The objective of the present study was to evaluate effects postpartum oral calcium supplementation on milk yield, energy-corrected fat concentration, protein and somatic cell count linear score across first 3 monthly tests postpartum, peak risk pregnancy at service, hazard by 150 d in 1,129 multiparous Jersey × Holstein crossbreed cows from 2 commercial dairies. After calving, were systematical...

A sire-maternal grandsire threshold model was used for genetic evaluation of stillbirth in US Holsteins. Calving ease and stillbirth records for herds reporting at least 10 dead calves were extracted from the Animal Improvement Programs Laboratory database. About half of the 14 million calving ease records in the database had a known livability score, mostly from herds processed by Dairy Record...

Perinatal mortality rates are increasing internationally, particularly in Holstein-Friesian primiparae. The prevalence of perinatal mortality in US dairy herds is currently 8%. This article outlines our current knowledge of bovine perinatal pathophysiology and presents practical guidelines on management of the calf at calving time. Biophysical profiling of the newborn calf, without sophisticate...

The Brahman (American Zebu) has been evaluated in numerous crossbreeding studies throughout the Southern United States. Brahman females producing straightbred calves have usually been found to have a lower calving percentage, calf survival rate and weaning rate than other contemporary straightbreds, although they have been reported to be superior or competitive in some studies. Birth weights of...

Calving records (n = 6,763) obtained from first, second, and third parities of 3,442 spring-calving, Uruguayan Aberdeen Angus cows were used to estimate heritabilities and genetic correlations for the linear trait calving day (CD) and the binary trait calving success (CS), using models that considered CD and CS at 3 calving opportunities as separate traits. Three approaches were defined to hand...

introduction cattle are a monotocous species meaning that, under most circumstances, a successful pregnancy results in the birth of one calf. twinning rate has been reported in dairy cows from 3 to 5 percent, which can be influenced by maternal age.the birth of twins is detrimental to the majority of beef and dairy cattle producer. financial loss arising from any of twinning has been reported i...

Animal breeding programs are designed to genetically improve livestock populations over many generations to enhance farm sustainability and competitiveness. Genetic improvement is achieved by selecting genetically superior animals, based on estimated breeding values (EBV), to be the parents of the next generation. These EBV are calculated by solving mixed model equations characterizing appropri...

Sixty of the 65 dairy farms with cubicle houses in the Norwegian county of Oppland were included in a field study of the management of calving in 1990. The farmers recorded the location of the cow when giving birth, farmer presence and whether assistance was given during calving, occurrence of suckling, and time after birth when cow and calf were separated. Such data were recorded for a total o...