Sixth Parity Research Articles

Successful pervaginal management of Schistosoma reflexus in buffalo: A case report

The present case reports the successful per-vaginal delivery of Schistosoma reflexus fetus using Thygeson's fetotome. A nine-year-old Murrah buffalo of the sixth parity with an extended gestation period (11 months) was presented to the TVCC Mathura with a history of birth difficulties. The case was previously examined by a local veterinarian and tearing of the uterus, rectum and bowel was observed by him. The animal has been treated with antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, antihistamines, multivitamins, and intrauterine therapy is using a tetracycline bolus. The animal is uneventfully recovered after 3 days of treatment.

Euglena gracilis β-Glucans (1,3): Enriching Colostrum of Sow for Enhanced Piglet Immunity.

The effects of supplementing the diet of sows with βG-(1,3) derived from Euglena gracilis algae were assessed regarding quality and amount of colostrum as well as performance of piglets. A total of 120 sows (first (nulliparous) to sixth parity (multiparous)) from D85 of gestation until weaning were divided into two groups: the control diet group (n = 60) and the βG-(1,3) diet group (n = 60). Sows receiving βG-(1,3) exhibited an average increase of 870 g (24.9%) in colostrum production, leading to a 25.17% higher intake of colostrum by piglets. Furthermore, piglets in the βG-(1,3) group showed significantly superior weight gain of 34 g (50%) compared to the control group 18 h after birth (p < 0.05). Sows fed with βG-(1,3) produced colostrum with significantly higher concentrations of IgG (5.914 mg/mL, 16.16%) and IgM (0.378 mg/mL, 16.29%) than the control group (p < 0.05). Similarly, serum concentrations of IgG (13.86 mg/mL, 51.25%), IgA (17.16 mg/mL, 120.19%), and IgM (13.23 mg/mL, 144.78%) were significantly higher in sows fed with βG-(1,3) than in the control group (p < 0.05). Supplementing sows with βG-(1,3) derived from the Euglena gracilis algae resulted in increased colostrum production and consumption, along with greater weight gain in piglets during the first 18 h after birth. Additionally, both the colostrum produced by the sows and the blood serum of the piglets exhibited higher concentrations of immunoglobulins.

Medical Management of Milk Fever in a Crossbred Cow

Background: The livestock sector contributes nearly 17.1% of the value of output at current prices in Agriculture, Fishery and Forestry sector. The overall contribution of Livestock Sector in total GDP was nearly 5.1% during 2019-20. Dairying in India is witnessing transformation from traditional production system to either semi-commercial or commercial production system, which requires high producing dairy animals. Losses associated with milk fever are due to deaths, reduction in the productive lifespan of affected cow and reduction in milk production following each milk fever episode, as well as costs of prevention and treatment. It has been reported that about one in 20 affected cows, dies due to milk fever. Further, milk fever can contribute to dystocia, uterine prolapse, retained fetal membranes, metritis, abomasal displacement and mastitis leading to serious economic loss. Methods: A Jersey crossbred cow on its sixth parity was presented with the history indicated that the animal had calved 45 days ago and was semi-intensively managed. The daily production of milk was abou 15 liters. Physical examination revealed the temperature and pulse rate were within the normal range, but there was increased in respiratory rate and a dehydration status of 5%. The dairy cow was diagnosed with milk fever and treatment was done by slowly infusing 400 ml of Calcium borogluconate into the jugular vein over a period of 10-20 minutes. Intravenous infusion of 1000 ml 0.9% NaCl and 2000 ml of 25% glucose were instituted in order to restore blood glucose level and to correct the dehydration. Result: The animal recovered after the treatment, thus the prognosis was good and supportive therapy was continued for three days and animal had an uneventful recovery.

