Intramammary infections (IMI) in goats constitute an enormous animal health problem, alter milk composition, lower the hygienic value of milk, impair the processing properties of milk and cause high economical losses in dairy farming today. A great part of IMI in dairy goats can be assigned to the group of subclinical mastitis (SCM) with no outward clinical symptoms. Staphylococci are certainly...

BACKGROUND The aim of this study was to estimate the seroprevalence of Coxiella burnetii in dairy goat farms in the Netherlands and to identify risk factors for farm and goat seropositivity before mandatory vaccination started. We approached 334 eligible farms with more than 100 goats for serum sampling and a farm questionnaire. Per farm, median 21 goats were sampled. A farm was considered posi...

The objective of the present study was to explain the genetic and phenotypic relationship between test-day somatic cell count and score (SCC& SCS), with daily milk yield in Gabali and Aradi Saudi goat using the random regression animal model. The total number of production records included in the present study was 2021 dairy records. 942 dairy records for Aradi goats and 1079 dairy records for ...

Inhibin A (INHA) is a glycoprotein hormone which has a role in regulating the synthesis and secretion of pituitary follicle-stimulating hormone. In this paper, single nucleotide polymorphisms of 5′ regulatory region and exon 1 of INHA gene were detected in one prolific goat breed (Jining Grey goat) and five low to medium fecundity breeds (Boer, Liaoning Cashmere, Wendeng Dairy, Taihang and Inne...

The AT motif-binding factor (ATBF1) not only interacts with protein inhibitor of activated signal transducer and activator of transcription 3 (STAT3) (PIAS3) to suppress STAT3 signaling regulating embryo early development and cell differentiation, but is required for early activation of the pituitary specific transcription factor 1 (Pit1) gene (also known as POU1F1) critically affecting mammali...

11 Resistance to anthelmintics in populations of gastrointestinal nematodes is a major concern in small ruminants. One solution to limit the spread of anthelmintic resistance is to apply treatments selectively by targeting the most susceptible animals within a flock. In dairy goats, previous studies have shown that, within a flock, goats in first lactation and those with high level of milk prod...

Early pregnancy diagnosis in dairy goats and cows was studied using enzyme immunoassays (EIA) to measure progesterone concentrations in whole milk samples collected approximately 3 weeks after mating. Two qualitative on-farm assay kits and 2 quantitative assay kits, all designed for use in the dairy cow, were tested for their accuracy with goats milk samples. Accuracy of diagnosis of goat pregn...

The length of the antibiotic withdrawal period after intramammary treatment was influenced by the milk yield of dairy goats during this trial. Shorter withdrawal periods were seen in relatively high yielding dairy goats (production above 1.5 l per day) compared to low producers (less than 1.3 l per day). High yielding goats treated with Curaclox LC (Norbrook [Pharmacia AH]) had a withdrawal per...

Traditional farming practices include the use of local agricultural by-products in the diet of ruminants. Artichoke harvesting and transformation yield high amounts of by-products that, if properly used, may reduce farming costs and the environmental impact of farming. The present study tests the inclusion of silages from artichoke by-products (plant and outer bracts) in the diet of dairy goats...

In 2007, a human Q fever epidemic started, mainly in the south eastern part of The Netherlands with a suspected indirect relation to dairy goats, and, to a lesser degree, to dairy sheep. This article describes the Q fever prevalences in Dutch dairy goat and dairy sheep bulk tank milk (BTM) samples, using a real-time (RT) PCR and ELISA. Results of BTM PCR and ELISA were compared with the serolog...