Increased international trade of genetic material from dairy cattle requires genetic evaluations across countries. Methods are discussed for comparing genetic evaluations of bulls computed in different countries. A system that combines information from several countries and produces routine international evaluations of dairy bulls is described, and possible ways of utilizing such international ...

Protein-damaging stresses, including heat shock, cold, altered pH and oxygen deprivation induce the expression of a subgroup of molecular chaperones, called heat shock proteins (Hsp), which consist of several protein families designated by their molecular weight, such as the Hsp90, Hsp70, Hsp60, and the small Hsp (sHsp) families. Small heat shock proteins (sHsp) with a molecular mass of 15–30 k...

The association of a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of calpain 1 (CAPN1) gene with shear force of 2.54 cm steaks from M. longissimus dorsi from Gannan yaks (Bos grunniens, n = 181) was studied. The experimental design was a repeated measures with the main unit in a completely randomized design with a factorial arrangement of treatments (age at harvest x SNP) and the repeated subunit was a...

The role indigenous livestock can play in Africa’s Livestock Revolution is not always recognized. In many parts of Africa pure breeding with indigenous breeds is the only viable production strategy because of adverse climatic and nutritional conditions. However, there are scenarios where the higher demands of exotic breeds and their cross-breds can be met. This article discusses the possibility...

F beef cattle management practices are more cost effective or have a higher return on investment than properly used growth promoting implants. Growth promoting implants are pellets that are implanted under the skin of the ear of growing calves. These pellets release extremely low concentrations of various hormones, which improve average daily gain 7 to 17 percent and feed efficiency 4 to 12 per...

This paper reviews current production trends for sheep and beef cattle production in New Zealand and gives some insight into the opportunities for improvement. The New Zealand climate favours pasture growth and this is the key to sheep and beef cattle production with over 95% of the diet being grazed pasture or crop. Exports are the focus of the industry with 92% of sheep meat and 82% of beef e...

Calving traits for frequently used dairy breeds and crossbreeds were investigated using calving records collected in Australia over a period of 18 years. Dystocia (calving difficulty) was highest for heifers calving to Holstein-Friesian bulls, and Jersey calves caused the least dystocia. Incidence of dystocia in Holsteins was influenced by the season (gestation lengths were longer in winter, re...

Bovine infectious keratoconjunctivitis (BIK, pinkeye) is an economically important illness affecting growth of calves. The primary objective of this study was to estimate genetic parameters for BIK in beef calves prior to weaning. Health records of 47,880 calves born at the Meat Animal Research Center, Clay Center, NE from 1983 through 2001 were evaluated. Cows and calves were monitored daily f...

The aim of this study was to investigate the need for different cut-off points, according to animal age and the purpose of testing, for two of the most widely used serological techniques in bovine neosporosis, IFAT and a crude antigen ELISA (Civtest, HIPRA). Therefore, the population reference sera used were defined using a combination of multiple criteria such as epidemiological/clinical and h...

The development of an immunological assay where cells isolated from blood are stimulated by an Staphylococcus aureus antigen in vitro is described. Variation was observed in the ability of cells isolated from young cattle, cows and bulls to respond in vitro to S. aureus, suggesting that differences in immune responsiveness may be measured by this method. Bull progeny groups were shown to have c...