Lactation wise performance of Sahiwal cattle at an organized herd of northern India

Performances of different production, reproduction traits and longevity up to sixth parity in Sahiwal cattle maintained at ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute over a period of 29 years (1988–2016) were assessed. Parity wise means along with standard errors of different traits were estimated up to sixth parity in Sahiwal cattle using Descriptive Statistics in SPSS software. 305 days milk yield, total milk yield, lactation length, wet average, peak yield, days to attain peak yield and dry period varied from 1,822.59 to 2,166.36 kg, 1,822.59 to 2259.86 kg, 268.95 to 303.02 days, 6.62 to 7.93 kg/day, 10.64 to 14.09 kg, 38.67 to 51.68 days and 118.11 to 142.05 days, respectively in different parities up to sixth parity in Sahiwal cattle. Average age at first service was 26.46 months in Sahiwal cattle. Age at calving, number of services per conception, conception rate, gestation period, calving to first insemination interval, service period, calving interval and pregnancy rate ranged from 37.70 to 105.59 months (1,131–3,168 days), 1.84–2.02, 66.19–70.07%, 286.76–287.97 days, 72.65–87.61 days,113.48–150.48 days, 401.47– 443.47 days and 38–44%, respectively in different parities. The average longevity ranged from 7.43 to 11.35 years (2,711.95–4,142.75 days) in Sahiwal cattle up to sixth parity. In the present study, milk yield increased up to third parity and declined in further parities. Highest test day milk yield was recorded in second test day in each lactation up to sixth parity while lowest was observed in last test day.

Effects of eight InDel variants in FHIT on milk traits in Xinjiang brown cattle

In our previous genome-wide association study (GWAS), we identified the fragile histidine triad diadenosine triphosphatase (FHIT) gene in Xinjiang brown cattle (XJBC) as a candidate gene associated with cattle productive traits, with potential application in mark-assisted selection (MAS) in cattle breeding. FHIT is a prototype of a class of tumor suppressor genes that contain genomic loci mapped to common fragile loci. Here, 388 healthy and unrelated XJBC were selected to identify insertion/deletion (InDel) variants in the bovine FHIT and assess their effects on milk traits. Eight of the thirteen InDel loci were found to be polymorphic in FHIT. The polymorphism information content of the eight loci ranged from 0.061 to 0.375. The correlation analysis showed that all the new InDel variants were significantly related to six different milk traits (p < 0.05). The following variants presented a significant relationship with productive traits: P2-23bp with the 305 milk yield (p = 0.005) in the sixth parity; P3-24bp with the milk fat yield (p = 0.009) in the third parity; P5-21bp with the somatic cell score (p = 0.001) in the first parity and with the milk protein percentage (p = 0.002) in the sixth parity; and P7-26bp with the somatic cell score (p = 0.003) in the sixth parity. These findings will help evaluate InDel genotypes, within and between cattle breeds and identify potential target loci to accelerate progress in MAS in cattle breeding.

Milk somatic cell count and its relationship with milk yield and quality traits in Italian water buffaloes

In Southern Italy, buffalo (Bubalus bubalis) milk is mostly intended for the manufacture of Mozzarella di Bufala Campana Protected Denomination of Origin (PDO) cheese. Despite the economic boost of the last 2 decades, the buffalo farming system should be improved to maximize the efficiency of the dairy industry, improve yield and quality of milk and cheese, and work toward better animal welfare. Milk somatic cell count (SCC) is used worldwide as an indicator of udder health in individual milk and is useful for monitoring farm hygiene in bulk milk. Mastitis data are currently not available on a large scale in Italy; thus, SCC is essential for identifying animals with suspected udder infection and inflammation. Moreover, high milk SCC is associated with altered composition and acidity, and poor technological properties of milk. However, payment systems of the PDO area are based simply on the delivered volume of milk rather than on quality characteristics. Hence, currently there are no penalties for elevated SCC in bulk milk in the Italian buffalo dairy industry. In addition, SCC for buffalo milk is not mentioned by either the European Community regulations or the PDO protocol, evidencing a lack of rules for the maximum SCC limit. To provide a phenotypic characterization of SCC at the population level and to improve knowledge on buffalo milk quality, 876,299 test-day records of 70,156 buffaloes reared in the PDO area were analyzed. Data revealed that around 11% of herd-test-dates (≥5 animals sampled each) showed average milk SCC ≥400,000 cells/mL (i.e., above the threshold fixed by the European Community for bovine milk). This suggests that there is room to improve SCC at both the farm and individual level. Within first parity, more than 28 and 15% of lactations had average SCC ≥200,000 and ≥300,000 cells/mL, respectively. Both percentages increased with parity and were 39 and 25% in sixth parity, respectively. Supporting this, the proportion of lactations with average SCC ≥500,000 cells/mL increased from 6% in first parity to 12% in sixth parity. Milk yield and SCC were negatively correlated with each other, especially when SCC level was high. An ANOVA was carried out on test-day record milk yield and composition traits, with fixed effects of parity, lactation stage, class of somatic cell score (n = 6), month of calving, and their interactions; buffalo, herd-test-date, and residual were considered random effects. Significantly lower milk yield and lactose percentage were estimated in progressively higher classes of somatic cell score, whereas no significant differences were observed for fat and protein percentages. This is the first attempt to investigate milk SCC in a large data set of Italian dairy buffaloes. These findings may be helpful for defining reliable and effective SCC thresholds to be adopted whenever specific penalties for high SCC are included in milk payment systems. Finally, these results could be used in mastitis monitoring plans aiming to reduce SCC and udder issues at both the individual and farm levels in the Italian buffalo population.

