворимых антиоксидантов в молоке коров утренней и вечерней дойки

The study presents the results of studying changes in the total concentration of water-soluble antioxidants in the milk of black-and-white Golstinized cows depending on the magnitude of morning, evening and daily milk yield. Changes in the antioxidant status of milk from morning and evening milking were also studied for three groups of cows, whose milk yield was 10–20 liters, 20–30 liters and more than 30 liters per day. All results are presented taking into account the average lactation days for this group of animals. The antioxidant status of milk was determined by amperometric detection using gallic acid as a standard. A significant decrease in the total amount of water-soluble antioxidants (1, 2 and 3 mg/l, respectively) was established for groups 12,68, 12,44 and 11,59 with an increase in milk yield (from 10 to more than 30 liters per day), while decrease in the average lactation days (~283, ~197 and ~192 days respectively). These effects can be explained by a decrease in the total amount of biologically active substances (responsible for antioxidant activity) in milk with an increase in milk yield.

Metabolic status, reproductive, and productive performances of transition dairy cows as affected by dietary rumen-protected choline supplementation

Research articles about the effects of rumen-protected choline (RPC) supplementation on metabolic response, and reproductive and productive performances in transitional dairy cows were reviewed and presented. Analysis was conducted on 32 research papers that were published. The papers examined treatments without RPC supplementation and RPC supplementation levels varying from 10 to 100 gm/day. The feeding duration of RPC started from 40 to 140 days prepartum and continued until 20 to 140 days postpartum in multiparous dairy cows. Studies indicated that adding herbal choline (Cho) to the diet of transition dairy cows resulted in increased milk production and improved milk quality, leading to enhanced energy balance and reduced oxidative stress. The concentration and yield of IgG in colostrum provide passive immunity to dairy newborns and can be enhanced by dietary Cho supplementation. The inconsistent effects of RPC supplementation on reproduction may be due to several factors such as heat stress, genetics, and management. RPC supplementation improved the transition dairy cows’ milk yield and quality, but dosage response was not observed as in the prior publication. Remarkably, the length of RPC supplementation had a positive correlation with an increase in milk yield. Based on this review, 45–50 gm/day dietary RPC supplementation between 3 weeks pre-calving to 8 weeks post-calving is suggested to increase at least 10% milk yield in dairy cows.

Productivity and milk quality indicators of cows of the created “Bashkir type” black-and-white breed with the introduction of the balanced energy complex “Felucen K1-2” into the diet

The volume and quality of milk are the determining indicators of the efficiency of dairy farming. The diet of dairy cows has a significant impact on the biological parameters of milk productivity and production characteristics of milk. The work was carried out to determine the optimal dosage of the energy complex “Felucen K1-2” in the diet of cows of the created “Bashkir type” black-and-white breed in the conditions of the agricultural production complex “Hero” of the Chekmagushevsky district of the Republic of Bashkortostan. To achieve this goal, milk productivity was determined for 100 days of lactation, for 305 days, and also determined the dynamics of average daily milk yield by month of lactation. For the experiment, 48 cows were selected, divided into 4 groups of 12 animals each. The energy complex “Felucen K1-2” was added to the diet of cows in the experimental groups in the amount of 250 g, 300 and 350 g of the additive per animal per day. The results of the studies indicate an increase in the mass fraction of fat and protein in milk from cows that consumed the energy complex. This is observed both in dynamics over the months of the experiment and in the total amount for the entire period of research. The use of the additive in the diet of animals showed its effectiveness and contributed to an increase in milk yield per cow and improvement in the quality of milk, while the maximum effectiveness was observed at an average dosage (300 g per day per cow).

