Poor reproductive efficiency is a worldwide problem that has affected the dairy industry during the last several decades. In an attempt to explain the changes in reproductive physiology caused by high milk production, a model of elevated steroid metabolism in lactating dairy cows has been proposed. A slow increase in levels and low peak levels of estradiol (E₂) and progesterone (P₄) characteriz...

The objectives of this study were (1) to determine the sensitivity (Se) and specificity (Sp) of somatic cell count (SCC) thresholds to identify subclinical mastitis in Gyr cows caused by major and minor pathogens; (2) to study the effects of month of sampling, rear or front mammary quarters, herd, intramammary infection (IMI), and bacterial species on SCC at quarter level; and (3) to describe t...

The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of a rumen-protected niacin product (NiaShure, Balchem Corp., New Hampton, NY) on lactation performance by dairy cows during the summer in Wisconsin. Eighty lactating dairy cows (63 ± 29 DIM) were used in a 10-wk lactation trial (a 2-wk pretreatment covariate period followed by an 8-wk treatment period). Cows were stratified by breed, parit...

Dairy cows suffer from an intense energy deficit at parturition due to the onset of copious milk synthesis and depressed appetite. Despite this deficit, maternal metabolism is almost completely devoted to the support of mammary metabolism. Evidence from rodents suggests that, during periods of nutritional insufficiency, a reduction in plasma leptin serves to co-ordinate energy metabolism. As an...

OBJECTIVE This study aims to identify the relationship between odd- and branched-chain fatty acids (OBCFAs) and microbial nucleic acid bases in the rumen, and to establish a model to accurately predict microbial protein flow by using OBCFA. METHODS To develop the regression equations, data on the rumen contents of individual cows were obtained from 2 feeding experiments. In the first experime...

Lactating dairy cow diets with more than 24% starch (DM basis) are common, but recent high corn prices have fueled a desire to feed lower-starch diets. The potential for using digestible neutral detergent fiber or pectin from byproduct feeds or sugars to partially replace starch from corn grain in diets fed to lactating dairy cows was reviewed. Potential modifying effects of corn silage, starch...

Two trials were implemented to explore nutritional strategies to improve lactation performance of dairy cows fed red clover silage (RCS)-based diets. In Trial 1, 18 earlyto midlactation dairy cows were assigned to a replicated 3 × 3 Latin square trial design and fed diets containing forage bases of all RCS, a mixture of RCS and brown midrib corn silage (BMR), and a mixture of RCS and normal cor...

ABSTRACT: Breeding strategies aim to reduce lameness in dairies by using predictor traits increase the selection of dairy cows. This study enhanced present knowledge about association between claw conformations (CC), hindlimb conformation (HiLC), gait, and body condition score (BCS) A total 166 lactating Holstein cows were enrolled scored for BCS, CC, HiLC, gait. The abnormal HiLC group was sta...

a field study was conducted in nine villages, three each from kupwara, handwara and karnah tehsils of kupwara district, to find out the nutritional value of feeds and fodders, existing feeding practices and nutritional status of dairy cattle. data was collected from the fifteen farm families from each of the nine were randomly selected through a common questionnaire. all the farmers were found ...

this experiment was conducted to investigate the effect of feeding frequency and oil supplementation to the diet on performance and feeding behavior of lactating dairy cows. twenty four lactating holstein cows, 12 primiparous, (bw= 626±58 kg and dim= 195±44 day) and 12 multiparous, (bw= 617±25 kg and dim= 207±39 day) were randomly assigned to four diets contained 2.5 percent supplemental oil or...