Phenotypic Characterization of Milk Yield and Quality Traits in a Large Population of Water Buffaloes.

Simple SummaryThe buffalo dairy industry has deep roots in Southern Italy, due to the traditional link with Mozzarella di Bufala, a Protected Designation of Origin cheese with high economic value and market demand. At farm level, strategies aiming to improve milk yield and quality are essential to maximize profitability and dairy chain efficiency. In this study, we analyzed a large data set of Italian Buffaloes (around 70 thousands animals) in order to detect the phenotypic sources of variation of milk yield and quality traits, disclose exploitable favorable correlations among milk traits, and provide useful information for dairy buffalo chain stakeholders.The buffalo milk industry has economic and social relevance in Italy, as linked to the manufacture of traditional dairy products. To provide an overview of the current status of buffaloes’ performances on a large scale, almost 1 million milk test-day records from 72,294 buffaloes were available to investigate milk yield, energy corrected milk, fat, protein, and lactose content, and somatic cell score (SCS). Phenotypic correlations between milk traits were calculated and analysis of variance was carried out through a mixed model approach including fixed effect of parity, stage of lactation, sampling time, month of calving, and all their interactions and random effects of buffalo, herd-test-date, and residual. Third-parity buffaloes were the most productive in terms of milk yield, while the lowest solid content was detected in sixth parity buffaloes. A considerable gap between primiparous and multiparous buffaloes was observed for milk yield, especially in early- and mid-lactation. Overall, SCS progressively increased with parity and showed a negative correlation with milk yield in both primiparous (−0.12) and multiparous (−0.14) buffaloes. Results suggested that, at the industrial level, milk of primiparous buffaloes may be preferred for transformation purposes, since it was characterized by greater solid content and lower SCS. Results of this study provide a picture of the Italian population of buffaloes under systematic performance records and might be beneficial to both dairy industry and breeding organizations.

Correlation and regression coefficient between milk yield and skin fold thickness in different region in Murrah buffaloes

The experiment was conducted with the duration of six months at ABIS (Aamir Bahadur Sultan Ali) Buffalo Dairy Farm, Gormara, Rajnandgaon (Chhattisgarh) to investigate the variability of skin thickness in relation to milk production. A total of 120 milking Murrah buffaloes were selected for the experiment. The Murrah buffaloes were selected in a range of first to sixth parity and each parity containing 20 buffaloes. All the selected Murrah buffaloes of the present investigation were kept under similar housing system i.e. loose housing system with one shelter along one side of the paddock and provided green fodder and total mix ration as per their requirement. Drinking water was made available ad lib to whole day. The milking was done by milking machine in milk parlour in morning and evening. Daily milk yield and total milk yield were recorded from the records. The correlation between skin thickness of neck, chest, abdomen, rump, hind quarter, udder and flank and total milk yield were -0.377, -0.498, -0.355, -0.282, -0.207, 0.073 and -0.072 respectively. Correlation between lactation length and different site of skin thickness was found significantly positive. However, negative correlation was observed for daily milk yield. On the other hand, regression coefficient of skin thickness and milk yield indicated that an increase in skin thickness of neck, chest, rump and hind quarter could decrease in average total milk.