ТЕХНОЛОГИЧЕСКИЙ ОТБОР КАК ФАКТОР ПОЛУЧЕНИЯ АЛЬТЕРНАТИВНЫХ ИСТОЧНИКОВ ЭНЕРГИИ В СОВРЕМЕННОМ СКОТОВОДСТВЕ

Experts believe that global animal husbandry is an obstacle to the environmental safety. It is estimated that meat and milk production has increased from 758 million tons in 1990 to 1247 million tons in 2020, and continues to grow. At the same time, biogas emitted by animals provides energy for cars and space heating: 7.5 million vehicles in the world run on methane, 27 million on propane-butane. (Research Purpose) The research purpose is studying technological breegin as a factor in producing biogas, an alternative source of renewable energy. (Materials and methods) Carried out an analysis of literature data, theoretical and practical developments of the issue under consideration in the Russian Federation and foreign countries with developed dairy and beef cattle breeding. Methods of creating statistical groupings using system and statistical models, comparison, generalization and analysis of parameters and modes given in scientific and reference literature and obtained in industrial practice were applied. (Results and discussion) It was established that the selection of cattle to increase productivity is also manure breeding: in 1865, a cow gave 40 kilograms of methane per head per year with a productivity of 5,000 kilograms of milk per lactation, with an increase in milk yield to 8-9 thousand kilograms of milk, it produces almost 60 kilograms, that is, several gas cylinders daily. It has been shown that intensive animal husbandry increases not only milk yields and weight gain, but also gas exhaust. It was determined that technological features are taken into account in breeding plans and programs for the development of herds. (Conclusions) It was revealed that under the Kyoto Protocol, through the use of advanced technologies, a number of European countries plan to reduce emissions and become climate neutral in the following periods: Finland by 2035, Sweden by 2045, Germany to reduce emissions by 95 percent by 2049, Russia by 2050.

Evaluation of the productive qualities of Holstein dairy cattle

Sverdlovsk region is one of the leading regions in milk production. The main livestock of dairy cattle is represented by the Holstein breed, obtained as a result of long-term use of the global gene pool of Holstein servicing bulls. The assessment of the productive qualities of dairy cattle of the Holstein breed, including consideration of linear origin, is relevant and has practical significance. As a result of the conducted research, it was found that the farm is dominated by the number of cows of the Vis Back Ideal line, which account for more than 65.8% of the total number of cows. There is an unreliable insignificant difference in favor of cows of the Reflection Sovering line between groups of animals of different genealogical lines for the first and third lactation. With age, there is a decrease in milk quality indicators, such as FMF and PMF in milk from cows of all genealogical lines, which confirms the natural negative relationship between milk yield and milk quality indicators. The absorption of dairy black-and–white cattle of the domestic breed by the gene pool of the world’s most abundantly dairy breed, the Holstein, led to an increase in milk yields and the milk yield coefficient of these cows is much higher than 1000 kg. Despite the fact that the difference in milk yield is unreliable and the variation of the trait within each group along the line is quite significant, this is indicated by indirect traits such as the coefficient of milk production, milk yield for full-age lactation, etc., origin affects the productive qualities of cows.

The relationship of milk expression pattern and lactation outcomes after very premature birth: A cohort study.

Mothers of very premature infants often have difficulties expressing breastmilk, which can cause distress and potential negative impact on infant health. Clinical recommendations on breastmilk expression are extrapolated from term infants' breastfeeding patterns. This study's objective was to analyse the association of expressing pattern with lactation outcomes after very premature birth. 132 participants were recruited after birth between 23+0 and 31+6 weeks' gestation. Participants recorded the milk expressed in several 24-hour periods in the three weeks after birth. Expressing frequency was positively associated with 24-hour milk yield, with an adjusted 30.5g increase per expressing session on day four (95% CI 15.7 to 45.3) and 94.4g on day 21 (95% CI 62.7 to 126.2). Expressing ≥8 times per day was associated with higher adjusted milk yield than expressing <6 times (on day four, 146.8g, 95% CI 47.4 to 246.1), but not in comparison to expressing 6-7 times (on day four, 82.1g, 95% CI -25.9 to 190.1). Participants with six months or more prior breastmilk feeding experience had a higher adjusted milk yield than others (on day four, 204.3g, 95% CI 125.2 to 283.3). Night-time (2300-0700 hours) expressing sessions were not associated with increased milk yield after adjustment for time since the prior session. On average, participants who had a longest gap between expressions of less than six hours achieved the UK target of 750g breastmilk, whereas those with a longer gap did not. Expressing frequency was an important determinant of milk yield. Clinical recommendations to express ≥8 times per day were supported but for some, 6-7 times was sufficient. This was particularly likely for those with six months or more of prior breastmilk feeding experience. A need to express during the night-time hours appeared to be related to minimising the gap between expressions rather than an inherent value of night-time expression.

