The most polymorphic milk protein gene is β-casein; 13 protein variants are known in cattle. Milk protein genetic polymorphism has received considerable research interest in recent years because of possible associations between milk protein and economically important traits in livestock. The present study was undertaken to explore the genetic polymorphisms in exon 7 of β-casein and exon 4 of κ-...

There have been countless columns written about “herd immunity” during and since the COVID-19 pandemic. But what does it take to write a real-life herd? As in herd of domestic cattle, sheep, llama or buffalo? In this article, large-animal-veterinarian-turned medical writer Rhona Fraser draws on her experience as dairy practitioner New Zealand. She highlights aspects production animal health tha...

Animal breeding reports in the Journal of Animal Science (JAS) and in its predecessor, Proceedings of the American Society of Animal Production, were counted and categorized. In 22 volumes of the Proceedings of the American Society of Animal Production, 155 articles had animal breeding content, of which 54% were research reports, 17% extension communications, and 28% syntheses or reviews. Sever...

The Cornell Net Carbohydrate and Protein System (CNCPS), a mechanistic model that predicts nutrient requirements and biological values of feeds for cattle, was modified for use with sheep. Published equations were added for predicting the energy and protein requirements of sheep, with a special emphasis on dairy sheep, whose specific needs are not considered by most sheep-feeding systems. The C...

AIM To analyse and present the epidemiological and epizootological situation of brucellosis in humans, sheep and goats caused by Brucella melitensis. METHODS The veterinary health services analyzsd epidemiological reports, as well as other official documents, in relation to the epidemiology and the measures undertaken for control of brucellosis in Bulgaria, 2005-08. RESULTS In Bulgaria anim...

In sheep, the traditional chemical control of gastrointestinal nematode (GIN) parasites with anthelmintics has led to the widespread development of anthelmintic resistance. The selection of sheep with enhanced resistance to GIN parasites has been suggested as an alternative strategy to develop sustainable control of parasite infections. Most of the estimations of the genetic parameters for shee...

BACKGROUND Serum samples from 630 milk sheep, in 33 dairy flocks representative of the southern area of the Tuscany region, were tested for the presence of antibodies to Toxoplasma gondii using an indirect immunofluorescence antibody test (IFAT). Questionnaires exploring the management system were completed by the veterinarian in charge of the flocks. RESULTS At least one seropositive animal ...

The economic weights for somatic cell score (SCS) have been calculated using profit functions. Economic data were collected in the Latxa breed. Three aspects have been considered: bulk tank milk payment, veterinary treatments due to high SCS, and culling. All of them are non-linear profit functions. Milk payment is based on the sum of the log-normal distributions of somatic cell count, and vete...

The dry period between successive lactations is crucial for regeneration of productive function of mammary tissue, preparation for high production, and to prevent new intramammary infections (IMI). With continually increasing production levels over time, the stress of abrupt drying-off could be a welfare concern, as well as an increased risk period for new IMI. The objectives of this study were...

Background: Mastitis in sheep caused by Staphylococcus spp. is a serious concern for dairy farming. Aims: The objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of the intramammary infection (IMI) caused by Staphylococcus spp. on the long-chain fatty acid profile and composition of ewe’s milk. Methods: The experiment was conducted in a herd of Zoslachtena Valaska sheep. Half-udder milk samples ...