Assessment of relation among production and reproduction traits in Sahiwal cattle at an organized herd of northern India

ABSTRACT The present study was conducted to assess the relation between different production and reproduction traits in Sahiwal cattle. Data up to sixth parity related to different production and reproduction traits of Sahiwal cattle maintained at an organized herd of ICAR-National Dairy Research Institute, Karnal spread over a span of 29 years (1988–2016) were utilized. Various production and reproduction traits considered were 305-day milk yield (305DMY), total milk yield (TMY), lactation length (LL), dry period (DP), age at calving (AAC), calving to first insemination interval (CFI), days open/service period (DO), calving interval (CI) and pregnancy rate (PR) up to sixth parity. Genetic and phenotypic correlations between different production and reproduction traits were estimated in addition to analysis of graphs between these traits up to sixth parity in Sahiwal cattle. The genetic correlations of 305DMY, TMY and LL with DO and CI were positive. Likewise, the phenotypic correlations of 305DMY, TMY and LL with CFI, DO and CI were significantly positive suggesting that cows with high milk yield have longer calving to first insemination interval, days open and calving interval. These findings confirm antagonistic relation between production and reproduction traits. Therefore, reproduction traits should also be taken into consideration along with production traits for genetic evaluation, selection of superior germplasm as well as for formulating suitable breeding programs for sustainable genetic improvement of Sahiwal cattle. Abbreviations: AAC, age at calving; CFI, calving to first insemination interval; CI, calving interval; 305DMY, 305-day milk yield; DP, dry period; DO, days open; LL, lactation length; TMY, total milk yield; PR, pregnancy rate

Effect of different parities on reproductive performance, birth intervals, and tail behavior in sows.

A goal for swine farming is the improvement in the number of live-born and weaned piglets per sow. Hence, the effect of parities should consider the correlation between the component traits of reproductive performance, weaning, and duration. Sows were housed in farrowing pens (W 2.2 × D 1.8 × H 1.2 m) on a partially slatted plastic floor. Twenty sows used in this study were between the first and sixth parity in gilts (P1), parity 2–5 (P3), and parity 6–9 (P6). Data collection by parity was classified into three categories: (1) reproduction performance (gestation length, total number of piglets born, number of piglets live born, number of piglets stillborn, total piglet birth weight; (2) weaning traits (weaning period, number of piglets weaning, total piglets weaning weight); (3) duration traits (farrowing duration, placenta expulsion duration, time from last piglet to first placenta, average birth interval, and tail wagging behavior). Gestation length was higher in P6 than P1 and P3 of different parity sows. The maximum value in P1 and P3 was 117 days, but the median value in P6 was 117 days (p < 0.05). The total number of piglets born (p = 0.113), number of piglets live born (p = 0.118), number of still piglets born (p = 0.151), and total piglet birth weight (p = 0.117) were not affected by parity. The number of live piglets was higher than the other parities by an average of 15.6 ± 2.1 in P1. The duration of farrowing was the lowest at 22.2 min in P6, but the maximum value was 42.2 min more than other parities (p = 0.355). Weaning traits of sows also did not differ significantly (p > 0.05), but the weaning period from P1 was lower than that of the other parities (p = 0.170). The number of piglets weaned was 10 heads on average in P1, P3, and P6 (p < 0.05). However, the mean values of the total piglet weaning weight (p = 0.377) of P6 (62.0 10.4 kg) were higher than those of P1 (54.9 10.2 kg) and P3 (58.4 13.6 kg). The placenta expulsion duration was higher in P6 than that in P1 and P3 (p = 0.447). The time from the last piglet to first placenta was be lower in P3 than that of the other parities (p = 0.206). The average birth interval was higher in P3 than that of the other parities (p = 0.156). Tail wagging (count) behavior was higher in P6 than in the other parities (p = 0.065). The data showed that the reproduction performance, total piglets born, and weight were higher in the gilts group, and higher in the weaning trait than that in the P6 group. This study examined the relationship between reproductive performance, birth interval and tail motion according to sow parity. Regarding duration, farrowing duration was lower in P6 than that in the other parities, but placenta expulsion and tail wagging were higher in P6 than in the other parities. Therefore, it is possible that the results from these sows could be used as basic data for effective farm management.

Effects of increased energy and amino acid intake in late gestation on reproductive performance, milk composition, metabolic, and redox status of sows1.