ИСПОЛЬЗОВАНИЕ ВОЗМОЖНОСТЕЙ РОБОТИЗИРОВАННОЙ ДОИЛЬНОЙ УСТАНОВКИ ДЛЯ ОПТИМИЗАЦИИ ОТБОРА КОРОВ

Milk production industrial development has led to automated milking technologies. By using of the robot-milker it targeted cows’ selection in the herd according to the morphological contributing and functional characteristics of the udder, that ultimately stimulates milk production increasing. At the same time, robotic equipment use cows’ selection in accordance to stricter selection parameters requires for cows in terms of udder shape and nipple length on dairy farms. The purpose of the research is cows suitability parameters’ study for robot milking and the influence of selection parameters for milking suitability for robotic milking machines for milk production determining. The research was conducted on the basis of data obtained due to 2017-2022 on Kaluga region’s farm by robotic milking machines from Lely (Netherlands) using, the number of cows in average is 126 heads. Studied indicators: milk yield for 305 days of lactation, udder shape, nipples’ shape and size, udder attachment, udder capacity, of udder rear development uniformity, milk flow intensity. As a result of the study, it was found that cows’ milking on a robotic installation contributed to the cows’ selection of with a tubshaped udder (up to 52,3% of the total livestock), with evenly developed udder shares, with a milk yield rate of more than as 2,34 kg/min, as well as milk quality in terms of bacterial contamination and the number of somatic cells improving. On average, the milk yield increase in over 305 days of lactation during the study period was 18,7%. At the same time, the cows selection for milk production, taking into account the indicators determinating on a robotic installation, can be carried out at a higher level with a more cows’ rigid arrangement that do not meet the requirements of robotic milking.

Оценка эффективности использования конопляного и льняного жмыхов в рационе дойных коз на фоне пробиотического вещества

The paper evaluates the efficiency of hemp and flax cakes in the diet of dairy goats against the background of inclusion of enzymatic probiotic substance, in the conditions of the Southern Urals. Additional inclusion of probiotic preparation Cellobacterin+ promoted a significant increase in digestibility of crude fiber (by 4.9-5.5%), crude protein (by 3.3-4.1%), crude fat (by 3.8-5.1%), as well as an increase in average daily milk yield by 2.1-7% (p≤0.05).

Влияние пробиотиков на молочную продуктивность и технологические свойства молока коз зааненской породы

The article presents the results of experimental studies to study the effect of feeding probiotic feed additives Kluver Pro and BeneFIT Basic on milk productivity, composition and technological properties of milk from Saanen goats. It has been established that feeding probiotics Kluver Pro and BeneFIT Basic as part of the diets of lactating goats of the Saanen breed helps to increase milk yield by 9,5‑4,4% (p≤0,001), the mass fraction of fat in milk - by 0,73% (p≤0,05) and 0,11%, mass fraction of protein in milk - by 0,25% (p≤0,05) and 0,19%, as well as milk clotting time - by 7,3% and 5,4% (p≤0,001) and the formation of a denser rennet curd, which is a desirable property in the production of fermented milk products and cheese making

ECONOMIC USEFUL AND BIOLOGICAL SIGNS IN PUREBRED AND CROSS-BRED COWS OF THE UKRAINIAN BLACK-AND-WHITE DAIRY BREED UNDER THE EFFECTS OF HIGH TEMPERATURES AND TYPES OF FEEDING