The objective of this study was to determine the effects of increased AA and energy intake during late gestation on reproductive performance, milk composition, and metabolic and redox status of sows. A total of 118 Yorkshire sows (third through sixth parity) were randomly assigned to dietary treatments from day 90 of gestation until farrowing. Dietary treatments consisted of combinations of 2 standardized ileal digestible (SID) AA levels [14.7 or 20.6 g/d SID Lys, SID Lys and other AA met or exceeded the NRC (2012) recommendations] and 2 energy levels (28.24 or 33.78 MJ/d intake of NE) in a 2 × 2 factorial design. After parturition, all sows were fed a standard lactation diet. Blood samples were collected and analyzed for parameters on metabolism, redox status, and amino acid profile. The data were analyzed using the generalized linear mixed models to reveal the impact of dietary levels of energy, AA, and their interaction. Sows with increased intake of AA had greater BW gain (P < 0.01) during late gestation. Furthermore, the BW loss during lactation was increased in sows with increasing intake of energy (P < 0.05) or AA (P < 0.05). Sows fed high energy had higher total litter birth weights (20.2 kg vs. 18.4 kg, P < 0.05) and shorter duration of farrowing (261 min vs. 215 min, P < 0.05), compared with those fed low energy, which likely was due to higher (P < 0.05) plasma glucose and lower (P < 0.05) plasma lactate prior to parturition. High AA intake in late gestation increased the ADG of piglets during the following lactation (P < 0.05), and increased the concentrations of plasma urea, and the following AA: Lys, Met, Thr, Val, Ile, Leu, Phe, Asp, Ser, and Arg at farrowing (P < 0.05). In conclusion, the increased intake of energy increased total litter weight of newborns and shortened the farrowing duration, which likely was due to improved energy status at farrowing. Furthermore, sows with increased intake of AA led to higher growth rate of piglets during the following lactation, accompanying with the increasing levels of plasma urea and amino acids. Therefore, the higher energy intake in late gestation appeared to improve litter weight and farrowing duration, while higher AA intake may have positive effect on piglets performance in lactation.

A pilot study on differential expression of microRNAs in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and serum of sows in activity restricted crates or activity free pens.

ObjectivePhysical activity restriction in sows may lead to behavioral abnormalities and affective disorders. However, the psychophysiological state of these sows is still unclear. As miRNAs can be used as effective markers of psychopathy, the present study aimed to assess the difference in microRNA expression between the long-term activity restricted sows and activity free sows, thus contributing to the understanding of abnormal sow behavior.MethodsFour dry sows (sixth parity, Large×White genetic line) were selected from activity restricted crates (RC) or activity free pens (FP) separately. microRNAs in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vMPFC) and serum were examined using real-time polymerase chain reaction, and the correlation between the miRNAs expressed in the vMPFC and serum was evaluated.ResultsmiR-134 (1.11 vs 0.84) and miR-1202 (1.09 vs 0.85) levels were higher in the vMPFC of the RC sows than in the FP sows (p<0.01). Furthermore, miR-132 (1.27 vs 1.08) and miR-335 (1.03 vs 0.84) levels were also higher in the RC sows than in FP sows (p<0.05); however, miR-135a, miR-135b, miR-16, and miR-124 levels were not different (p>0.05). The relative expression of serum miR-1202 was higher in the RC sows than in the FP sows (1.04 vs 0.54) (p<0.05), and there was a strong correlation (R = 0.757, p<0.05) between vMPFC and Serum levels of miR-1202. However, no significant difference was observed in miR-16 levels in the serum of the RC sows and FP sows (p>0.05).ConclusionThis pilot study demonstrates that long-term activity restriction in sows likely results in autism or other complex psychopathies with depression-like behaviors. These observations may provide new insights for future studies on abnormal behavior in sows and contribute to research on human psychopathy.

Eigenvector index for two female fertility traits based in random regression coefficients matrix in Holstein cows

A total of 71,518 days open (DO) and number of services per conception (NSC) records of 28,523 Iranian Holstein cows were analysed by random regression model. Akaike’s information criterion and likelihood ratio test suggested that a model with quadratic Legendre polynomials for additive genetic and permanent environmental was best. Heritability in different parities ranged from 0.103 to 0.045 in first parity and 0.054 to 0.030 in sixth parity for DO and NSC, respectively. Estimated genetic correlations between parities decreased continuously with increasing distance between parities for both DO and NSC. The first eigenfunction explained 89.99% and 97.22 % of the total genetic variance of DO and NSC, while the second eigenfunction accounted 6.24% and 3.18%, respectively. Different selection indices were constructed for DO and NSC. Genetic response to improve overall fertility was greater when the index included the first eigenvector than the response obtained from indices excluding it. Similar genetic gains were obtained from the first eigenvector, which had a nearly flat associated eigenfunction along lactations and from selection by the intercept of the random regression. The first eigenvector indices were responsible of changes in the level of DO and NSC in a similar manner for all parities, without altering the shape of the response curve across parities. The second and third eigenvector indices modified the shape of this curve but the improvement in genetic gains by including them in the selection index were small (DO) or negligible (NSC) due to the small amount of variability associated with these components.

Successful Clinical Management of Dystocia Due to Pre-cervical Uterine Torsion in a Crossbred Holstein Friesian Cow: A Case Report

A crossbred Holstein Friesian cow in sixth parity was presented with the history of completed gestation period and violent straining for three hours without any progress in calving. Gynaecological examination per-vaginum and per-rectum revealed 180° pre-cervical left sided uterine torsion. Caudal epidural anesthesia was applied by injecting 5 ml of 2% lignocaine, and the animal was calmed down with 0.2 ml xylazine (IV) and cast on the side of torsion. Rolling was applied as described by modified Schaffer‘s detorsion method. After second roll the torsion was completely corrected. A live healthy male calf was delivered by traction. The animal recovered uneventfully.

Parity : A Selection Criteria for Pre-Weaning Morphometric Traits of West African Dwarfsheep = أعداد الولادات : معايير الانتخاب للصفات الشكلية قبل الفطام في سلالة خراف الدورف الغرب إفريقي

One hundred and seventy six lambs produced by 84 ewes in their first to seventh parity were used to determine the effect of the number of births of ewe on the pre-weaning morpho metric traits of West African dwarf lambs. Body weight (BW), body length (BL), heart girth (HG) and height at wither (HW), were taken at birth, 4, 8 and 12 weeks after birth. Pre-weaning morpho metric traits of the lambs were significantly (P<0.05) affected by the parity of the ewe. The heaviest birth weight was recorded for lambs produced by fifth-parity ewes while the lambs from first parity had the least value. The highest value of BW, BL, and HW (4.74 ± 0.07kg, 37.00 ± 1.18cm, 41.32 ± 0.23cm) and (6.47 ± 0.09 kg, 40.40 ± 0.81cm, 46.11 ± 0.54 cm) were recorded from ewes in their fifth parity at weeks 4 and 8; respectively. Lambs produced by sixth parity ewes had the highest value of HG (39.00 ± 0.32cm, 42.01 ± 0.16 cm, and 42.80 ±0.86 cm) at birth, and 4 and 8 weeks after birth; respectively. However, the effect of parity on the growth performance tended to disappear at week 12. Sexual dimorphism was observed on all the morpho metric traits at week 12 in favour of male lambs. Growth performance of the lambs increases with parity though the effect was less significant at weaning.

Milk production potential in Maghrebi she-camels

Ten multiparous Maghrebi dairy she-camels (Camelus dromedarius L.) were used immediately after winter calving to study the chemical composition of milk through lactation. In addition, between 2004 and 2011, 748 records of 43 Maghrebi she-camels during 73 lactations were analyzed for evaluating their potential milk yield (MY) and lactation curve characteristics. The effects of some environmental factors on MY and milk composition was studied. The highest MY was recorded in sixth parity camels (1860±54l/lactation), which was significantly higher (P<0.05) than MY at the first parity (1240±44l/lactation). Stillbirth was associated with a decline of 10% in MY when at 6 months of age. The highest MY was recorded at mid lactation (∼3 month in lactation), while the lowest MY was recorded at late lactation. MY of winter calving camels (December to May) was higher by 13.2% (1652–1458l/lactation) in comparison to summer calving camels (June to November). The average content of protein in colostrum (at the first day postpartum) was 14.0% and that of fat 0.27%. The average contents of protein, fat, ash, lactose and total solids in milk were 3.01, 3.06, 0.69, 4.33, and 11.06%, respectively. Milk components were affected by lactation, except lactose, which its content was constant throughout lactation. Fat content ranged between 2.5 and 3.7%. The lowest content of fat was recorded at the 5th month of lactation, which corresponded with the lactation peak. Milk protein content ranged between 2.3 and 3.0%, with a minimal value at the 5th month of lactation. The trend in total solids content was similar to the trend in milk fat and protein contents. The wide range in MY points on the significant potential to increase the productivity of this breed.