The results of studies of economically useful and biological traits in purebred (Ukrainian Black-and-White dairy breed) and cross-breed (Ukrainian Black-and-White dairy breed x Swiss) cows are given, taking into account the effect of high temperatures and types of feeding. At the same time, it was established that purebred cows exceeded crossbred cows in terms of milk yield, but were inferior to the latter in terms of milk quality (fat content, protein content). In general, the advantage in milk fat and protein yield in favor of crossbred cows, in the section of three lactations, was from 3.0 to 9.5 kg and from 2.6 to 6.4 kg, respectively.&#x0D; Along with this, the dependence of heat resistance of cows on their genotype was established. Cross-breed cows were characterized by better adaptation properties to the effects of hot weather conditions, as they had more balanced indicators of heat resistance.&#x0D; Analysis of indicators of milk productivity of cows with different types of feeding showed that the use of the same type of feeding provides an increase in milk yield per 533 kg of milk, fat content by 0.14% and protein by 0.01% compared to traditional feeding technology.

MILK PRODUCTIVITY OF COWS OF THE UKRAINIAN RED-AND-WHITE DAIRY BREED DEPENDS ON THE ORIGIN AND COMPATIBILITY OF THE BULLS

We studied the effectiveness of the bulls selection to the cows of the Ukrainian Red-and-White dairy breed (n = 490 mother-daughter pairs) different bloodlines and related groups. The level of milk productivity of first-borns cows (n = 490 mother-daughter pairs) for 305 days of the first lactation, obtained as a result of the compatibility of the bulls. The parents of the first-borns cows were four breeding bulls (bloodline Regal 352882, RG Valiant 1650414 and R. Sovereign 198998) of the Ukrainian Red-and-White dairy breed and one bull (Jornado Red 114386106, RG Chief 1427381) of the Holstein breed, and their mothers – from 11 bulls of three origin bloodlines (Dynemik 359742, Leader 1926780 and Hanover 1629391) and 4 related groups. A total of 29 combinations of interbloodline selection were investigated. The highest level of milk productivity was characterized by the daughters of bull Viter 4444 of the bloodline Regal 352882 (7191.5 ± 75.90), Jornado Red 114386106 of the Holstein breed of foreign selection, which belonged to the related group Chief 1427381 (the milk yield for 305 days of the first lactation was 7188.7 ± 31.05 kg), and Artek 344 related group Valiant 1650414 (the yield for 305 days of the first lactation was 7052.5 ± 75.51 kg). A statistically significant difference was established between milk yield indicators for 305 days of the first lactation between the groups of cows of the bull Jornado Red (related group Chief 14273381) and Luchnov 471 (r. g. R. Sovereign 198998) – +380 kg (td = 4.22 p &lt; 0.001) in favor Jornado Red. Between cows of the bull Viter 4444 (bloodline Regal 352882) and Luchnov 471 (R. Sovereign 198998) – +383 kg (td = 3.38 p &lt; 0.001) in favor of Viter 4444. Animals of the bulls Kanzler and Viter 4444 have the highest fat content in milk (3.71%), and cows of the related groups Valiant 1650414 characterized by the lowest fat content in milk (3.68%). A statistically significant difference was established between the amount of total milk fat and protein in the milk of cows of different bulls.&#x0D; A total 20 successful combinations of bulls were found, the first-borns cows of which were characterized by an increased milk yield on average across all successful compatibility by +96 kg (1.5%), milk fat yield – by +6,1 kg (2.3%) and total protein – by +5.3 kg (2.3%) from the average level of phenotypic manifestation of milk productivity traits of the daughters of all 5 evaluated bulls. The increasing of daughters milk yield of some successful combinations was from +42 kg (0.6%, sire Jornado 114386106 RG Chief 1427381) up to +296 kg (4.1%, sire Viter 4444,), milk fat from +2 kg (0.7%, sire Artek 344, RG Valiant) up to +8 kg (3%, sire Viter 4444) and protein from +1 kg (0.4%, sire Artek 344) up to +12 kg (5%, sire Viter 4444). The data, which we received, confirm the influence of the origin of cows by father on the level of their milk productivity and the high combining ability of individual improver bulls with the mothers of other genealogical formations.