Effect of meloxicam administration after calving on milk production, acute phase proteins, and behavior in dairy cows

Calving is an intrinsically risky process that can cause welfare and economic problems. The objective of this study was to assess the effect of the nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug meloxicam on various physiological and behavioral measures which can be related to pain in cattle. Sixty Friesian dairy cows from first to sixth parity were studied around calving and were randomly allocated into 2 homogeneous groups relative to parity and treated with either meloxicam or a placebo after calving. Treatments were administered on average 3.4 hours after calving, within a maximum of 6 hours. Calf positions at calving and calving assistance (unassisted or easy manual pull) were recorded. Milk production, rectal temperature, and activity (calculated as the number of steps per hour) were measured on each cow. From a subsample of 20 cows, haptoglobin (Hp) and serum amyloid A (SAA) concentrations were also obtained. The following behaviors were observed on video recordings: posture, changing posture, location of cow in pen, feeding, and tail up behaviors 2 days before and after calving. Statistical analysis was carried out with the SAS software using MIXED or GENMOD procedures. Most variables showed a parity and/or time effect around calving. This study did not demonstrate any significant effect of meloxicam on milk production or on acute phase responses of Hp and SAA. However, postcalving activity was significantly increased in meloxicam-treated heifers.

Genetic parameters for litter size in Black Slavonian pigs

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for litter size of Black Slavonian pigs using the repeatability, multiple trait, and random regression models, and to consider the possibility to increase litter size in Black Slavonian pigs by selection. A total of 4733 litter records from the first to the sixth parity from sows that farrowed between January 1998 and December 2010 were included in the analysis. Individual record consisted of the following variables: breeding organisation (eight regions), parity (1-6), service boar, and farrowing season (month-year interaction). Estimation of all the covariance components with three different models was based on the residual maximum likelihood method. Estimate of additive genetic variance and heritability for number of piglets born alive with repeatability model was 0.23 and 0.10, respectively. Estimates of additive genetic variance with multiple trait and random regression model were in a wider range from 0.05 to 0.65 across parities, and heritabilities were estimated in the range between 0.03 and 0.26. Estimates of phenotypic and additive genetic correlations were much smoother with random regression model in comparison with multiple trait model. Due to unexpected changes of variances along trajectory obtained with multiple trait and random regression model, the best option for genetic evaluation of litter size for now could be the use of repeatability model. With increasing number of data with proper data structure alternative modelling of litter size of Black Slavonian pig using multiple trait and random regression model could be taken into consideration.

Genetic parameters for litter size in Black Slavonian pigs with each parity treated as a different trait

The objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for litter size in Black Slavonian pigs using a multiple trait model with each parity treated as a different trait. A total of 4733 litter records from the first to the sixth parity from sows that farrowed between January 1998 and December 2010 were included in the analysis. Estimates of additive genetic variance with a multiple trait model were in the range from 0.05 to 0.48 across parities, and heritabilites were estimated in the range between 0.03 and 0.21. Estimates of phenotypic correlations were much lower than those of genetic correlations. Due to the unexpected changes of variances with a parity, the best option for genetic evaluation of litter size could be the use of repeatability model. With increasing number of data and with proper data structure alternative, modelling of litter size of Black Slavonian pig using multiple trait model could be taken into consideration.

Lactation curves of dairy camels in an intensive system

Weekly milk records of 47 she-camels in a multibreed dairy camel herd were collected for over a period of 5 years. A total of 72 lactation curves were defined, and relationships with parity, calving season, lactation length, milk production level, following lactations, and dam weight were analyzed. Overall mean values were milk yield up to 12 months, 1,970 ± 790 l; lactation length, 12.5 months; persistency, 94.7 %; weekly peak yield, 50.7 l; monthly peak yield, 220 ± 90 l; and the number of weeks to reach peak yield, 28. The highest productivity was recorded in summer with a weekly mean of 48.2 ± 19.4 l, compared with 34.1 ± 16.3 l in winter. The highest average yield recorded was for camels at sixth parity, whereas the highest weekly peak was at eighth parity, and highest persistency at fifth parity. Camels that calved during the cold months (November to February) were most productives, with the highest persistency, peak yield, and longest lactation length. Four types of curves were identified corresponding to different parities and milk yield levels. Based on these data, specific models for camels are proposed.