Dietary supplementation of saffron petal elicits positive effects on performance, antioxidant status, and health of dairy goats

This experiment aimed to investigate the effects of dietary supplementation of saffron petal (SP) on lactation performance, nutrients digestibility, and antioxidant status of dairy goats. Eighteen multiparous Saanen goats were randomly divided into three groups and fed with one of experimental diets containing 0 (control), 1.5, and 3% of SP (DM basis). Dry matter intake (DMI) and milk yield were recorded daily. The individual blood samples were collected on days 0, 21, 42 and antioxidant capacity was measured in blood. The milk samples were collected on weeks 1, 3 and 6 of the trial and analyzed for antioxidant status. DMI, body weight (BW) and nutrients digestibility were similar following SP ingestion. Compared with control, supplementation with 3% SP increased milk production (P ≤ 0.05). Of all milk components, only the protein content was increased (P ≤ 0.05) in goats receiving 3% SP diet. Plasma glucose and cholesterol decreased (P ≤ 0.05) in goats fed 3% SP. The plasma malondialdehyde (MDA) was depressed and total antioxidant capacity (TAC) was enhanced in both plasma and milk of goats fed 3% SP. Likewise, the activity of glutathione peroxides (GPx) was enhanced (P ≤ 0.05) with 3% SP supplementation, however, no differences were observed for the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) in the blood. Overall, the findings implied that SP supplementation (up to 3% DM of diet) for lactating goats increased milk yield and improved the antioxidant status of blood and milk without deleterious effects on DMI and nutrients digestibility.

Choice of metrics matters—Future scenarios on milk and beef production in Norway using an LCA approach

The consumption of dairy and beef products is expected to increase globally in the future, and at the same time, food must be produced in a more sustainable way, including reduced greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, avoided feed-food competition, and reduced biodiversity loss. The purpose of the study was to a) provide an overall life cycle assessment (LCA) of these impacts for various future milk and beef production systems in Norway and b) determine how the choice of metrics for climate change affects the results. System boundaries were from cradle to farm gate and the temporal boundary was 2017 with future scenarios for 2040. The actual production and consumption in Norway in 2017 was used as a baseline (BL), and the sustainability of future Norwegian domestic production of milk and beef was assessed through three scenarios for 2040: 1) a trend yield scenario (TrendY) based on an expected increase in milk yield following the present trend, 2) a high yield scenario (HighY) with higher increase in the milk yield per cow per year than the trend, and 3) a low yield scenario (LowY) where the milk yield per cow per year was adjusted for covering the domestic demand for beef solely from dual-purpose production and no domestic specialized beef production. The beef production per dual-purpose cow was kept constant and the remaining domestic demand in scenario 1 and 2 were covered by specialized beef production. Climate change was assessed using both a GWP100 and a GWP* approach. The HighY scenario had the lowest impact on climate change using GWP100, but when taking the different behaviors of short- and long-term climate pollutants into account (GWP*), the ranking of the future scenarios changed and favored LowY. The potential biodiversity loss was lower for the LowY scenario because the proportion of concentrates in the dairy cow ration was decreased due to lower milk yield. Similarly, the feed-food competition was lower (land use ratio < 1) for the LowY. The results of our study suggest that the choice of metric for GWP and time frame highly affects the results and conclusions and strategies for climate smart and sustainable livestock production should therefore be made with caution.

Study on the suitability of life cycle assessment for the estimation of donkey milk environmental impact

In the last decades, western Countries increased their interest in innovative products like donkey milk and other activities carried out with donkeys (onotherapy, onotourism). Donkey milk is considered a high-added-value food and is very similar to human breast milk. It is also used as an ingredient in cosmetics. The growing public interest suggests the need for a pilot study on the sustainability of donkey milk production, according to Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) criteria. Milk was used as the Declared Functional Unit (DFU) and two different models were described, a Real Scenario Model (RSM, i.e. a farm with its declared milk yield), and an Increased Milk Production Model (IMPM, i.e., the same farm with theoretically increased milk yield). Allocation was applied both in RSM and IMPM; thus, different values of impact categories, i.e., Global Warming Potential (GWP, kg CO2 equivalents), Acidification Potential (ACP, g SO2 equivalents) and Eutrophication Potential (EUP, g PO43−) were observed. GWP improved after mass allocation and showed the lowest equivalents in IMPM, compared to economic and reference allocation criterion (P < 0.05). In RSM, allocations affected GWP in a different way: the smaller size of the DFU resulted in the largest estimation of CO2 equivalents (P < 0.05) for reference allocation, whereas the mass allocation estimates were lower than with economic allocation (P < 0.05). ACP and EUP followed the same trends. No differences were found in IMPM results across the three allocation methods used. Moreover, mass allocation values recorded in RSM did not significantly differ from IMPM. ACP and EUP of RSM improved after economic allocation, although they were less sustainable (P < 0.05) than all IMPM values and RSM equivalents after mass allocation (P < 0.05). As expected, the theoretical model with increased milk yield improved the sustainability of the system. Both scenarios were affected by allocation criteria. In RSM, the economic and mass allocations described a representative scenario where donkey meat contributed to subtracting equivalents from milk (the main product). The present paper is a pilot study estimating for the first time the environmental impact of donkey milk production, with the aim to stimulate further research.

Cattle Monitoring System

The Internet of Things (IoT) has become one of the solutions to low agricultural and livestock efficiency and productivity. In this paper, a gyro sensor integration system was created in the context of cow behavior monitoring and milk productivity optimization. The goals and benchmarks for studying cow behavior and increasing milk yield were established. The machine learning models' insights and predictions were rigorously investigated to find patterns and trends in cow behavior. The categorization of the behaviors shown by cows is the primary emphasis of this research. The research focuses on biosensors and wearable technologies with the potential to enhance operations, management, and early illness detection in cattle. There is a need for detection technologies that can foresee possible consequences for a particular population, educate on diagnostic and treatment choices, and predict when and in what group an event is likely to occur.

The Effect of Age of Cows on Variability in Mastitis Prevalence Risk and its Concomitant Impacts on the Successive Daily Milk Yield

Summary The purpose of this study is to determine the effect of age of cows on variability in mastitis prevalence risk and its concomitant impacts on their successive daily milk yield by analyzing test-day records of dairy cows collected in the period 2005–2022. The results obtained indicate a correlation between the age and breed of cows enrolled in the study and mastitis prevalence risk alongside its concomitant impacts on their successive daily milk yield. The findings demonstrate a progressive increase in mastitis prevalence risk with the advancing age of cows, notably more pronounced in the Holstein breed than in the Simmental breed. The Simmental cows exhibited a lower increase in daily milk yield, experiencing a substantial decrease in overall yields (namely milk, fat, and protein) in contrast to the Holstein cows. The primiparous cows of both breeds displayed the highest total increase in daily milk yield. This study underscores the significance of monitoring dairy herd health as a pivotal component of successful dairy herd management. Moreover, the daily lactose content was found a valuable and cost-effective indicator for ensuring the economically and environmentally sustainable operations of dairy farms.

Effect of Mycotoxins on Reproduction and Milk Quality of Dairy Cattle and its Amelioration by Natural Adaptogen “Betulin”

The purpose of this study was to ascertain the effect of mycotoxins on the reproduction and milk quality and its amelioration by “Betulin” in lactating Holsteinized Russian Black Pied cows divided into 2 complexes which were further split into 2 groups. On general clinical examination of the reproductive tract, it was observed that the high milk yielding cows have low rates (82.14 ± 1.59%) of productive offspring in the extensive method, while it was higher (85.12 ± 2.31%) in the intensive method of rearing. During the experiment, mycotoxin contamination was observed in the feed, especially for Zearalenone (ZEN), the concentration of which was 9.5% in corn silage and 8.9% in concentrate feed. In cows, the presence of ZEN or Fusarium toxin contributed significantly to infertility and decreased milk production (8523.9±112.5 vs 7153.8±99.7 kg). However, lactating cows showed tolerance to mycotoxins, as evidenced by insignificant changes in the indicators of milk quality in subject animals. Further, the use of the natural adaptogen “Betulin” added to an increase in milk yield and an improvement in the quality and sanitary parameters of milk.